Tutorial 1 of 10 · 40 seconds · Tagalog captions · Philippines
How to Use the Tilapia Pond Preparation Calculator
Free. No sign-up. Works on your phone.
What it gives you
- Agricultural lime (or hydrated lime) needed, in kilos and in sacks.
- Fertilizer for green water: dried chicken manure or 16-20-0 with urea.
- How many days until the pond is ready to stock.
- A six-step pond preparation guide, from draining to filling.
Before you stock fingerlings, the pond bottom needs lime and fertilizer in the right amounts. This free calculator tells you how many kilos and sacks to buy from just two numbers: your pond area and the soil pH of the pond bottom.
How to use the Pond Prep Calculator, step by step
Open the tool
Go to arandcagriventures.com, tap Tilapia Tools, then choose Pond Prep Calculator.
Enter the pond area
Type the water surface area in square meters. One hectare is 10,000 m².
Enter the soil pH
Use the pH of the pond bottom soil, not the water. A soil pH test kit or your local BFAR office can give you this.
Choose the lime and sack size
Pick agri lime or hydrated lime, and the weight of the sacks you buy (usually 50 kg).
Choose the fertilizer
Pick chicken manure, 16-20-0 with urea, or none.
Tap Calculate pond prep
The result shows the lime, the fertilizer and the step-by-step preparation.
The example in the video
| Pond area | 1,000 m² |
|---|---|
| Soil pH of pond bottom | 5.5 |
| Lime type | Agri lime, 50 kg sacks |
| Fertilizer | Chicken manure |
| Agri lime needed | 150 kg (3 sacks) |
|---|---|
| Dried chicken manure | 100 kg |
| Until ready to stock | 14–24 days |
| Soil rating | Moderately acidic |
How to read the result
A soil pH of 5.5 is moderately acidic, so the pond needs 150 kg of agri lime per 1,000 m². The more acidic the soil, the more lime: below pH 4.5 it rises to 400 kg, and at pH 7 or above none is needed. Spread the lime on the dry bottom and the inner dike slopes, wait 2–3 days, then start filling and fertilizing.
Questions growers ask
How much lime do I need for a 1,000 square meter tilapia pond?
It depends on the soil pH. At pH 5.5–6.0 the calculator gives 150 kg of agricultural lime per 1,000 m²; at pH 5.0–5.5 it is 200 kg, and below pH 4.5 it is 400 kg.
Can I use hydrated lime instead of agricultural lime?
Yes, the calculator has both. Hydrated lime is stronger, so the amount is smaller. Always wear gloves and a mask when handling lime.
Made for tilapia growers in the Philippines
These tools and tutorials come from AR&C Agriventures, a tilapia hatchery in Banga, South Cotabato, Philippines. They work the way growers here buy and sell: kilos, sacks and pesos, with captions in Tagalog. They are free for every grower in the Philippines, from South Cotabato and the rest of Mindanao to Luzon and the Visayas.
Need fingerlings? We supply tilapia fingerlings in South Cotabato and across Mindanao, including our saline tilapia strain. Call or text +63 968 364 1908.