Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. They are all part of a complex food web* converging toward fish production. You can cause great damage to the pond ecosystem by feeding pond plants with products meant for soil, including huge algae blooms to dead fish. In fact, artificially feeding recreational ponds at high levels can cause excess planktonic algae blooms and potentially low dissolved oxygen and fish kills if the feed rates are not precisely adjusted. It's not about the fish. Fish safe fertilizer contains high levels of phosphorus. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. The liquid fertilizer will be heavier than the water it is being applied to, and will sink to the bottom where it will probably either be neutralized, or initiate … Dilute the fertilizer by mixing more than 10 parts of water with it and slosh or splash the mixture onto the pond surface. If the pond receives only minor harvest pressure, do not fertilize or fertilize at only half the recommended rate. Assessing the needs of your pond should be done with a testing kit. 1) as feed stock for fish. It's about the pond. for catfish ponds where the fish are on a regular supplemental feeding program already. There are several methods of applying solid fertilizer, but in each method you are applying the fertilizer to the water. Whatever variety you choose, follow manufacturer application directions for the proper amount. Fertilizer may be applied on a fertilizer platform suspended 18 inches to 2 feet deep in a pond. Ponds should be sampled on a bi-weekly basis to determine if more fertilizer is needed throughout the spring, summer and fall. The tab varieties must be buried in soil where they will slowly release nutrients. Over-fertilization should be avoided since excess fertilization can cause reduced nighttime dissolved oxygen levels, which, in turn, can cause fish kills. In order to get ready for the growing season, you should have your pond tested and add any lime needed to neutralize the pond bottom sediments. POND FERTILIZATION. There are solid tabs but also powders and sprays that are safe to use in a fishpond. Concentrated liquid fertilizer may be sprayed over the shallow water edges of ponds with a power sprayer. First, for effective fertilization, the pond’s water temperature must consistently stay above 60 degrees. This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. Shallow water fertilization is risky. Larger fish eat smaller fish, and some insects that cross their path. Solid fertilizers must not come into contact with the pond bottom since the nutrients will bind with the soil and be ineffective in fertilizing the water. Credit: STIHL-sponsored photo contest entry by Henry Hudson Ponds are a wonderful addition to a forest or tree farm, providing a source of water for animal, crops and people, as well as a place to swim, observe wildlife and, of course, fish. 53- Fall at Turkey Pine Plantation.JPG If you're stocking your pond, always purchase from a licensed, commercial fish hatchery. It will cause too much algae growth which will adversely affect pond and fish health. Lime must be applied at a minimum of four to six weeks prior to fertilizing. Most fertilizer such as Triple Super Phosphate (0-46-0), which is the most economical formulation. POND FERTILIZATION. Further, they’re not usually in a form that can be delivered to the soil of the pond … An inorganic phosphorus only fertilizer is ideal for … It is best to fertilize the water lily with a water lily fertilizer. Fertilizer comes in three forms: liquid, powdered and granular. If fish production is important, consider fertilizing. Prevention through careful monitoring of water visibility (caution zone is less than 20 inches) and oxygen levels is much preferred to attempting cures. pond owners fertilize ponds to increase fish production and pre-vent rooted aquatic weeds from becoming established. If lime and fertilizer are applied simultaneously, the calcium in the lime will bind with the phosphorus and make it unavailable for use. A 20-20-5 fish pond fertilizer is 20 percent nitrogen (N), 20 percent phosphorus (P205) and 5 percent potassium (K20) by weight.
2020 how to fertilize a pond for fish