First, am new to the forums and am a novice at everything fish. And I am needing help.
10 days ago we stocked our pond with fish from Arkansas Fish Stockers. It is a brand new pond dug this summer, about 3/4 surface acre and filling. Will be almost one surface acre when completely filled. On their recommendation, we put in 50 LMB, 400 coppernose BG, 50 red ear bluegill, 400 channel catfish, and 10 lb FH minnows.
The first few days, had deaths of a few BG (both types), a couple of bass, and a decent number of minnows. I can understand that due to the stress. I figure that is to be expected. We also lost about 26 catfish the first 3 days. Still, I can understand that.
However, 10 days after stocking, the catfish are still dying. I figure now that I have lost another 30 of them. Each morning, I pull out 1-3 of them, with the last two days being 5 each. The stocker wants to blame the water--hard for me to buy. We just don't have water problems here, and it is filled probably with 90% rainwater and about 10% well water (which we drink personally and know to be absolutely neutral 7.0 pH).
I've also wondered if something could be disorienting some of them. For example, one of the dead ones had flipped itself up onto the shoreline--at the steepest slope of the pond. That took a trick. This morning, I went out and reached down to pull out a "dead" one lying on its back/side in very shallow water, and it wriggled out of my hands and took off swimming.
Any thoughts anyone can give me on if this is even remotely normal? Or what could be going on? I am ready to pull my hair out!
Thanks!!
