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#498322 11/03/18 08:21 AM
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I am having a new pond built, should be finished today. Below is a link to a picture of the construction from yesterday (11/03/18).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12291638@N05/43878499960/in/dateposted/

The pond will be about 2 acres after it fills, it's located in southern Iowa, is 25 feet deep at the dam and 30 feet deep in the center. It is solid clay base with steep banks. I will be adding a windmill aerator in the spring.

My question relates to my stocking plan. I was planning on stocking golden shinners and fat heads initially and after one year, stocking walleye fingerlings (I know they won't breed), rainbow trout, perch and black crappie. I have three other ponds on this property, one is only fatheads and shinners, the other two are catfish, bass and bluegills so I wanted this pond to be completely different species. Is this plan viable? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

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One windmill will not fully mix a 2ac pond top to bottom. We need help finding old posts about partial mixing concepts. There will be significant dead water areas because a windmill is not a strong high volume water mixer due to volume of air produced and number of diffusers it can operate. The pond will be what we call a partially mixed pond that has several disadvantages. I will look for some past posts on this topic rather than reproduce all the discussion on this topic.

Just because the pond is deep does not mean trout will survive year round in southern IA especially during July-August. Best chance for trout to live in the pond is during the first couple years before the pond becomes more eutrophic and develops a higher biochemical demand (more organic decomposition) as the pond ages. More biological life and outside organics accumulate to decompose to consume & eliminate the dissolved oxygen(DO) in the deep zone. Trout need not only cool water but also DO above 5ppm which will be a rarity during August for a pond in your area. Bottom aeration tends to make the deep water warmer. Warmer water holds less DO compared to cold water. Warmer water + lower DO = dead trout

Trout (10"-12") stocked in late Sept and fed pellets can grow to 16"-18" by the next year when they will usually die in July-Aug.

I am not sure your planned predators can control the high reproduction from crappie unless they are hybrid crappie (HBCP). Walleye(WE) in correct numbers can control the yellow perch(YP) numbers.
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Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/03/18 08:15 PM.

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Thank you, Bill!

I could add as many windmills as needed. How many do you think I'd need? I I calculated that the pond will have over 13 million gallons of water in it. Even the shallow side is 20 feet deep.

Southern Iowa has predominantly high westerly wind flow so wind power will not be an issue.

I have a 1/2 acre pond that is full of only fatheads and shiners. I feed them daily and transport them to my other ponds for additional sustenance for the game fish.

Thank you for your input!

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You have a beautiful setting. I must confess, I got lost clicking on your Flickr pictures.

We have a cool thread on PB with game camera shots. You have incredible shots of wildlife and are very lucky to see the wildlife you see on your game camera!

What type game camera is that? The day time clarity is outstanding!

You should upload to that thread.

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Another thing to keep in mind with the windmill is that 20' depth you will require a pump that will operate at 10 psi. Be sure to check the specs of the windmill pump.

If the pond is open to the wind (not surrounded by trees) natural mixing will also help.

Not sure about your weather, but here the highest possible time for a pond to be in trouble with low DO is in the dog days of summer when it can become very hot with no wind. Or that combination and cloud cover (so lower photosynthesis and less O production from algae).

You might consider supplementing the windmill with some solar powered aeration to help cover those conditions.


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Thanks, Canyon.

I've been using Moultrie cameras but I'm in the market for a new brand. The Moutrie's are great when they work but I usually only get 1 or 2 years use out of one before they die.

Southern Iowa is big Whitetail buck country so it's pretty easy to get big bucks on camera here.

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Welcome, fellow Iowegian! My place is just south of Grinnell, and my pond is 2.5 acres. It's very old, so highly eutrophic at this date (i.e. it wants to turn into a meadow). I've been working on reversing that natural aging process all ponds go through since 2015.
My initial two cents is re-think the BCP (black crappie). I have them (they were already in my pond when I purchased our place in 2015). They are very difficult to manage i.e. keep from over populating and stunting. Lots of threads in here on BCP management. I found out the best/only effective management tool for BCP at my pond was the regular/recurrent winter kills that occurred before I installed aeration. Consider HBCP (hybrid crappie) if possible; you'll still get the tasty fillets but won't get over run with the early spawn of the BCP.
My other advice: if Bill Cody suggests something, it's really worth taking to heart.
I'd be glad to help you any way I could. Feel free to PM (private message me) or post questions and I'll chip in what I've learned from these guys.


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Here is the game camera page if you care to browse other game camera pictures or add your own.

Game Camera thread

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From my windmill experiences (used to be a dealer), if you want fairly good whole pond circulation I would install one for every 0.5 to 0.75 acre; 3 mills would be good start or two mills and a solar aerator in your 2 acres. Keep in mind that it takes a stronger wind speed to create the higher pressures needed for air release from diffusers in deeper waters at depths more than 16ft+. Water 25+ft needs a pretty strong wind to get bubbles. When the windmill company says operates in low wind speed they mean bubbles in shallow water not 25ft+. Operating at these higher pressures causes more wear and tear on the flexible diaphragm and bearings which means more frequent maintenance duties.

Remember the windmill head is often 12ft+ above ground. I don't look forward to regularly replacing the diaphragm and greasing needed areas on my windmill. I highly suggest anchoring the legs in a 5"-8" thick cement pad. I see windmills get blown over in strong spring winds when ground is moist and soft as pudding. Do your good homework when choosing a windmill brand. Some of the competing brands (copies of Koenders original) have better construction improvements & longevity innovations. Look for a good warranty. Replacement parts are pricey. Some diffuser designs used on windmills are outdated. I prefer the rubber membrane styles not the stones.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/05/18 09:56 PM.

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Hi Bill,

Thank you very much for the excellent advice! I will definitely follow it.


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