Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose First pond, do i want to keep my grass carp & Cats

Well the title pretty much says it all, I just bought a house that has a pond thats about a half acre. No aeration YET but i bought a bag of feed from tractor suply co. and have fed them two times now. First time i had 4 cat fish come up and eat the floating pellets and this afternoon i had 5 cat fish come up and one huge grass carp prob 2+ feet long. I have caught a small and a big mouth bass so i know there are more fish in it. I have yet to see a bluegill????

What benefit do the cat fish have to my pond and also what about the grass carp? I was told to take the carp out because they are very dirty? I love going out and feeding them and watching them and i like the big carp. Do i need some more fish in it to maintain the pond? I dont know what to do about aeration iether... i want a fountain but what i have been reading is that i need a diffuser?? Anyone that can help please reply with something. I posted something in the aearation forum and only had one small response about if i should use a fountain or not (water hawg) Any words of wisdom or ANYTHING would be greatly apprectiated! Thanks so much and i hope i get some replys this time :P

Hi RM,

It all depends on your goals.

If you want a lot of bass, the cats will compete with them. You can have both, just not as many of each. If you don't favor 1 over the other, keep both! Cats tend to stir up mud, but not real bad.

Your little grass carp will eventually get big, and they can root and stir up a lot of mud. As long as he is not stirring up enough mud to be objectionable, keep him. He will help keep the weeds down somewhat.

Welcome, and hope that helps a little.

Thanks so much for the reply! Well i just like to go out and feed them and watch them i guess. The carp is really cool. I dont fish much but i imagine i will now that i have my own pond. I would like to swim in it also but there are a lot of VERY cold spots, hoping to get rid of them with some kind of aearation system or fountain?? I live in northwestern ohio. I like to eat perch but i have no idea what they look like and if i can feed them to make them big faster?

What are some more fish that will come up and eat when i throw out the floating pellets? Is there anything i can buy to have the bass come up and eat so i can see them? The pond is not muddy at all, just some green nasty stuff floating around because we just swam in it i think. First time the pond has been swam in for years and years im guessing. Also im guessing by the reply that my grass carp will get very very big??? I was told they are pretty much big goldfish that get as big as there surroundings will let them?

Keep the reply's coming and thanks again for chiming in!!

Most pond bosses prefer aeration systems to fountains, although they can help. If your pond is "on the edge" of carrying capacity, aeration can boost carrying capacity. The average pond boss that isn't concerned with maximum carrying capacity can get by without aeration, providing your pond doesn't have very deep, stagnant holes.

Most fish can readily be pellet trained. LMB are a bit harder, and readear sunfish harder still. There is a special, larger feed just for LMB. Your pond should be a good candidate for yellow perch. We have quite a few northern pond bosses that stock them successfully. Yes, your grass carp (GC)is capable of getting quite big. They commonly get up to 30 pounds, and 40 is not uncommon. Several smaller GC are perferable to fewer large ones. I guess that's because small growing fish need more food in relation to body weight.

So i can keep my GC, good deal. As for the aeration system will i benefit from a fountain (water hawg) with aid in getting rid of the cold spots? And will it help with the alge or sea weed or whatever green slimy substance there is in the pond? Previous owner has used aquashade for years and it seems to work pretty well. If i keep feeding more fish will come? Can i feed every day as long as i only feed what they eat in 10-15 mins? Can i simply just throw in some yellow perch and feed them and let them get big enough to eat? Sorry for all the questions i am still learning. I love my pond :P keep the replys coming and anything anyone wants to add at all please let me know!! Thanks again!! This is a great forum and i intend to get the magazine just because of this forum :P

There are many experts on this forum and I am not one of them. Much as you are doing, I started with a new pond a couple of years ago and have learned A TON from this forum. The best thing you can do is to use the search function every time you have a question. All of the questions you present have been discussed many times before, which creates an incredible resource for new pond owners.

I think it is safe to say the first priority of all of us Pond Bosses is to create a natural, healthy aquatic environment. We like our fish, but we enjoy (maybe more) the vast array of plants, birds, insects, amphibians, etc. supported by a healthy pond.

Now some quick answers to your questions. Bluegill readily accept pellets although they may not want to compete with large cats. I'd think you'd want bluegill as a feeder fish for the bass and cats, and because thay are fun to catch and eat. Fountains help the water quality but not nearly as much as a aerator/diffuser. You'll have to decide how much a priority you place on the looks of a fountain. I personally see them as "unnatural" and wouldn't want one on my pond, but I admire their beauty in a more formal setting. Everything I've read says aerators really don't impact pond weeds/algae. Instead, they eliminate the layer of unoxygenated water that settles to the deepest part of your pond. This accelerates the decomposition of the "muck" layer that always forms on the bottom, and in effect expands the size of your pond because the fish can live at all depths.

Do a search for "aquashade." Some don't like the unnatural look while others think it adds beauty to the pond. It blocks light thereby reducing the amount of weeds that can take hold at the lower depths. However, some experts believe it has a negative impact on the frogs, crawdads and small invertebrates that are essential to the life cycle of the pond.

You can feed frequently, as long as all the pellets are consumed. You don't want a lot of uneaten food fertilizing the bottom. Most would advise against bringing in pike, or any other fish from another pond. You don't know what parasites or diseases they may bring with them. You are better off finding a fish farm with a good reputation. The key is in balancing the predator fish and forage fish. The catfish are fun to feed, but aggressive eaters who could ultimately take over the pond by eating all the smaller fish. If this becomes a problem you may need to harvest some of them and replace with smaller ones and/or add plenty of hiding places for the small fish. Search for "structure."

Hope this helps.

A coupla thoughts

First, sit back and figure out what you want and expect out of the pond. In other words, define your goals. Being uncertain about goals at an early stage is OK. Just sit back, watch and play with it and keep studying about ponds. Have your water quality checked by a reputable lab and make a sechi disk to determine your fertility.

Your best tool will be a log of fish and other creature sightings. Over time, this will tell you a lot about your new toy.

Yep, Aquashade is controversial. I don't like it. The basis of pond life is phytoplankton which needs sunlight penetration.

I guess my goal is to be able to come out to my dock and feed my fish. I still have only 5 catfish and my GC come up to feed as of right now. I need a shove in the right direction. I want to be able to use my pond for swimming and fishing. I would like to put perch in it maybe next year.
My cats are about 13" long as of right now and the bass we have been pulling out are maybe 8-10" long. Am i not seeing more fish come to feed or pulling anything else out because the cats are over running the pond? I guess the previous owner's son fished out all the BG. Should i get some more in there for the bass?

"aerators really don't impact pond weeds/algae. Instead, they eliminate the layer of unoxygenated water that settles to the deepest part of your pond." Does this mean that it wont help me any with getting rid of the cold spots in the water? I want it to be swimable. Would a fountain with a tube that goes about 8 feet down get rid of the cold spots?

I hope some of the experts are back from that conference... please chime in i am pretty lost on what to do first. I have done a LOT of searches so far and still cant find everything.Any help would be great!! Thanks!

You may have reached some of your goals. You can feed the cats and Grass carp. You can swim. But you also want to fish. Do you want to fish for perch, bluegill or?

Bass are a pretty tough proposition in a pond less than an acre. They tend to overeat and over spawn. I doubt that the previous owners son caught all of the BG. I expect the bass annihilated them and now have nothing to eat. You won't be able to catch and eliminate all of them but I would try.

Yes, aeration will de-stratify the pond from top to bottom and from side to side. Fountains are for aesthetics only. The cold spot is your thermocline. To understand aeration, contact the Pond Boss office and order the back issue of PB mag that deals almost entirely with aeration. It will cost less than $10.00.

What to do first? Sit back and get to know your pond. Subscribe to PB Mag. It will be the least expensive thing you will do and it supports this Forum. I would also order Raising Trophy Bass. It's about a lot more than bass.

BTW, check your water quality.

Listen to Dave.Sit back,feed your fish and make notes.Notes are best made while watching your fish with a cold beverage in hand.Define your goals.Dont do anything yet.Patience is a virtue.Impatience can be VERY expensive.My 2 cents worth anyway.