Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeding Amount According To Time Verses Fish Mass?

All,

I was down at the pond a few days ago and watched the feeder go off for 3 seconds and observed the complete consumption that lasted about 45 seconds. The question arose in my head am I feeding enough per feeding? Second question that came through the brain was should I be measuring the amount of food by time to eat the food thrown or by fish mass available for feeding? Third question right after that was "What is the ultimate goal I am attempting to reach by feeding"???

I researched the data base and did not see anything that answered the first two questions.

Background:
1-7/8 acres Pond
2' to 12' depth
Stocked -
Jan 2012 -
1,000 CNBG, 500 NBG, 300 RE, 10 lbs FHM.(FHM Gone)
July 2012 -
75 Florida LMB, 25 Camelot LMB, 18 HSB,(2 HSB Removed)
25 CC, ( 12 removed)
50 more CNBG (Overton Strain)

Texas Hunter Feeder - Feeding 5 times a day, total of 13 seconds per day, 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm

Feeding Aquamax 300,400 & 500 pellets mixed together in feeder

CNBG Size - 8"-10" at 8 oz-10.5 oz.
NBG Size - 4" -8" @ 3 oz- 8 oz.
LMB Size - 11"-12.5" @ 9 oz-17.1 oz.
HSB Size - 8.5" - 13.8" @ 7 oz - 17.5 oz.
RE Size - 5" - 6.5" @ 2 oz - 6 oz.
CC Size - 11" - 13" @ 17 oz - 34 oz.
Bowfin Size 10" to 17" @ 14 oz to 121 oz.

3 diffuser stations with 2 9" diffusers per station running 24/7

With the data above, what would be the recommendations if my end goal is to have a balanced fishery with large BG (+1.5) & LMB (+ 5 lb)?

1. Continue at present feeding rate since I am above relative weight on most of the habitats.
2. Increase feeding rate & by how much?
3. Calculate present pond fish mass & adjust feeding?
4. What is the best calculation to use for figuring my pond mass?

Any help would be so much appreciated....

Couppe

Bingo.

Supplemental feeding, or trying to grow the fish as large and as quick as you can? How many pounds of food are you currently going thru per month?

Esshup,

Thanks so much for responding.

I started out with just supplemental feeding but seeing the growth for the first year & the look on the kids face when setting the hook & light tackle pole bends over, I increased my feeding from last year hoping for larger fish. I have not thought of at what rate nor how fast of growth.....

Last year I was feeding around 20 lbs a month until winter came around and dropped it to 2 feeding a day at 2 seconds. I filled up the feeder once from December to March so about 10 lbs a month....

I am now feeding about 32 lbs a month.

Couppe

My pond is about 1/2 the size of yours and I'm feeding roughly 50#/month. Once you feed more, you'll start to see water quality issues - fighting FA, etc.

A pond where the owner feeds about 100#/month (.8 ac) the water clarity stays about 12"-18" all year 'round. 40# of Tilapia keep the FA at bay.

Esshup,

Wow, that really is a big adjustment from where I am now....

Here in Louisiana, from what I understand, Tilapia is restricted to indoor aquatics or farming with no possibility of getting into local waters and only allowed by permit. So that rules me out for their assistance.

I am assuming the water quality issues will be from the increase fish waste from the nutrients from the additional feeding. I have not started harvesting fish from the original stocking other than all channel cat we catch and about 30 CNBG & NBG.

How will this affect my harvesting ratio I am about to begin? From what I read the ratio of feed to weight per fish is 2-1??? so if I start feeding 100 # per month, how many lbs of forage should I begin removing per month?

Also, from research on this wonderful sight, I was planning not to remove any LMB until next summer giving them 2 years before harvesting. Should I maintain this strategy or begin sooner?

I guess another question is what ratio should I maintain LMB removal to BG removal? 5# BG to 1 lb LMB? More?

I cannot thank you enough for your time....

Couppedeville

Yep, increased fish waste and possibly uneaten pellets that get washed to shore.

Ideally you don't want to remove the stocked fish, but their young 'uns once they get large enough.

Ratio to remove? That's a hard one because you will never be quite sure how much forage the LMB and other predators are eating. I'd just keep an eye on the fish, removing what you want to correspond to your goals. With feeding and feed trained fish, it'll be different than a pond that wasn't fed. That's why carrying capacity for aerated, supplementally fed ponds could be double that of a pond that isn't aerated, nor fed.

For instance, keep an eye on the fish coming to the feed. If the quantity of BG/CNBG seem to be dropping, remove more LMB. If the BG population seems to be exploding, and the LMB are still fat and happy, target the BG. You will never have a balanced pond for long, it's like trying to balance on a knife edge - it's easy to slip off one side or the other.

You will see water issues, mine has went from good to fair at best, I have a 3+- acre pond and I'm feeding 250+ lbs/month fish are monstrous but so is FA explosion

Obviously you guys just need to turn your pond into a large aquatics system to eat all your nitrates.


Pump your pond water through a raft system on the side or something.

I am half joking, half not.

brian

There was a yellow perch producer in one of the eastern southern coastal states that pumped pond water through is fish tanks and used the pond as his biofilter.

Now that the Eurasian Water Milfoil and other plants exploded in my pond, clarity (visibility) has gone to 5'-6'. That will be short lived, Sonar A.S. is going in this weekend.

esshup, is the plant growth related to the water rise you've had, or the water warming up?

Water warming up, and Geese pooping seeds into the pond. EWM is a PITA to control, I fluridoned the pond 2 years ago and it did the trick, but I came home one day to 40 of the buggers sitting on the pond. There is a lake <2 miles away that was loaded with it, I think they brought it from there. The lake is 365 acres and last year they fluridoned the whole thing. I can't imagine what that cost!

So Couppedeville, what have you learned about carrying capacity?

OK, that was an option I hadn't thought about. We had 7 or 8 Geese show up for the first time early this year. I may have to reroute them next year.

From your experience how long until you see the plants disappear Scot?

Last time I applied it for Sago pondweed it was a gradual thing and took a few weeks which is good.

Lots of Sago pondweed now and water is gin clear here. No FA either. Bluegills are bedding inside the pondweed in about 3 to 4 feet of water which actually keeps them safe from the heron. I did I put up the staked lines though for the few that are bedding close to shore.

My dad found a small snapper in the trout pond yesterday. I moved it to the big pond. Not worried about it being a problem. Darn thing peed on my shoe as I was carrying to the pond!

Esshup,

What have I learned about "Carry Capacity"? HHmmmmmmm, lets see...

Carry Capacity, Standing Crop, Water clarity/lack of suspended sediment, Fertility, Competition, Weather/Environment, Feeding, Waste removal/flow through, Aeration, Forage diversity, pH, Social interaction, quantity as quality, densities, proper harvest, balance,pond size fluctuations, pocket book size, Ending Goal........

Heck, guess all I can say (Stolen From One Of The Greatest)

IT ALL DEPENDS!

LOL.

Honestly, I am learning by leap & bounds.

What I am still rubbing my head about is how do I explain to momma....That her fresh catfish may just cost us $3 to $4 a pound more after today!!!!

Couppe

Yep, once you start getting interested in it, the learning curve is STEEP!

Cecil, the last time I fluridoned the pond, it was in the Fall when the water temps were dropping. I didn't notice the plants dying any faster than they usually did in the Fall, but next year they didn't come back, and I thought I had it licked. Last year the flying toilets were here and I saw one EWM plant in the Fall, which I gently pulled out. This year about 20% of the pond is covered with them. I think I'll have to do the treatment 2 years in a row because they are flowering already. I expect some seeds to remain in the pond and for them to germinate next Spring. It's hard to do a treatment in my pond early in the spring due to the fluctuating water levels. The good thing is that 6 ounces is enough in my pond to kill the EWM because its so sensitive to it.

bcotton,

Large aquatics systems, now that is an interesting subject. Do you have something set up and if so, would you be interested in sharing some details?

Couppe