Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Will BG wipe out FHM?

IMO a pond setting is a lot larger with much more various complex bottom basin types of structural fish escape habitat compared to that of a 100 gal vertical side wall structure trough. Complexity of the pond habitat I think will allow more refugia and escape cover for the FHM than a 100 gal trough when BG are the predatory fish species. These two species have two different niche habitats. Thus I think the FHM will be able to maintain a long term breeding population when the pond has good breeding habitat even with at least a minimal amount of structural habitat. This assumes the BG population is at a 'normal' not overpopulated density and some GOOD spawn habitat is available for FHM. IMO and experience adult BG at a normal density are not able to catch and eat a 2.0" - 2.5" breeder size adult FHM and even most 1.5" FHM should be able to escape predation from adult BG. Thus a breeding FHM size structure should be maintained. However adult BG at a normal population density and without a normal natural invertebrate food base could 'possibly' significantly reduce the numbers of BG fry recuitment, but I very doubt doubt it would happen. A natural pond setting produces too much more alternative invertebrate foods for BG compared to a 100 gallon troiugh. Thus BG would be primarily eating inverts compared to eating even slow moving FHM 1.25" and larger. To my knowledge BG are more of a cherry picker type invertebrate consumer compared to being a fish chasing predator / consumer. IMO these two species can be co-habitants in a pond setting under 'normal' conditions..

CentexSaj - I think it would be safe and a success for you to try stocking some FHM in with BG into a forage type pond especially if the two species have some supplimental pellet feeding to boost their final numbers. Then after one or two seasons please report to us your results. We are always open to fishery experiments and maybe we can learn some new fishery information from this project. . MAYBE a PBForum member here has already done this FHM -BG stocking combination and can report their experiences??

This project would also be a very good educational project for an interested student or pond hobbist. I think the pond would not have to be overly large as in 0.05 to 0.1ac and could easily test the two forage fish species combination theories.