How to introduce fish to pond

[SteveM]

Just had a 50x70x7' pond dug, full of water (muddy) from nearby stream and springs. Now to bring in fish - can anyone give advice, resources for how to balance fish population? How long should I wait to start throwing in sunfish? just kidding.

Thanks for any and all help

 

[Golfgar4]

Steve,

I'm sure you'll get some very good answers from those that know, but why don't you contact your state's Department of Natural Resources? I'm sure they could assist with getting you the information that you need. And besides, you might as well make use of some of the taxes you've paid out! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

We don't know what state you're in until you finish filling out your bio. Someone close by might be able to help. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[rmorgan]

Steve --

Good information is at this Inspired by Nature, has interesting pieces with a more commercial tone.

 

[gws]

Good morning Mr fish, meet Mr pond, Mr Pond meet mr fish! -

 

[rdln]

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Is the water always muddy from the current creating turbulence? That might choke the fish.

With it being new you will have a lack of frogs, crayfish and such for a year so I would add a lot of shiners (golden or fathead)

try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.thepondguy.com>http://www.thepondguy.com</A> for fish capacity for the size of pond.

 

[TonyC]

Don't confuse information on garden ponds with what I call farm ponds. Garden ponds are usually smaller, have rubber liners and filters. For a farm pond, the balances are very different. I can't find the name of the last company I used but if you find fisheries on the Internet that will be a start. Often local farm supply houses can order and have live fish shipped in. Of course, local would be better.

With these guys you merely supply the basic dimensions and depth of the pond along with what types of fish you desire. They will provide you with the appropriate quantity of fingerlings along with all other required species in the food chain. In other words they will figure everythiing from tadpoles up to those huge Florida strain bass and everything in between. They, of course, will also provide good instructions. Good Luck! I'm jealous!/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Golfgar4]

<font color=blue>"They, of course, will also provide good instructions.'</font color=blue>

They, of course, will also provide a good bill! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[TonyC]

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif<font color=blue>They, of course, will also provide a good bill!</font color=blue>/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Well, yeah, you have a point! But I have not found that it's a bankbreaker. I have stocked moderately sized ponds for between $100 and $200 dollars. Not too awful bad...unless you think it's a fish story!!!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[njrqs]

Ensuur eyou don't introduce dodgy species. If/whenyour pond overflows, they will invade the native watercourses.

We have big problems over here with Carp.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The water, after about 3 days, is now a beautiful blue green. A healthy spring feeds the pond, and it outlets into a large stream. We used the stream to fill the pond initially, so there may be some fish already. In the stream I have seen perch, shiners and sunfish. We found some local fisheries, and seem to be well on our way - we do have to get a permit to stock first. Thanks for all your help! I will post pics as it progresses.

 

[lblair]

My property had a pond on it just alittle bigger than that. During a wet spring a bit more bigger than that. It had some bullheads and plenty of frogs and other pond insects. You have a creek near by you said, well birds will help you bring different types of minnows to the pond. If it were me with a NEW pond i would let nature take her course for the first year or two. Lets some cover grow in the water for fish to breed,hide and feed. Then go fishing like allways/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif ,but instead letting my catch go of bluegills,bass,perch and bullheads. Put them right in the pond. Several of each. Most will make it and reproduce. Just dont over due it. Thats how i introduced bass and sun fish into my pond. The others were allready there. The property was familey owned before me and they never stocked it. With near by water some fish just seem to make it on there own/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Mother nature will do all the work for the first two years and get it ready for the fish. Just my opinion if i had a new pond Larry

 

[fishman]

SteveM,

Definitely talk to your local state fisheries office to get recommendations. . . The guys who are actually selling you the fish have a vested interest in how many fish and what kinds you get.

If your pond is warmwater (i.e. not coldwater, requiring trout), you should probably stick with channel catfish, and perhaps some hybrid bluegill. It really is too small to sustain a quality bass fishery, but you could try.

Feeding can be quite cost effective in that situation. I recommend Purina game fish chow, which has multiple sizes to benefit all sizes of fish.

If you live any where in the south-central U.S., I can probably give you some help. Just send me a private message.

Same goes to all you other TBN'ers out there!/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[oombala]

dnr can help. indiana has a free booklet, also in ohio a company called jones fish hatchery jonesfish.com
they have a free catalog , nice website,toll free number. very smart folks. they helped me alot. my pond is avg depth 10 feet, 15-16 max, 660' around. about 8/10 acres

 

[theboman]

Well it ain't rocket science the way we used to do it. We went fishing and brought back what we caught in fish, providing they were the legal limit if applicable. We filled 2-3 old strip mine ponds with catfish, bluegill and largemouth bass, one pond was really big and a few crappie got put in the pond. One had way too many bluegill so we culled those over a summer.

 

[fishman]

Hey theboman, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't./w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

It may not be rocket science, but it's amazing how many ways folks can find to ruin a lake./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif