Why Pond Management
Pond management is a science and an art. There are several aspects of pond management that can include, but are not limited to, the following: fish habitat, water quality, food chain, fertilizing, liming, weed control, aerators, fish stocking, and electrofishing.
Habitat
Habitat is what fish need to be able to reproduce, feed, hide, congregate, ambush, relax, and more. Native aquatic plants, in moderation, are always great for fish habitat. Because of this, it’s important to understand the plants and how they grow, and therefore, avoid them taking over the pond. Controlling weeds and vegetation in an aquatic setting can be tricky. However, it’s necessary for pond management.
Water Quality
As it relates to water quality, there are some key factors to pay attention to. You must understand and know about pH, alkalinity, how to judge water color, as well as visibility depths. Pond professionals can help you establish your baseline and basic parameters. They can guide you through what each of the numbers means for your pond. Ultimately, chemistry will affect biology, and it’s a key principle in pond management.
Food Chains
A set of complicated food chains form a food web. These food chains overlap and are interconnected. There is a food chain for plankton and a food chain for bluegill. Bluegill are part of a food chain for bass, and bass are part of a food chain for tiger musky. As a result, all of these food chains combine into an underwater food web. Is your pond’s food chain in balance?
Fertilization
Coupled with liming, fertilization can increase fish production in your pond by 3 to 4 times. Components in pond fertilizer stimulate the food chain from the bottom up. They do this by nourishing microscopic algae called phytoplankton. In ponds, phytoplankton represents the very base of the food chain. Therefore, in terms of fish production, a healthy plankton “bloom” translates into an increase of, bigger, healthier fish.
Electrofishing for Pond Management
Electrofishing is fishing that employs a direct electric current to attract, and usually temporarily immobilize, fish for easy capture. This is a great tool to use in pond management and can provide a complete evaluation of the fish community. Furthermore, it can measure water quality, aquatic vegetation, fertility level, as well as other important physical characteristics of the lake or pond (mechanical spillway, emergency spillway, watershed analysis, etc…).
In order to have the best pond that produces the best fish, you need to make pond management a priority. There are several expert pond management companies. So let the professionals help you make sure your pond is set up properly!