Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat BG beds & gravel?

Am I supposed to put gravel in here? Is it ok to do that this year - I probably won't be able to see down there next year. What kind of gravel? How much gravel? Anything else I am missing?
[img][/img]
Thanks.

Cam

Why do you want to put gravel down? The bluegill have already made great nests on the available substrate. I don't know why you'd want to spend more money on something that's being done for free.

That is a really nice pic, Cam. Got it all goin' on, and well balanced. I like it.

Cuz I don no nuttin 'bout nuttin so I'm askin'.

I saw a post about putting gravel down for bluegill nests and I thought maybe I was supposed to put gravel in there... You all know I don no nuttin bout nuttin...

Thanks

Cam

I'm just givin' you a hard time.

Heck Cam. The BG also don no nuttin bout nuttin either. They just go ahead and do what nature tells them to do.

Well, I looked thru the other preparation threads and see where there are regular fancy aquariums set ups built under water for the fish. Condos, high rises, shelves, beds, tire houses, even a full size skeleton like you used to see inside the old timey aquariums that moved around. The only way I'm going to have one of those is if someone tells my husband that used some of his venison and wild turkey to feed my bass. Then it's either going to be me down there or the person who told on me...

Really, I see all these things being built and I just have a big hole back there. I feel I kinda must be missing something for my fish? I did throw a tree in there once but that's about it.

I want to build some sort of ramp. What section of the forum would I ask about that?

Cam

A shovel of med sized (dime to half dollar size) in each bed well help hatching and survival. Bruce just cause they do it already doesn't mean they can't do it better. If you want more little BG is a different question.

I'm looking for a suitably sized treasure chest and trying to figure out how to get the lid to lift at regular intervals once an aeration line is run to that pond.

Cam, my gravel beds are for SMB. BG and LMB might use pea gravel spawning beds, but they don't require them. My first pond has highly successful BG/LMB reproduction on nothing but a plain clay bottom.

As for the rest of all that, the reasons are a combination of wanting to concentrate fish for catching purposes and demonstrating our personal mental imbalances.

What kind of ramp? Boat ramp? Maybe Q&O, Building a Dam, or Creating Habitat. It's not an exact fit, is it (unless it's for the fish)?

Cam, I think some curtains would be nice around the spawning beds. You know, for when they "do it".

Like I'm going to resist that one... Here's the perfect fabric:

[img][/img]

[/quote]
As for the rest of all that, the reasons are a combination of wanting to concentrate fish for catching purposes and demonstrating our personal mental imbalances.

What kind of ramp? Boat ramp? Maybe Q&O, Building a Dam, or Creating Habitat. It's not an exact fit, is it (unless it's for the fish)? [/quote]

Call me crazy will ya? Sigh... I'm secretly wishing I had a skeleton and treasure chest too though... Boy would that be neater skeeter... You have great toys! How will you keep them from getting covered in mud?

The ramp is not for anything except for me to walk down on to play with my fish and train them to do tricks. I have a little dock but it's in the deep end and I made it myself and stuck barrels under it and it floats way too high. With a ramp it won't matter what level the water is. I just don't know what to make or how to do it. I'll be doing it myself so it can't be too difficult.

Is that just driveway gravel?

We affix an aluminum ladder to our dock in season to make getting in and out of the water easier on old knees and cut down on the likelihood of having crocs or dive boots get sucked off by the mud. Maybe something like that (not necessarily at the dock) would help you with access.

Yes just plain old gravel .