Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Lots of Pond Updates and How Much to Feed Trout

Hello everyone,

I have some major changes happening with my pond 1 acre pond in Ontario, so I figured I'd do a big update of everything in one thread.

Update 1: I traded 57 ~6" largemouth bass for 57 12" rainbow trout last week. The rainbows are doing well and feeding aggressively with the brown trout. I have noticed that rainbows are much, much more aggressive than browns. This is what Bill Cody and Cecil B. mentioned in a previous post of mine. I have not been able to hook a single brown since the rainbows were added, as they always get the bait first. They even come up to hit my float when fishing roe off the bottom.

Update 2: In order to curb our curly leaf pondweed issue and to make the pond healthier overall, we are adding a second aerator. It is a 1/2 horsepower surface aerator. We are also adding a bottom up aeration system, but only running it in the winter time in order to prevent mixing the water. This is supposed to keep a hole open in the winter for an exchange of gasses in order to keep oxygen levels up and weed growth down.

Update 3: We also added a product called Nature's Pond Conditioner which is supposed to cut down the muck at the bottom of the pond and reduce nutrients in the water that contribute to weed growth. It has given our water 13ft+ clarity, which I believe will help the weeds grow due to increased sunlight penetration. We will see if it works in the long run.

Update 4: The rainbows and browns are feeding very aggressively daily. I estimate that there are 50 fish eating per day, ranging from 0.5 to 2.5lbs. How many pounds of pellets should we be feeding per day? So far, they eat everything that we throw, but we don't give them too much. I would estimate we are feeding about 1lbs of pellets per day, maximum. Here is a video to show how aggressively they are feeding: https://youtu.be/ew9HYL5v_Eg A snapping turtle is also eating the pellets, which doesn't bother me much.

What do the experts think of our pond choices? Bill Cody and Cecil B. were definitely right about rainbow versus brown catch-ability. As well, does anyone have feeding recommendations? Thanks.

Feed as much as you want, but not more than they can consume in 15 minutes. You could feed 2x day, but again not more than they can consume in 15 minutes. You can feed less, it all depends on how fast you want the fish to grow.

Natures pond conditioner. Sounds like interesting stuff.

Thanks for the reply, esshup. Why is it that you can only feed what they can eat in 15 minutes?

It was recommended by a local pond manager who is helping us. Here is what it says on the website:

Made from a natural blend of beneficial bacteria, enzymes, plant extracts and a food-grade dye, our powerful formula goes to work breaking down and consuming debris like dead and decaying plants, animal waste, run off, and other forms of pond sludge. Meanwhile, the food-grade dye gives your water a natural healthy color.