Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain I think I've lost my fish

I was combatting two issues over the past couple of years, watermeal and the lack of fish. I thought I had the watermeal under control (and I do now, see this post)

My tank is about 2/3rds an acre and i decided to try and start the chain back in March.

I purchased 4 lbs of fatheads, 4 lbs of shiners, 50 redear, 125 bluegill, 4 grass carp and 30 catfish.

I had watermeal for about a month, but its gone now. I can see no signs of fish. No minnows swimming, no nothing other than frogs and turtles. Nothing comes to fish feed either.

I tested the water before I did this back in March and here were the results:

PH: 7.5
Ammonia: between .25 and .50
Nitrate: 0
Phosphates: 1.0
I checked the DO as well but forgot to record it.. it seems like it was around 6.5/mg, but that was March. I can't aerate unfortunately.

The tank is about 2/3rds acre with an average depth of 4 ft i would suspect.

Is there anything I can do now, or do i need to wait till next year and give it ago again?

If you have the weatermeal controlled, this fall when water temps cool down you can restock if you like. Or wait until next spring.

Thanks!

A year ago last spring I put in roughly 500 GSH, 500 FH, 100 BG and didn't see anything until late fall. I even asked the question on the pond boss, where are my fish. Now I have fish minnows every where so you probably will also.

I just filled my 3 acre lake and put 50lbs of FHM in it a week ago now. There are no LMB or BG in it. When I go out in my dock or walk around my lake I do not see any minnows. Can anyone tell me where they have gone? I'm puzzled.

When you say you just filled it up, what does that mean? How did you fill it up and how quickly. What was the interval of time from when it was filled to when FHM went in. And what is your water chemistry like?

Without any pressure from predators they are throughout your pond. Once you get predators you might see more schooling.

If it has only been a week since you stocked the fatheads they are probably spread out all over the place. By the second month of spring next year you will see minnows everywhere. Fatheads spawn like crazy once the water warms up.

Yeah, I didn't see my 5lbs in my pond for a few months other than a few floaters. Now I have countless amounts. Just added the next batch of fish (YP, WE, BC) and have yet to see those. Hopefully in a few years on a hook!

Well that makes me feel better to know that they just did not die. I pumped my lake from a big creek that runs thru my property. It took me a little over a month to fill it. I was pumping 12 hours a day. I have not had my water tested. Should I?

Getting the water tested in a new pond isn't mandatory, but it would give you a good starting point to refer back to if you have the water tested in a few years, or if you start to have concerns about your water quality in the future.

Do a search for Texas A&M University and pond water testing. Testing pond water is different than testing drinking or swimming pool water.......

50 pounds of even 3 inch fish in 3 acres of water is about like dropping 10 people in a 1000 acre forest...takes a while to populate the area...

Well i hope this next spring they start to populate my lake. I have put pallets along the shores to help in this process. Is there any type of food you can feed FHM?

They go nuts for just about any feed that I throw. I see 5 or 6 per pellet.