Hello everyone, I had a new pond built on my property a few months ago. The shape is kinda like a T. About 1/4 acre. Soil is mostly red clay and it is about 8" at the deepest point. With the drought going on there has not been very much rain. The first rainfall left maybe a foot of water which pretty much went down to a few inches within a couple of days. Next rainfall brought about another foot and this time it stayed for a couple weeks and did not go down as much. We had 1 day of heavy rain a couple weeks ago and it really got some water(I think bottom is starting to get settled as I do not see as much bubbling as the first couple of rainfalls). I rolled a semi-tire in there and to my surprise it almost covered it while standing. I have about 3.5' of water. I have a couple other tires, pallets, milk and bread crates that I can use for structures. Land is sloped towards pond and there is alot of erosion. I have placed bullrock where water enters on 2 side of pond but strong runoff carried some into water. I tried seeding with bermuda but I dont have enough water pressure from my well and time to germinate. Soil on land is mostly red clay, sand, & iron ore. Im starting to see some life, bugs, frogs, tadpoles.I have a few questions.
1. What type of grass or plants should I use around pond for erosion control? I eventually want to have pasture for some goats or sheep but do not know if it is safe for fish or pond. I would like to see birds, ducks and other wildlife.
2. What type of plants are ok for my pond? I will have a mix of minnows, cats, bluegill & bass. I was thinking of cattails but just read on another post they get out of control.
3. At what depth is it safe to add fish?
4.Should I add minnows only for now or just add recommended amounts of cats,bass,& BG?
5. Where can I buy fish and supplies for pond management in the Houston, Conroe area? I was planning to get some fish from danbury farms.
6. How can I get my water tested? or where can I get a test kit? Water was a muddy red after first rainfall and is now turning like a milky greenish. Looks clearer to me. I threw in some leftover gypsum board a couple days ago but have not seen the results yet.
7. Can I use pine trees and sweetgum for structure?
8. Is aeration necessary?

Sorry for the long post and many questions, and thanks in advance for your help.

If it was me, I'd wait to be sure the pond is going to hold water. Then I'd plant some wheat in the erosion ares to hold the dirt for awhile until the native stuff gets going. I'd also stay away from the cattails, they will take over before you know it. Somebody with more knowledge than I have (that ain't much) should come along with some other answers for you. The minnows and BG can be added at the same time but you'll need to wait about 6 months I think before adding the bass and cats.

Oh yea, wlcome to the forum!

Planting wheat or rye will help control erosion until you can establish grass. I am not sure if you want to stock right now due to the chances of the pond going dry during this drought we are experiencing. When you do decide to add fish, start off with minnows and allow them to reproduce a few times before adding other fish. Any type of tree will provide structure but the most common seem to be pine trees or cedar trees. Aeration is not necessary but it may help your fish survive during times of calm, not windy days, during the summer. Recently, we have a pond that wasn't aerated and we suffered a large fish kill.

Raul, good luck filling up in this drought. I am over in Cleveland texas and am glad my pond is dug out of solid clay. I am down about a foot and half, with my water hose running in it periodically. I do not know about Danbery farms, but I do know Todd at Overtons up in Buffalo has some great fish, and he typically has some bulk gypsum if you want to clear up the water in a hurry. The gypsum is a lot cheaper from him then from the feed store. Overtons is not that far from you, and i make the drive three or four times a year, maybe we can get together and split a trip once your pond fills up.
Good Luck.

Just an update, water seems to be holding pretty good. I had thrown in some drywall a few weeks ago and the pieces were just floating around. My dad & his friend have been fishing and threw in a bunch of little bluegill(about 40) and a couple bass they caught( 1 about 12 inches). Well, last week I decided to jump in the water with this heat( water is warm except toward the bottom. I removed the paper from the drywall and kinda crushed what I could. WOW!!! yesterday I could see to the bottom of the pond. Water is crystal clear. I could see where the fish had kind of made a little circle areas where the hang out. Oh yeah I also saw some kinda crane fly off. It was white with a little bit of bluish gray. I'm so excited. Hopefully whe get some rain soon!!!

Oh yeah, I did not see any frogs yesterday. I know there was alot before the water was clear or if that bass ate them all. I guess they don't like clear water. I will try to post before and after pics.

http://s1116.photobucket.com/albums/k565...8E898D-orig.jpg

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http://s1116.photobucket.com/albums/k565...665189-orig.jpg

http://s1116.photobucket.com/albums/k565...8AB665-orig.jpg

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The little circle areas are nests.

Seems like I need to schedule a visit to this pond??? :-)