All About Ponds LLC

03/28/2025

01/24/2024

https://www.stormwater.com/stormwater-management/press-release/53082919/study-assesses-human-health-hazards-of-harmful-algal-blooms?oly_enc_id=6443J5633601C1K

Testing samples from Florida’s Indian River Lagoon on human cells found unrecognized toxins associated with harmful algal blooms in the lagoon.

12/07/2023

Long, narrow ponds have always been difficult to fit an appropriately sized fountain into. Thanks to Kasco we now have an option. Introducing the Fern Premium Nozzle

06/18/2022

03/12/2022

Water quality week is starting to wind down, today we discuss phosphorus and tomorrow we finish with hardness and salinity.

Phosphorus is one of my favorite topics because it’s one that we are honestly still evolving opinions on. For generations we were taught that phosphorus was the primary limiting nutrient for plankton growth in lakes. Although still true we are learning that this broad statement doesn’t take into account that individual plankton species have nutrient and temperature preferences and often having a high phosphorus load leads to blue-green algae dominated populations.

Phosphorus in your lake comes from organic matter decomposition by bacteria. As they breakdown the phosphorus it dissolves into water as phosphate (PO4). If phosphate is freely available to be used it’s called orthophosphate or reactive phosphate. It’s used by almost everything and it necessary for production of DNA and RNA. Once it is used phosphate is considered organically bound.

Phosphorus can also be bound by minerals like iron in sediment as long as dissolved oxygen is present. Dissolved oxygen at the sediment level is not always present especially during summer months when stratification occurs. Under these anaerobic conditions sediment bound phosphorus is released which can lead once again to blue green algae blooms.

Due to the complexity where phosphorus is bound we try to measure free phosphate and maintain it below .1 mg/l. This is done through phosphorus binding chemicals like phosclear or alum and then control introduction of new phosphorus sources as lakes age.

03/11/2022

We are talking about nitrogen today, but really about the entire nitrogen cycle. You should have learned all this in junior high so quiz your kids.

Nitrogen enters into water most commonly as either ammonia (NH4) or nitrate (NO3). Ammonia comes from biologic waste, decaying organic matter, and fish respiration. Ammonia is toxic to fish but in healthy environments is converted to other forms of nitrogen by nitrifying bacteria. The first step in the nitrogen cycle is ammonia being converted to nitrite (NO2) by bacteria like nitrosomonas. Nitrite is also toxic but luckily it’s converted by other nitrifying bacteria like nitrobacter to nitrate.

Nitrate is either then released back into the atmosphere or is used by phytoplankton and aquatic plants to grow. Other sources of nitrate outside of the nitrogen cycle are runoff, animal waste, and fertilizers. Nitrate is very safe for fish and is the end of the nitrogen cycle until biologic waste or decay starts it all over again as ammonia. The nitrogen cycle requires nitrifying bacteria, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity. Without those present the nitrogen cycle is stuck at ammonia.

Ammonia is toxic to fish at low levels which lead to fish being more susceptible to bacterial infections and eventually death. Technically there are two types of ammonia but for these post we are not going to dive any further into that. For fish any ammonia level above .5mg/l is stressful, above 1.0 mg/l is dangerous, and 2.0 mg/l is deadly. If you have ever had fish die in a livewell ammonia was a likely part of the cause. Managing temperature, oxygen, and ammonia are the three components of good livewell fish care.

Nitrite can sometimes come from well water but is more commonly just from the nitrogen cycle. It’s toxic at any level above .1 mg/l so you want your waterbody to be at or near 0 all the time. Nitrate is rarely toxic so anything 0-5 mg/l is your goal but I wouldn’t stress until nitrate is higher then 50 mg/l.

With a healthy nitrogen cycle your pond will stay fertile but as soon as dissolved oxygen or alkalinity drop the nitrogen cycle grinds to a halt. I do recommend taking water samples on all three phases of nitrogen in your pond. During the summer I would do this both above and below the thermocline. This will give you an excellent understanding of where your plankton blooms are going as well as what risk you have for fish kills. At home aquarium kits can do these test for you or you can have local biologist or even well service companies run this analysis.

11/04/2021

To my fellow fishermen and woman...please be responsible for your broken lines and lures. This is a kingfisher, tangled in fishing line, hanging from a tree...just a shame.

07/03/2020

I am already seeing it in ponds all over Wilmington. Please pay attention to where your dogs swim.

NORTH CAROLINA (WAVY) — Algal bloom season begins just as the summer season starts and with that, N.C. Division of Water Resources is urging the public to avoid contact with green or blue wat…

06/16/2020

From time to time throughout the summer I see red bacterial growths on the skin of fish. Bacterial infections like this come from skin irritant, injury, or direct transfer. This is more common following the spawn when the immune system of a fish is naturally stressed. Couple this with warm water temperatures and bacteria can thrive.

I most often see the bacteria growing in the pattern pictured below, with two primary spots. One on the lower part of the head and the other on the tail. The cause of this is transfer from an anglers dry hands. As an angler the best way to prevent yourself from causing this is to always hold fish with wet hands.

06/05/2020

05/31/2020

has been problematic in since the late 1800s. Pictured here is waterhyacinth covering in 1966 before & after management efforts. Restoring & conserving is a major goal of .



📸: JS