My last post I was adding cover and since have added 80lbs of FHM to my 2.25 acre pond. There is no vegetation growing around or in the pond, so the water is pretty muddy in appearance with a hint of green. I don’t know how to tell when I need to fertilize, but thought I had a bloom since it was more green than clay colored. I was told not to add alfalfa meal and followed the recommendation but now I fear my FHM don’t have enough to eat. I never see them, and hope that since it’s been colder than normal, they are just deep and not dead. I see a zillion tadpoles, not a single fish.
Will start adding vegetation this week around pond edge and a few lily pads.
Is there a link explaining when/how to fertilize? Do you feed FHM? Do FHM float or sink when dead?
FHM will feed on floating fish food get some catfish food and throw some out it might take a couple of days for them to find it. They will push it around and nibble on it. If you don't have other fish in the pond yet they will feed on it and be ready to spawn shortly you should place some spawning structure in for them.
FHM like overhead structures to spawn on. With 80lbs of Fhm with adequate spawning habitat you will have a massive amount of food for your fish when you stock them. What's your stocking plan
Wooden pallets are a good choice of spawning habitat. You really want to get a dense population before introducing other fish, because FHM are such easy prey.