Wow! Thanks for all the quick responses!
I've got mesh under the sand in the beach area, so hopefully that'll control the weeds in our shallow wading/swimming area. I'll make note of the grass carp option in case my best laid plans go awry. Come to think of it, I may need them later to keep the amount of FHM/GSH hiding places under control, right?
I'm including a topo we used for construction. I was thinking of spreading a yard of gravel on the "shelf" on the East side of the pond. I figure $20 for the gravel and an hour of shovelling in the great outdoors is a minimal investment for the experiment.
Theo: you mentioned phytoplankton. Is there a way for me to know if it's there, and if I have enough to support the FHM/GSH? How many pounds of each type of fish is advisable?
I've got power down to the edge of the pond, so I had been planning on sneaking a certain hairdryer out for a controlled thaw/gravel dump, thus avoiding ice shift. I'll let you guys know how it goes
On another note: there were already ducks and geese eyeballing my precious new sanctuary. I've read that they can be a problem by spreading parasites. Any words of wisdom before I let them get too comfortable?
Oh - (the questions are really coming to me now) I was thinking of anchoring a couple of Christmas trees in the NE dropoff for structure. Would it be prudent to test the PH of the water to see if I would be making it too acidic?
Thanks for all your kind wishes. I'm scheduled for a trip home in mid-January. Maybe I'll do some mock ice-fishing on the new pond, just for the experience.
