Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What is expected for mort loss?

What is expected for fish loss? We have been loosing one or two fish per month of yellow perch and wondering what is normal?

Fish we placed 400 in the pond in 2012 fall. They were 6-8" when placed in there then. Average adult stocked fish is 12". We feed about 125# of feed every year to them and aerate the pond 12 hours at night 8pm to 8 am.

What we are seeing is only really stinky fish float up after being dead for some time. Most are male 11"+ and just recently two 6-8" ones.

We do have a couple walleye in the pond but only two. Fish look good other than being dead for some time. No holes from a blue heron just dead.

Could it just be defects and old age?

Cheers Don.

I don't have a good answer for you. I wouldn't be concerned if I saw a few fish per month die. I might have that in my pond, but with the few turtles in there I don't see many. I figure a few fish die, what part of the total population is that? If it's under 1/2 percent, it's acceptable.

Your pond is now at an age that pellet fed YP are close to what I have observed as end of life span. I am learning that pellet fed perch do not live as long as YP eating natural foods. Your YP are matching my findings and theory. Still working on more details.
Those perch in your pond not eating pellets will live longer that those eating primarily pellets. Thus you might want to harvest the larger perch if you don't want them to die before a chance to harvest them.

Thanks Bill and esshup, our pellet trained perch do hold a lot of fat inside them when we filet them up.

I guess if we do harvest more large perch it will leave room for the smaller perch to grow.

Cheers Don