8. PREPARING YOUR POND
BEFORE FILLING THE POND
(191) Make sure that the screens on the inlet, outlet and overflow
are in place and tight.
(192) Make sure that the outlet is tightly closed. To do this,
wrap a wood plug with old cloth, put it in the outlet pipe on
the outside of the pond and tap it lightly with a hammer so that
it will stay in the pipe when the pond fills with water.
|
|
|
(193) If you have built a better outlet with a T or an L piece,
turn it to the upright position.
|
|
(194) If your pond has a monk, put in the boards and put the
screen on top (see items 113 to 119).
|
|
|
|
(195) Put rocks on the bottom of your pond under the inlet where
the water will fall when it begins to come into the pond.
|
|
(196) This will keep the bottom from washing away. It will keep
the water from getting too muddy. It will make the water splash
when it first comes into the pond and bring air for the fish to
breathe.
(197) Now you are ready to fill your pond.
|
FILLING YOUR PONDS ONE BY ONE
|
- The first pond
- close the outlet
- close the sluice at the corner of the inlet ditch
- open the inlet sluice
- open the sluice at the stream, one board at a time
- The first pond will begin to fill
- close the outlet
- close the sluice at the corner of the inlet ditch
- open the inlet sluice
|
|
- When the first pond is full close the inlet sluice (3) and
open the sluice at the corner of the inlet ditch (2)
- The second pond will begin to fill
- Continue to do this until all ponds are full
Note: make sure that some water is always running down the supply
ditch and into each of your ponds so that they will always be
full
|
HOW TO FILL A POND WHEN YOU HAVE A MONK
|
1 - put both sets of wooden boards in the
slots in the monk and put the screen in
place on top of the first row of boards
|
|
2 - the boards should be as high as the water
depth that you want in the pond
|
|
|
|
3 - pack the space between them with good
clay soil to keep water from leaking out
|
|
4 - let water into the pond
|
5 - when the water reaches the top of the boards,
stop the flow of water
Note: you may have to let water into your pond from
time to time if the water level gets too low
|
|
6 - leave the screen in place to act as an overflow
if the water becomes too high
|
FERTILIZING THE WATER
(198) You can fertilize the water in your new ponds with
- Compost made with plant and animal wastes
- animal manure
- plant material.
|
|
(199) You can also fertilize your ponds by soaking bitter cassava
roots in the water, at regular intervals.
|
(200) Items 202 to 209 tell you how to make animal compost. If
you do not have animal manure, you can fertilize your ponds with
compost made with plant material.
(201) To make compost with plant material, make a compost pile
using layers of grass, chopped leaves or other plant material
mixed with a little topsoil. Dampen it with water to make it rot
faster.
|
|
|
(202) Make a compost pile near the pond. Put it in a shady place
protected from rain.
|
|
(203) Make your pile in layers. Make the first layer of grass
or leaves mixed with a spadeful of topsoil, and dampen it with
water to make it rot faster.
(204) Then make a second layer of animal manure
mixed with a spadeful of topsoil and some water.
|
(205) Use animal manure from sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens
or ducks.
|
|
(206) In place of animal manure you can also use cotton seed,
spoiled fruit, household garbage, ashes from the fireplace or
night soil.
|
|
|
|
(207) Then make another layer of grass or leaves, and another
of manure, until you have a large pile.
|
|
(208) Keep your compost pile damp by watering it every few days.
(209) Let the compost pile rot for about a month.
|
(210) Take compost from the bottom of the pile or the old part
of the pile, where it is most rotten, to put in your ponds.
|
|
(211) Add new layers to your pile every week so
that you will always have compost.
(212) If you have too much compost you can use some to fertilize
your land.
|
(213) In each pond build a crib from bamboo or wood to hold the
fertilizer. Build it in one corner in the shallow part of the
pond.
|
|
(214) If you have a pond that is bigger than 500 square metres,
you should build two cribs in the pond. The drawings below show
you where to put them.
|
|
|
|
PUTTING FERTILIZER INTO THE CRIB
(215) When you first put fertilizer into your
crib, pack it down well and fill the crib to the water line. This
will be about 60 centimetres deep in the shallow part of the pond.
|
|
|
(216) If you are going to fertilize your ponds
with animal compost you will need to put in
(217) If you are going to fertilize your ponds with animal
manure you will need to put in
|
|
|
- 2 to 3 kilograms of poultry droppings for each 100 square
metres of pond each week
|
|
|
or
- 8 to 10 kilograms of pig dung for each 100 square metres of
pond each week
|
|
|
or
- 10 to 15 kilograms of cow dung for each 100 square metres
of pond each week.
|
|
|
(218) If you are going to fertilize your ponds with animal manure,
but you do not have enough of any one kind of animal manure, you
can make a mixture of several kinds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
(219) You can make a mixture using 1 part poultry droppings,
2 parts pig dung and 3 parts cow dung.
You will need to put in
- 10 kilograms of this mixture for each 100 square metres of
pond each week.
|
|
|
WHEN IS YOUR POND READY?
(220) If you fertilize your pond with animal compost or animal
manure, the water will start to turn green in two or three days.
If you fertilize your pond with plant compost or plant material,
it will take one week or longer.
(221) When the water begins to turn green, you will know that
natural food is growing in your pond. It will take about a week
to become green enough.
(222) You can make a simple test to be sure that the water is
green enough. Put your arm in the water up to your elbow. If you
are just able to see the ends of your fingers, the water is green
enough.
|
|
|
Summary
YOU HAVE LEARNED HOW TO PREPARE EACH POND TO RECEIVE FISH
Check the screens, close the outlet, open the inlet and protect the bank
under it
Fill the pond with water
Fertilize the water:
- build a crib in the shallow end of the pond
- fill it with compost, manure or plant wastes
- pack it well under water, up to the water level
Wait until the water becomes rich in natural fish food
- the water turns green
- it becomes less transparent
|