Work the Garden and Grow Fish – Part III

Now that you have increased the alkalinity and the pH of your water is in check, it’s time to fertilize.  Fertilizing adds nitrogen and phosphorous to your water. This helps phytoplankton thrive, which is the base of your pond’s food chain. Increasing phytoplankton creates more zooplankton that are consumed by juvenile sport fish (like bass and bream) and forage (like insects, minnows and shad), which of course results in bigger, fatter, and happier sport fish that you like to catch. Nitrogen also has a secondary benefit of shading the water and reducing the spread of unwanted aquatic plants (weeds). Fertilizing is a commitment, and care needs to be taken not to over fertilize or fertilize during the wrong time of year because it could result in a fish kill.  Please consult your local pond management service, Pensacola Pond Pros, for more information on this subject and any other questions you may have about managing your aquatic oasis.