Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Question about feeding / size of feed/etc.

[Quite a few customers will add supplemental forage fish in late Fall to feed the fish when they are not feeding pellets if they don't have Golden Shiners established in their ponds.[/quote]

Yeah, when I picked up the 12 HSB (5-7") Oct. 25, I also got 3# each of GSH and FHM to add to the existing population. Figured the HSB will need something to keep them growing beyond just the natural plankton-level stuff. I'll be very interested the state of the pond through winter to early April.

[Quite a few customers will add supplemental forage fish in late Fall to feed the fish when they are not feeding pellets if they don't have Golden Shiners established in their ponds.[/quote]

Yeah, that's why when I picked up the 12 HSB Oct. 25, I also got 3# each of GSH and FHM. Figured the HSB will need something to keep them growing beyond just the natural plankton-level stuff. I'll be very interested the state of the pond through winter to early April.

I'd love a recommendation for a good simple water meter to test the water temp?

I just use a floating pool thermometer.

So....I don't need a submersible one? AI said oh, you need a "submersible weighted" one. My contractor said....drum roll......"just use a floating pool thermometer" lol. I figured it made sense, thought I'd just ask. I assumed maybe a standard pool thermometer I see on Amazon (did a search for pond water meters) that markets itself as for "ponds," might just be pools and little backyard ponds.

Here's one I've used, there are several on Amazon like it. I tied it on a rod with braided line and use a bobber to check the temperature at different depths.

Thanks, good idea; I might try that.

There are some really high quality wifi thermometers with waterproof probes you can get online for not too much money. I have one by a company called "ubibot" and its app is fantastic. For a nominal charge they'll even send you text messages or wake up calls if the temperature does weird things.

I bet you could set one up to tell you if your pond turns over but I haven't tried it (I use mine for a greenhouse).

just an update on late fall feeding here in middle TN: Feels like almost an "indian summer," the way it's gone. Couple days in 20's, fish nowhere to be seen, then, back to high 60's/70's. And the fish have responded by attacking the feed again voraciously. I see some 20's nights coming up, so we'll see. Just trying to feed them as much as possible before it's going to get cold for real for quite some time.....

Update: yeah, I had that brief spell where they came to life, but now it's going to be in the 20's-30's for quite some time it appears, so I guess winter is really here. 1st time winter w/feeding regime now in place, so I'll monitor the situation, but of course it's going to be like this the next 2-3 months, so probably no more feeding till spring....we'll see. Hope the 5-7" HSB have enough GSH and FHM to keep 'em happy till then. I restocked a few lbs., so they should hopefully be good. Plus all that hot phyto- and zoo- action :-) and a few insects dropping in here and there.