Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations FORAGE POND

I KNOW I HAVE BEEN ASKING ALOT OF QUESTIONS BUT THIS SHOULD BE MY LAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
THANKS FOR THE HELP THOUGH.

I HAVE A SMALL 1/10 ACRE POND(HOLE). IT HAS HAD WATER FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS BUT HAS NEVER BEEN STOCKED. I JUST ORDERED 1LB OF FAT HEAD MINNOWS AND 25 HYBRID PERCH FROM DUNNS FISH FARM TO STOCK THE POND. I DO NOT PLAN ON PUTTING ANY OTHER FISH IN THIS POND. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THIS POND TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FORAGE ONLY POND?

Just because a pond wasn't stocked doesn't mean there is no fish in it. Green sunfish and bullheads have a way of popping up in bodies of water. I would just about bet if you put some traps in your pond you would find at least a few in it. Bull heads an green sunfish would make a snack out of the fatheads. A 1/10 acre would make a good forage pond if not inhabited by other fish. I have two ponds smaller than that for forage ponds.

Your best success will be to either drain the pond or rotenone it. If your wanting it to be a forage pond - stock with 10 lbs Mozambique Tilapia as soon as the water reaches 65-68 degrees. Get your alkalinity above 30 ppm and fertilize with 11-37-0 fertilizer and get your bloom at 18" or richer. The pond will turn to fish.

Allen, hybrids are sterile, or mostly so. They provide no forage. You need bluegills. Or the tilapia that Ken (Texas Tilop) says. Whether bluegills or tilapia, keep beer handy to pay whoever is frequently on the other end of the seine. It is a lot of work and if you ignore them, they will overspawn and the results ain't pretty.