Fish in new pond.

patrickg · Aug 14, 2002

Seems that I needed dirt for an upcoming backfill around a walkout basement with a constructed hill around it so I hired a trackhoe to dig out a low spot a little ways below a pond (in the seasonal creek bed, then dry). Well there was a small puddle behind the dam with a lot of bulldozed trees and brush from several years old dozer work by prev owner. The operator dug the hole just up stream of a new 30 inch culvert I put in for the stream to run under the new driveway. Well after the hole was complete he took a bucket full out to drain the puddle. It had a bit more water than I anticipated, a few hundred perch from 1 1/2 inch to 10 inch, a couple large turtles big as platters, and a mess of small frogs. Most of this all got swept into this "New" pond. So here is the question: are the fish all gonna die from lack of food and proper habitat being as how there is essentially zero vegitation? It isn't like I can't get more fish but I was just wondering.

Another piece of data. After about a month of dry we got 4 inches before dark this evening and it is still thundering and raining off and on (12:30 at night). Good timing, the trackhoe just finished last night. The water level just after sundown was almost to the bottom of the overflow culvert....shazam, instant pond. About the fish? Gonners or do they stand a chance?

Patrick

rmorgan · Aug 14, 2002

Patrick--

Must've been quite a "puddle"--sounds like that bucket had the entire ecosystem in it!! The perch are carnivores, and I think they'll be fine, although you might want to throw in some feed for awhile until they settle in. The turtles will either find stuff to eat or mosey on their way. The frogs'll eat bugs. Life will go on. The low temperature of the rain water will be perfect for them to adapt to the new pond. I'm jealous--an instant, stocked pond. Wow!! I guess you need to start thinking about some aeration in the next couple of months, and adding in some other species--congratulations!!

Dozernut · Aug 14, 2002

Patrick
IMHO, All the water that delivered the fish also delivered algae and insect larvae that the fish had been feeding on. In addition, any aquatic plants not firmly rooted would have been swept along with the fish. I think your fish will be fine and the turbid water will eventually settle out, enjoy.

patrickg · Aug 15, 2002

RMorgan and Dozernut, You have put me more at ease. It isn't like I don't have more fish in the other ponds or anything BUT I sort of don't like to wipe out a population for no good reason either. The part that I thought was the neatest is that the day after they stoped digging with the 4 ft wide bucket equipped trackhoe, we got 4 1/4 inches of rain overnight, hardly 24 hours after they finished. Couldn't have hardly arranged that much nicer. It is full to within a foot of the 30 inch diameter overflow culvert.

We had discussed the pros and cons of spreading the removed dirt out to dry faster or leaving it in two tall piles. I elected for the piles. Yet another stroke of luck.

Patrick