Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Walleye in Missouri?

Would walleye survive in a pond in the Missouri Ozarks?

It depends... What are the details of the pond?

The pond would have water from the niangua river constantly flowing through it.

Do you happen to be below Bennet Springs? If so and your are close enough to take andvantage, I would think that the cold water from that huge spring would be very beneficial in creating a walleye pond.

As long as the pond suface temps do not stay above 90F for a month at a time WE should live in a pond there. In my expereience WE are more sensitive to lower DO than temps in the high 80" and low 90's for short periods. I think adult YP are more sensitive to higher temps compared to WE. Advantage to YP is they will tolerate low DO whereas WE will not. A pond with WE should be around 15'-18' deep and aerated primarily at night IMO to maximize the DO during hot spells of July-Aug. I would not hesitate to give WE a try and if they don't work you can easily convert the pond to SMB or LMB by just adding these other predators. Adult SMB will tolerate higher temps compared to WE and SMB may toleratre slightly lower DO than WE, but that is just a guess. We need more experiences & lessons of WE in MO and similar latitude ponds.

Would it be possible for WE, HSB, SMB, and LMB to live together in harmony?

No, LMB will dominate through competition and eating the other fish species. Skip the LMB you're fine. If you must have LMB, you'll have to stock 8"-12" fish of the other species periodically if you want them to remain present.

CJ s correct - forget the LMB for starters. If you don't like the fishery after several years then add the LMB and several years after that they will dominate the fishery as the other species are declining and dying out.

But WE would work as a bonus fish in a YP/SMB pond?

After this summer's drought and a solid two months of temps >95°F I don't even think night aeration would help

What else shOuld be stocked along with HSB, WE, and SMB?

You have way too many predators and too few forage fish species - top heavy. Or at least your plans have too many predators. One good thing is the HSB and WE will not spawn so you won't get top heavy too fast from repoduction by them. SMB will likely spawn and result in too many bass in 4-8 yrs? If you feed the fish pellets (Aquamax 600 best for HSB) you will see HSB grow otherwise expect all to stay relatively smaller and slow growing with too few forage fish. Consider GSH and YP as forage for these predators. If the pond is new GSH will be easy to get established, if older then large GSH will have to be stocked. It is tricky to have those three predators together and have pleny of forage fish. One thing you can do is keep the predators at lower density thus needing fewer numbers of forage fish. Plan on each predator to consume 300-400 forage fish per year but this depends a lot on size of predator and foage. In MO you might be south far enough for some threadfin shad - they are productive. If they survive they will enhance the forage base. If the pond is new or not built then add crayfish early with the forage. Allow forage to reproduce then add predators. Rarely does a pond have too many forage fish unless it has BG.

The red shiner in MO may be an optional forage fish for YP if you are interesed in collecting some forage fish from the streams. They will reproduce in ponds. and aquariums. I'm not sure why more creative pondowners do not use red shiners in ponds without LMB. Red shiner with some other minnows and WE & YP would be good together.

The red shiner (C. lutrensis) ranges from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast in creeks and small rivers over sand, rock and gravel, in runs and pools. It spawns in rock and log crevices, at the base of plants, among algal masses and elsewhere. This plasticity in spawning sites; feeding habits; wide use as a baitfish; and tolerance of turbid to clear, fast or slow, warm to cold waters all account for its wide distribution, and threat to other native fish.

Red shiners have been spawned in aquaria utilizing Java moss, stones piled to provide crevices, spawning mops and pleated canister filter cartridges. A 10-gallon aquarium is sufficient for six fish. They spawn readily with canister filter cartridges, and eggs hatch in a week. The fry on the bottom won't swim for a few days. After hatching, move the fry into a 5-gallon aquarium with aeration, and feed them with green water, rotifers, infusoria or ciliates or APR. After two weeks, they take Artemia nauplii.

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=518
http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php/topic/3796-red-shiners-breeding-in-captivity/
See the biology section:
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/cyprinella%20lutrensis.htm
Abundant in TX:
http://www.ehow.com/info_8715190_importance-red-shiner-fish-texas.html



What is the surface water temperature now??