Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Did I overdo it?

First, welcome to Pond Boss.

From my perspective, all those catfish are gong to become a problem. They are voracious eaters, they become hook-shy very quickly, they grow like crazy, they become serious predators when they get to a few pounds, and they become nasty pests that will dig holes in the sides of your ponds, plus muddying the water. I would recommend you take out every one that you catch when you start fishing the pond. Don't put more catfish in during any season that you expect to eat the next season. I add about 20-25 each season, and I take out about 20-25 each season, and I still have problems with them. I'm going to try and completely eliminate them from my LMB/BG/RES pond, and just grow them in a Hybrid Bluegill and Catfish pond that I can easily drain if necessary.

Your idea of adding more CNBG and tilapia is good. Both will provide forage for the LMB and the HSB.

With all those fingerlings in there, I wouldn't add trout until at least next season. They will eat most of what you put in this year. Once your other fish get a little bigger, the trout will be wonderful. The kids will love them. It is just plain fun to feed them because of the antics and acrobatics. If you can get them, get some golden trout, which are mutants of rainbow trout. They are very easy to see in the water and are a thrill for you and visitors.

Lastly, you really should add a supplemental feeding program to grow the CNBG, HSB, and catfish. If you are there nearly every day, a hand feeding program in invaluable in observing the fish growth and health. I'd recommend a good fishmeal-based floating pellet food of no less than 34% protein, and probably above 36%. Get small pellets -- less than 1/4 inch. Excellent Purina and Cargil products are available at many farm and feed stores. Up here our local farm co-ops carry "Big Strike" and "L'l Strike." If you can't find the proper Purina or Cargil feeds, the L'l Strike would be a good place to start for your fingerlings. I would not recommend a catfish pellet for the mix of fish you have.

Good luck,
Ken