Pond feed base
natural feed base: zooplankton, fertilization, melioration — cutting feed costs
Pond feed base
Natural feed capacity:
Plankton, benthos, aquatic vegetation — free feed; a strong base cuts 30–50% of feed costs.
Fertilization:
Organic (humus, manure) + mineral (amophos, nitrate) — stimulates plankton; norms by water transparency.
Liming:
Lime on sediment/sludge: normalizes pH, kills pathogens, activates benthos — before stocking.
Silver carp as filterer:
Silver and bighead carp eat phytoplankton — free growth.
Grass carp:
Eats higher vegetation — controls overgrowth and grows without compound feed.
Melioration:
Drying the bottom in summer, plowing, lime — restores feed capacity of old ponds.
Water transparency:
25–40 cm Secchi disk — normal; <20 cm = bloom, >50 cm = little feed.
Balance:
Strong natural base + moderate compound feeding = lowest cost per kilogram.