nitrate limited pond?

[Mike Miller]

My 2 yr old pond still presents a conundrum. 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero, never
any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium (low
in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT.

But...

The marginals never grow well. The lilies I fertilize, and the WH seem
fine, but the irises, arrowroot, blue pickerel, equisetum (dwarf horsetail),
all in pots of clay + pebbles, never grow well. Leaves are puny, older
leaves yellow. I remember a thread a year or so ago about nitrate-limited
ponds and adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in my
area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing nitrogen.

Is there any other N source I could try out on the pond (carefully)? I
thought the growing goldfish population would change that this year, but it
didn't. Any suggestions?

[Heather]

Interesting question. I have the same problem except we have little sun so
attributed the problem to that.

So all you experienced PORGs - what is the optimum Nitrate / Nitrite levels?

My pond is 1800 gal
Nitrate and Nitrite are 0 to just tinted on the color scale
pH is 7.5 - 8
Ammonia 0
Fishload - 25 GF of which the biggest is 4 to 5"
Partial water change every three weeks
Water temp 65 to 70

Thanks,

Heather
SW Ontario (Zone 5)


"Mike Miller" > wrote in message
news:M4s_a.136000$Ho3.16961@sccrnsc03...
> My 2 yr old pond still presents a conundrum. 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
> readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero, never
> any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
> them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium
(low
> in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT.
>
> But...
>
> The marginals never grow well. The lilies I fertilize, and the WH seem
> fine, but the irises, arrowroot, blue pickerel, equisetum (dwarf
horsetail),
> all in pots of clay + pebbles, never grow well. Leaves are puny, older
> leaves yellow. I remember a thread a year or so ago about nitrate-limited
> ponds and adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in my
> area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing nitrogen.
>
> Is there any other N source I could try out on the pond (carefully)? I
> thought the growing goldfish population would change that this year, but
it
> didn't. Any suggestions?
>
>

[zookeeper]

Heather wrote:
> Interesting question. I have the same problem except we have little sun so
> attributed the problem to that ...
>
> My pond is 1800 gal
> Nitrate and Nitrite are 0 to just tinted on the color scale
> pH is 7.5 - 8
> Ammonia 0
> Fishload - 25 GF of which the biggest is 4 to 5"
> Partial water change every three weeks
> Water temp 65 to 70
>
> "Mike Miller" > wrote ...
>
>>My 2 yr old pond ... 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
>>readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero, never
>>any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
>>them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium
>>(low in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT ...

Mike, what are your test results?
Heather, have you measured KH and/or GH? After I checked my KH and found
a really low amount, I've been adding baking soda over a two week
period. After just a few cups of baking soda, all of the pond plants
started growing and greening up.
Mike, is the "K" potash? I was planning to add potash to our pond, but
am holding off now until I can get the KH up to a better level.
--
Zk (sig. compliments of BV)

[Sam Hopkins]

Mike where do you live? Stump removers use potassium nitrate. It's found at
places like home depot and lowes.

"Mike Miller" > wrote in message
news:M4s_a.136000$Ho3.16961@sccrnsc03...
> My 2 yr old pond still presents a conundrum. 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
> readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero, never
> any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
> them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium
(low
> in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT.
>
> But...
>
> The marginals never grow well. The lilies I fertilize, and the WH seem
> fine, but the irises, arrowroot, blue pickerel, equisetum (dwarf
horsetail),
> all in pots of clay + pebbles, never grow well. Leaves are puny, older
> leaves yellow. I remember a thread a year or so ago about nitrate-limited
> ponds and adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in my
> area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing nitrogen.
>
> Is there any other N source I could try out on the pond (carefully)? I
> thought the growing goldfish population would change that this year, but
it
> didn't. Any suggestions?
>
>

[john rutz]

Sam Hopkins wrote:
..
> adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in my
>>area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing nitrogen.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Potasium nitrate is available in gardend stores and can be found at home depot as water softener salt

I have a feeling who ever you asked that told you it was illegal was
confusing it with amonium nitrate ( which is a fertilizer used to make
explosives )
>
>


--





John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

[Mike Miller]

I live in Chicago, and remember looking last year for potassium nitrate
stump remover and could not find it - a pharmacy I asked said they could not
sell this because of its potential misuse. So I assumed it was not
available anywhere. I'll look again!


"Sam Hopkins" > wrote in message
.. .
> Mike where do you live? Stump removers use potassium nitrate. It's found
at
> places like home depot and lowes.
>
> "Mike Miller" > wrote in message
> news:M4s_a.136000$Ho3.16961@sccrnsc03...
> > My 2 yr old pond still presents a conundrum. 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
> > readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero,
never
> > any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
> > them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium
> (low
> > in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT.
> >
> > But...
> >
> > The marginals never grow well. The lilies I fertilize, and the WH seem
> > fine, but the irises, arrowroot, blue pickerel, equisetum (dwarf
> horsetail),
> > all in pots of clay + pebbles, never grow well. Leaves are puny, older
> > leaves yellow. I remember a thread a year or so ago about
nitrate-limited
> > ponds and adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in
my
> > area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing
nitrogen.
> >
> > Is there any other N source I could try out on the pond (carefully)? I
> > thought the growing goldfish population would change that this year, but
> it
> > didn't. Any suggestions?
> >
> >
>
>

[Sam Hopkins]

BTW, in planted aquariums nitrate does get limited. You dose nitrate at a
rate to hold it at 5PPM.

Sam

"Mike Miller" > wrote in message
news:M4s_a.136000$Ho3.16961@sccrnsc03...
> My 2 yr old pond still presents a conundrum. 500 gallons, full sun, z5,
> readings always within range, ammonia and nitrate always read zero, never
> any suspended algae, but SA, clear water, under my fish load, don't feed
> them, lots of plants of all types, 75% coverage, K, iron and magnesium
(low
> in my area) added regularly, the K weekly along w/BZT.
>
> But...
>
> The marginals never grow well. The lilies I fertilize, and the WH seem
> fine, but the irises, arrowroot, blue pickerel, equisetum (dwarf
horsetail),
> all in pots of clay + pebbles, never grow well. Leaves are puny, older
> leaves yellow. I remember a thread a year or so ago about nitrate-limited
> ponds and adding potassium nitrate, which can't be legally purchased in my
> area. If these plants were in the soil, I'd say they're missing nitrogen.
>
> Is there any other N source I could try out on the pond (carefully)? I
> thought the growing goldfish population would change that this year, but
it
> didn't. Any suggestions?
>
>

[Karen Mullen]

In article <dxX_a.146199$o%2.62776@sccrnsc02>, "RichToyBox"
> writes:

> I am having
>problems this year with my iris, and a couple of years ago, I couldn't grow
>pickerel, and for the last two years, parrots feather is weaker than it was.
>I attribute this to the plants consuming some micronutrient from the pond,
>until they won't grow anymore. This year the pickerel is doing fine. I
>think it might be like the farmer having to rotate crops.

You may be onto something. I have a rather large golden rush that was growing
near my Pickeral and arrowhead. The golden rush was growing like mad while the
pickeral and arrowhead were struggling. I moved the golden rush to the other
end of the pond to improve appearances and the other 2 have perked up, the
pickeral even putting up 2 flowers. Maybe I'll try rotating other plants and
see if the improve too.
Karen
Zone 5
Ashland, OH
http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html
My Art Studio at
http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K.M.Studios/K.M.Studios.html
for email remove the extra extention