Fish Pond Trophic Levels

A trophic level refers to a specific organism's place in a food chain within an ecosystem. There are several general trophic levels, with more detailed places for species within them. Producers, consumers and decomposers are the most basic types of organisms that can be found in any ecosystem. A well-stocked and healthy fish pond will have several species within each trophic level that provides food for organisms on other levels.

  1. Producers

    • Producers are plants. Aquatic plants like seaweed, algae, lilies and other common pond plants are important for a number of reasons. Plants help to oxygenate the water of a fish pond and often provide food for the other inhabitants of a fish pond. Algae plants are eaten by certain types of fish, and bacteria and insects that live on the roots and leaves of larger plants can also be eaten by fish.

    Consumers

    • Consumers in a fish pond refer to the fish, frogs, snails and other animals that may inhabit the pond. Consumers are generally broken down into further categories, which includes herbivores and carnivores; these are also referred to as prey and predators, respectively. Herbivores are fish and other animals that feed only on plants. Carnivores eat other animals; predatory fish like catfish are carnivorous. Fish that eat other fish, small insects or other animals need to have a well-stocked pond to survive, while herbivorous fish need plenty of places to hide from their predators.

    Decomposers

    • Decomposers are organisms that eat and break down dead and decaying organic materials. If a fish or plant dies, the bacteria and insects that consume its body and work it back into the ecosystem are referred to as decomposers. Decomposers are important organisms, because they act as the pond's natural filtering system. They will help keep the pond water clean and free of decaying matter that could cause the water to become dirty or unhealthy.

    Types

    • Fish ponds have many variables for how many producers, consumers and decomposers they contain. Commercial fish ponds that stock primarily fish for food might feed the fish specially prepared food and require no other species of fish or plants to keep the fish healthy. A private fish pond, however, is more likely to have a balanced series of trophic levels that will help maintain the pond's overall cleanliness and health.

    Considerations

    • Individuals who want to build up and maintain a private fish pond need to consider a number of factors regarding the trophic levels of their pond. Everything from the amount of light the pond receives to the species of predator and prey fish will affect the health of the pond. Managing the species in each trophic level so that they remain healthy and populous is the simplest way to keep the pond's ecosystem balanced and functioning.