Pond Boss Forums AERATION Should I aerate? New pond, wanting to get started right

I have been "trolling" this site for several months and have tried to learn as much as possible, so I am ready to start but need some help in the right direction.

We recently purchased some land and it had a small 1/3 acre pond, only about 5 feet deep. We had it completely dug out to at the to near 1/2 acre and it is now around 20-25feet deep with a small 15x20 ft section in the center that is closer to 30 feet deep (we where hitting some wet shale, but no spring found). The pond is clay and shale and they used it to line all the walls up to the very top. The shape is very close to a circle and the contour is relatively steep walls going down like a funnel to the middle, there is a 15 foot deep inlet that is about 20x40 feet in size.

I am planning to have it stocked within the next few weeks.

Questions that I have, when do, or if I need aeration. Most ponds on the website seem to be shallower or have an average depth that is less than mine. The pond is surrounded by trees and does not get a lot of surface wind. Do I need a bottom diffuser (which seems recommended) or a top aerator due to my depth.

Any recommendations greatly appreciated.

Going to have it stocked with fat head minnows, large mouth bass, channel catfish, blue gill, shad, and hybrids. May get a few grass carp next year.

Thank you for your time and help

Good to have you Tulsakevin.

Don't have answers for your aeration questions, just wanted to welcome you and ask what your primary goals are for the pond. Channel cat and lmb can be competitors for limited forage. When you mentioned "hybrids" do you mean hybrid stripers, or hybrid bluegill?

Good luck and have fun. The forum is a super place to learn and share.

Cmm

Sorry, it was hybrid bluegill, not both.

Planning to supplemental feed. My brother works for Synergy Outdoors and he sells products to PondBoss in the DFW area. Not for sure if it is the same company as the magazine though.

We have three kids and usually have twice that many over at any given time, so we just want to have some good catch and release fish fun.


It is the depth that I am concerned for, because the size of the pond is small but the depth poses an issue as far as the pressure is required from the pump. That being coupled with very little surface wind and maybe a top aerator is best, but it seems to have a lot of limitation compared to a bottom diffuser, which makes the most sense.

If you really just want C&R fun, then I'd suggest skipping the LMB!

Welcome to the forum!

First recommendation...do NOT add shad! Gizzard Shad will ruin a small water quickly! Threadfin Shad won't last more than a couple winters in Tulsa at best.

For Kid fishing, it's hard to beat Hybrid Bluegill, especially if using an automatic feeder. Downside to HBG, they do not reproduce enough to feed LMB very well. I'd stock no less than 5 BG to every LMB stocked. I would also not stock more than 50 LMB in a half acre (25 LMB if wanting them larger with a 20:1 BG:LMB ratio. 5-20 pounds of Fathead Minnows...5 if stocking LMB in the fall after a summer of just BG and FHM spawning. 20 #FHM if stocking everything at the same time. Also stock the same length LMB and BG if stocking both at the same time. If stocking LMB after a summer of BG/FHM spawns, add a couple inches for the LMB as compared to the size of the BG stocked.

You could also add about 150 Hybrid Crappie after a year's spawning and even 50 Hybrid Striped Bass for some fun diversity later.

Perhaps a dozen or so Channel Cats, but don't ever release them if caught, nor target them fishing until after year 2.

I'll weigh in. On a small pond where the focus is C&R, you run the risk of creating some very hook shy fish. And that absolutely includes HBG. Of course a lot depends on the fishing pressure, but still, the notion that HBG are always ready to cooperate has not been my experience. I believe they can become conditioned to angling, just like any other fish.

Do you intend to feed?

Thank you for all of the stocking help. I have not finalized the order yet and will call and make the changes. I have previously called three differnt companies to stock the pond, one never called back to give me a quote, the other two did, but one was supposed to deliver in Mid may, then late may, then early june,... after having them not show up 3 different times, had to go elsewhere. Now on my fourth company, supposed to be able to get to me next week, we will see. I am always suprised how people stay in business sometimes. The agrivating part is the person who cancelled on my several times, I referred three other people to them, and they even inquired on my behalf when he was going to deliver.

I greatly appreciate the advice on the fish, will make changes, if I can square away the oxygen needs then I am ready for some fishing fun, ie untangle all of my kids line, catching bait, un hooking, re stringing..... ;), always worth it to spend time with the kids.

Getting a fish feeder to help supplement thier diet. Though the pond is only 8 months old from the redig, can't walk more than a foot without stepping on at least a dozen frogs, has a descent amount of crawfish as well.

Tulsa, the major winter fish kills in the northern USA in 2013/2014 had fish in very short supply this year. It was nearly impossible to get common Bluegill and fathead minnows this spring.