Organic Fertilizer for stock pond

fixitman · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Benbrook,TEXAS

Hi all,

I have a new stock pond that is about 1/2 acre. I just started the stocking process. All of the fish suppliers I have had contact with recommend fertilization to promote plankton bloom. Does anyone have a formula to make a homade organic brew or know of a source for a comercial organic product?

Thanks!

CaptainCompostAL · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 861 Location: Irondale,Alabama

Plain corn meal or any other type of corn based product?
I use no-salt cattle/horse feeds.

fixitman · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Benbrook,TEXAS

Thanks Al!

The NPK numbers of the commercial products are high for the first two numbers. Wondering if maybe some manure tea in addition to cornmeal products. The Idea is to get some Nitrogen in I think. Goal is to create plankton bloom.

fixitman

tommyr · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 53 Location: Breckenridge,TEXAS

Just made a post in Gardening Exchange that might interest you. It's header is Water Gardening. What we called moss seemed to grow from tank bottom to top of water. Sometimes in 10 or 12 feet of water. I would assume that getting the extra light helped also.

mycajah · Joined: 16 Nov 2003 Posts: 15 Location: Alpine,TEXAS

I used to work on a catfish farm outside of Rowena, a long time ago. We bought adult fish from big farms in LA and ran a small hatchery. I'm no expert but here are my thoughts.

If it is a new pond, be sure that there is plenty of protective cover on the bottom. This can be from old milk cans, old logs, or just holes.

Nitrogen is falling out of the sky at high enough rates (see http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/isopleths/annualmaps.asp), I wouldn't do anything to encourage an algal bloom. Fertilizing might bring on something you don't want. If you live in the Brazos River watershed, P. parvum (hope I’ve spelled this right) might be one of those unwanted blooms.

If the experts are suggesting fertilizing, your pond might be too new to be adding fish. Do you have frogs yet? or any other critters?

We sold fish to a big west Texas land owner who once ran for governor. The ponds were brand new with smooth bottoms. We recommended more than once that the prey fish needed protective cover, he didn't listen and soon the bass were eating each other because the food fish were all gone.

This note is not very organized, but I hope it helps.

fixitman · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Benbrook,TEXAS

Thanks to all who replied.
I think I am going to make a tea from corn gluten meal and manure. I heard Howard mention this morning that corn gluten was high in nitrogen, with manure added I think it should work. See what happens. I am hoping that since I will be using organic material it will be safer and not as easy to overdo it.

I do plan to put in some brush for cover since I understand the fat head minnows use it to lay their eggs.

fixitman

mycajah · Joined: 16 Nov 2003 Posts: 15 Location: Alpine,TEXAS

I'd like to know how things work out. Keep us posted please.

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1986 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

I would not use manure in anything where I wanted anything to live. Use compost instead. If the material does not smell fresh like a forest floor after a rainstorm, it needs more composting. Manure is full of pathogens which is why you always drink upstream from the herd.