I know that not everyone here has a pond, but chances are that you know someone who does. Maybe you enjoy fishing or someone close to you does. Either way I want to talk about pond management today. There are some simple practices that people can do to manage their ponds to a healthier status. Healthy ponds can lead to better aquatic life, which makes every fisherman happy. Let’s talk about pond management.
Controlling weeds doesn’t only happen in the garden, but also in ponds. There are four different types of weeds that will grow in ponds. They are algae, floating weeds, emergent weeds, and submersed weeds. Algae is very common in ponds. Algae can be microscopic; sometimes it’s bigger and visible. Floating weeds are not attached to the bottom of the pond. They’ll have roots that are free floating in the water. Some common examples are duckweed and bladderwort.
Emergent weeds are usually found along the edge of the shore. It includes water lily, cattails, and rushes among others. Submerged weeds are rooted to the bottom of the pond. They won’t rise above the surface of the water.
Grass carp can be used to maintain control of weeds. It’s recommended to get sterile grass carp so that they don’t multiply. The recommended stocking rate is 5-10 per acre. Generally, when you stock grass carp it’s recommended that they be at least 10 inches long. That way other fish in the pond won’t eat them. Grass carp will be effective for about 7 years. After that point, their metabolism slows down so that they don’t eat as many weeds.
If the weed infestation is heavy, herbicides will need to be used to control the weeds first. After the initial control, introduce grass carp so that they can maintain proper weed levels. Several different herbicides can be used depending on the types of weeds that you have present in your pond. If all the aquatic weeds are killed at one time, it can result in a fish kill, because the oxygen is depleted from the weeds decomposing.
Fertilizing a pond can result in bigger bass for you to catch. However, if you don’t plan to increase the amount of fish that you pull out of the pond, fertilizing can have a negative effect, because the amount of pond weeds can also increase. Therefore, if you are going to fertilize it’s best to follow a regular schedule so that weed growth doesn’t get out of control.
Testing the water hardness of your pond will tell you how much lime you need to add. Adding lime to a pond will allow more of the natural phosphorus to be released. More phosphorus means that plant growth will be encouraged, supplying the fish at the bottom of the food chain with more food. Lime may need to be reapplied every 4 years. When applying lime, you want to make sure that you get an even application. If you have a large pond, spreading from a jon boat will be best. If you have a small pond, spreading from the bank all the way around will work.
Fertilizing, liming, and weed control can all make your pond healthier. If you have questions about pond management, or have fish tales to share, contact your local Extension Office or email me at Jacob.Williams@uga.edu.