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Active Threads | Active Posts | Unanswered Today | Since Yesterday | This Week
Water chemistry Jump to new posts
Re: Alum vs Bentonite/Lathanum for Phosphorus Removal? esshup 2 hours ago
Cody would be a good one to chime in about that, he's familiar with the filtering systems that they typically use in Ohio to filter pond water to make it potable water.
10 309 Read More
Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Jump to new posts
Re: Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations? esshup 2 hours ago
But, look at the charts that are in the archives. Take LMB for example. A 22" LMB should be 5.9#, a 23" 6.8#. If a 22.5" LMB is much either side of 6.3#, how critical is that to figuring out the RW? You are looking for trends in the pond, not absolute numbers down to the 3rd decimal.

Say you have 2 different 22.5" LMB One weighs 6.3#, the other weighs 6.5# because it just recently ate a 7" BG. Will that 0.2# be enough of a weight difference to make a decision to change how the LMB are managed in the pond?

What I'm trying to say is that once you start managing ponds in the real world, it's not critical that the numbers are spot on because of all the variables that are in the pond. You are looking for trends, and the 1" weight change is fine enough of a measurement to see trends.

Please do the power function calculation on a LMB that is 22.25", 22.5" and 22.75" and list what the weights are. How much do they differentiate from the weights calculated from a linear function?
20 654 Read More
Selecting a site Jump to new posts
Re: pond experience needed esshup 3 hours ago
Jeez, I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal.

O.K.If the clay can be moistened and rolled into a pencil shape between your palms, it's good enough to seal the pond. If not, see if you can find better clay there. Stockpile the good stuff. You will need enough to cover the whole pond bottom and sides 18"-24" thick.

Cut the sides back 3:1 or 4:1. You were absolutely correct about the slope. You should cut the bottom/slope/sides 18"/24" deeper than the finished dimension. Beg, borrow or rent a sheepsfoot roller (not a smooth barrel roller).

If you have good clay in the bottom of the pond (see above) then run the sheepsfoot roller over it and let it "walk up" off the material, then take some of the good clay that you stockpiled, spread it out 6"-8" thick all over the pond bottom/sides. Run the sheepsfoot roller over it again until it compacts it and starts to walk up out of the clay. Repeat that 3-4 times so you have an 18"-24" thick layer of clay all over the pond bottom and sides that have been sheepsfoot rolled.

If you find areas of soil that are sandy or permeable (iffy for sealing) dig them out at least 24" deep and sideways back into good material, take the stockpiled good clay and pack it into the iffy area that you dug out.

Yes, it's a lot of work, but it will be even more work if the pond isn't sealed. You will have to play with water content of the clay to get the "pencil" and then you will have to try to duplicate that moisture content when you start sheepsfoot rolling the clay.

A smooth barrel roller won't work because the layers need to be "knitted" together to hold water and stop it from traveling between the layers.

Dig it wider I think that will be easier than trying to put the dirt back and trying to compact that dirt on the steep slope. You can't put a few feet down and compact it, the lower layers won't be compacted.
5 64 Read More
Creating the food chain Jump to new posts
Re: New pond middle TN: establishing food chain? Bill Cody 7 hours ago
BJ for your current planned fishery stocking, when using the correct numbers of fish stocked, you should not encounter forage fish shortages in your 1/4 ac pond. When a pond gets out of balance of fish numbers is when growth rates of fish are slow. Your current plan without feeding pellets is for a "good" fishing pond (not focused on developing lunkers), AND a fun swimming hole that visiting family/kids will enjoy. Good swimming pond means doing your best for introducing fewest nutrients as possible for the natural soils where the pond is built. All nutrients that get into the pond usually results in increased algae and plant growth.

BJ Look at this UT website about the nine soil fertility regions of Tennessee. Try and figure out in which region your pond is located. This information will help determine the natural carrying capacity of fish and numbers to stock for your pond.
https://utcrops.com/soil/soil-fertility/soil-ph-and-liming/
95 6,369 Read More
Pond Boss Jump to new posts
Re: Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!! FireIsHot 8 hours ago
Originally Posted by Bob Lusk
Thanks, you guys! I've waited 68 years to be 69!

HB Bob.

So 69 was the target? Mine was 65 so I could get the $2 senior discount at the local all you can eat catfish restaurant.
14 205 Read More
Renovating a Pond or Lake? Jump to new posts
Re: Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond. PRCS Yesterday at 11:39 PM
This land no matter what will need a liner whether it is clay or Poly. There has been further development of the garden that has taken up the place now where the pond was supposed to go.

My thought is I need to lay in something beneath the liner. But concerned about just using Sand.

Also on top of it all there wasn’t anything ever installed for overflow prevention.

The company has purchased water tankers to help fill the pond for an event.

With enough “water redirection” I can send the water to the pond. My obstacle is right now prep for liner the overflow isn’t anything big for me to think about.
5 114 Read More
Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Jump to new posts
Re: Fungus infection on fish nvcdl Yesterday at 11:07 PM
I had a rash of fungus infected fish a couple years ago. Seemed to be caused when I over fertilized the pond but there wasn't enough alkalinity for a bloom.
18 6,197 Read More
Creating the food chain Jump to new posts
Can anyone ID these minnows? Dylanfrely Yesterday at 10:43 PM
Hi All,

I've got a creek behind my house with loads of these minnows. Anyone know what they might be?
0 35 Read More
Questions & Observations Jump to new posts
Re: 1 year after stocking question esshup Yesterday at 09:48 PM
Originally Posted by Requa
How many more bluegill and forage fish would I need to support the predator fish?

See my post above your question. That is where my answer is. Look at the ratio I put there. The bigger number is the number of bluegill you should have stocked for every LMB.

Here's some math for you. A single LMB needs to eat 10# of forage fish to gain 1# in weight. That's when they are young and small. As they grow in age and weight they need to eat more and more fish per year just to survive, and way more fish to put on 1 pound in weight. Think of a human. How many calories do you need to eat per day to stay the same, vs how many calories a baby needs to eat to stay the same weight? Fish are no different.

A LMB needs fish to eat that are roughly 1/4 to 1/3 it's body length or it's wasting too many calories chasing down smaller fish to eat. A LMB does NOT catch a fish every time it tries to, so that is more wasted calories.

You stocked 75 2"-4" LMB. At that size, they need fish in the 5/8"- 1.3" range to eat. As they grow the fish they need to eat have to be proportionately larger.

Bluegill that are 1"-2.5" in length weigh 3-9 pounds per thousand fish. Bluegill that are 2.5"-2.75" weigh 10-14 pounds per thousand. Bluegill that are 2.75"-3.5" weigh 15-24 pounds per thousand.

So, with that information you should be able to do the math and figure out how many fish you need to add, and what size they need to be..
13 521 Read More
Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Jump to new posts
Re: Yellow Perch Spawn 2024 H20fwler Yesterday at 09:29 PM
Just spotted our first YP ribbons! Two different strands in about 3’ of water. Not sure what the water temp in but it seems cold.
11 801 Read More
Types of fish to choose Jump to new posts
Re: New 2 acre pond stocking plan LANGSTER Yesterday at 08:49 PM
Herons will destroy a pond and eat your fish, I have had them kill bass and not even eat them just kill them. Destructive birds and they sure are not endangered like vultures they are way to many of them. .17 hmr works nice and quite
25 1,389 Read More
Creating the food chain Jump to new posts
Re: Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails esshup Yesterday at 03:39 PM
Having plants in the pond will help with the algae issues. SOMETHING is going to utilize the nutrients that are there. It's your choice what you want that to be.

Me? I'd take underwater plants vs. algae.
6 213 Read More
Raising Forage and Bait Jump to new posts
Re: Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do?? Freg Yesterday at 02:42 PM
Per the recommendations of others in this thread, I think my game plan is that once I get a hatch I will transfer at least 100 out of the 130 brooders to my main pond as well as most of the fry. If I never get shiners established in my main pond that's okay, I just wanted to have a way of breeding the shiners to at least supplementally stock into the pond as an additional food source.
12 580 Read More
Renovating a Pond or Lake? Jump to new posts
Re: Dewatering bags seeded to form berms? Justin W Yesterday at 01:19 PM
FlexMSE is also another company to check out. I know fabric types can depend on what you plan to plant.
https://flexmse.com/
6 1,372 Read More
Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Jump to new posts
Re: Reducing fish biomass FishinRod Yesterday at 01:18 PM
One of my buddies in med school did a research project where he had to pith the fish and then take the samples immediately after the fish died. It was the same method.

He was a VERY precise guy, and is now an eye surgeon, so I suspect he got it exactly right every time.

I suspect I might miss every now and then, but I believe it is considered one on the most humane methods to euthanize research animals. Like our "taste" experiment, you typically don't want stress chemicals in your research animal tissues.
26 1,349 Read More
Image Gallery Jump to new posts
Re: Nice BGxRES Donatello Yesterday at 12:23 PM
Great Fish!!!!!!
11 3,009 Read More
Questions & Observations Jump to new posts
Re: Questions and Feedback on SMB Donatello 03/27/24 08:10 PM
Last year just feed a low quality food periodically 4-5 times a week, Plan on High Quality feed with Automatic feeder this Spring. Just a "Broke Teacher" here, Thanks guys, I try to keep my eye on it closely. There have been some Hiccups, but things are headed in the right direction.
35 6,626 Read More
Questions & Observations Jump to new posts
Re: 2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy Dave Davidson1 03/27/24 01:15 PM
Chris, my water level is still too low for the stuff to hit water. I’ll pass this time.
1 122 Read More
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by esshup - 03/29/24 01:06 AM
pond experience needed
by esshup - 03/29/24 12:45 AM
New pond middle TN: establishing food chain?
by Bill Cody - 03/28/24 07:57 PM
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by FireIsHot - 03/28/24 07:33 PM
Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond.
by PRCS - 03/28/24 06:39 PM
Fungus infection on fish
by nvcdl - 03/28/24 06:07 PM
Can anyone ID these minnows?
by Dylanfrely - 03/28/24 05:43 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 04:48 PM
Yellow Perch Spawn 2024
by H20fwler - 03/28/24 04:29 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by LANGSTER - 03/28/24 03:49 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by esshup - 03/28/24 10:39 AM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

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