Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose 1.1 acre pond in middle tennesse

That is great info thank you

I added another 5lbs FHM wed. Got 15 lbs iN pond now and at least one heavy spawn. Feed my starter pellets today ( we have a lot of rain) Minnows went nuts feeding and the minnows smaller than 1.5 inch are getting pounded by RES Saw many RES 3 to 4 inch Very aggressive and good to see. I am so excited to get my CNBG next friday, I assume they will pound starter pellets better than RES

Please assist with this. I feed every day and today I found scores of black snail shells in the shallows today? I had never seen a snail period in over a year owning this pond. I have 300 RES and minnows only in pond. Getting CNBG this friday. Does this mean RES doing there job? They would not eat at all today but the FHM did and few RES ate them. Why would have snails and that many?

I think if the RES are eating the snails you wouldn’t see any snail shells …. I think

All of these are just snail shells, they are dead, or no snail in the shell. Some of the shells are cracked but a lot them it is like something just sucked the snail out of them. And I saw around 100 total like they just washed up on the bank. We have had some rain, just kind of strange.

Makes me feel better about the RES, knowing I have a snail population. Friday is my big day to get my CNBG and I hope another 100 RES.

RES aka shellcrackers

Finally got my CNBG, yesterday only lost 4 out of 300 stocked, which I thought was great for stocking in June. How long will it take them to start eating pellets really good? I stocked in the morning and feed yesterday at dusk. I saw a few CNBG and a few RES, take the pellets, my fat head minnows are crushing the pellets and I saw a bunch of RES eating minnow as they ate pellets.

I cannot thank Pond Boss enough for the help. I would not have known, what a CNBG was until getting on here. They are really cool looking fish. The RES and CBNG were in great shape and much better size than what I got in may. But the RES, I stocked then have doubled in size in 5 weeks. Saw one hit minnow yesterday over 4 inches.

They’ve been pellet fed at the hatchery.

Think you are correct. RES and minnows feed today. I was shocked to see 4 inch maybe 4.5 inch RES making beds today, saw 4 beds being made, moon next week. Fine with me hope they spawn. I read on here, that it may take up to a week for CBNG, to start taking pellets. But I have a ton of FHM that have spawned too.

This is good news to my ears. I have RES around those sizes I stocked in April. I am hoping they and some of the bluegill will spawn this year. I wasn't planning on it and haven't seen any beds yet but this gives me hope at least. My FHMs have turned from thousands into what looks like millions now in that short of time.

I saw males fanning four beds today, moon shaped in 2 foot water, I hope they spawn. Hope since it is RES, they are more beds deeper. I am shocked that 1.5 to 2 inch fish can grow that fast in 6 weeks! But having no bass and tons of FHM , snails, tad poles, and pellets. It is possible.

June Full Moon 2022: Strawberry Supermoon on June 14th -- watch for BG spawn.

My CBNG finally starting feeding on pellets yesterday. They have been in there a week and wouldn't take feed until yesterday. They ate again today, but it is not what I expected. Just glad to see them feeding

It depends on how stressed they were from transport and how much natural feed is in the pond. I've transported LMB fingerlings to a RAS and they were feeding in 1/2 hour after going in the tank.

I am going to run out of Purina Aqua max starter food in next week or so. I am thinking of ordering Optimal Food and trying it. Would the Optimal Junior be better or optimal blue gill? With my coppernose being in 3 inch range, I would think the Junior would be the way to go.

Also it really does not tell you on the website but is it a 40lb bag?

Optimal BG and Jr comes in a 40lb bag. You have to go to the "Additional Information" tab on the product you are looking to buy to see the bag weight.

I would go with the Jr for 3" CNBG. If they were HBG, the BG bag would work fine, but the CNBG's gape is pretty small for the larger Optimal BG size. The Jr would be the safest way to go since the smaller fish can use it and the larger fish will NOT refuse it, for sure.

I found myself in a similar situation my fish grew and I ended up buying a bag of the BG when my Jr was about half gone. Then I mixed equal parts to make everyone happy. Your fish will grow quick on the feed, but I think it's better to make sure all the fish sizes get plenty to eat as opposed to leaving out the smallest.

They love Optimal Jr wow

At first they loved Optimal Jr and my bigger CNBG and some off the bigger RES ( 3.5 to 5 inch) eat to some. The RES like pounding FHM when they feed on pellets. Long story short, the Aqua Maxx starter is getting eaten way better than Optimal Jr. Pellet size difference, do I buy another bag of Aqua Maxx and keep mixing ( almost out ) or just run out and feed the Jr.? I am thinking keep mixing it until I stock bass in october?

I like multi-sized formulations. You can crush up the bigger pellets if needed. Feeding the one they eat best is a sound idea.

Agree

Bought more aquamaxx starter. Today I watched an albino totally white FHM, eat pellets is that something else or minnow? He had a hint of pink around the fins. Never seen him before but I have thousands of minnows

I have seen a couple of albino solid white FHM in pond. I put 15 lbs in and they have spawned many times over, I have thousands. Today I saw several that are solid pink! I mean they stand out, more than the few white ones I have seen. What is it? That all the rest are normal colored black and silver. The pink and the white ones look like regular FHM, I am pretty sure they have spawned in the pond, they are around one inch or so, I have many from 1/2 inch to 3 inches.

I have had more fun feeding and doing this project than anything in years. What would make some solid pink and white?

I am seeing more and more of these solid white fathead minnows, in different sizes 1 to 2 inch and still seeing solid pink ones it is strange. My CNBG and RES are doing great and pond full of FHM

My RES (300) stocked May 1 , are right at 5 inches now ( 1.5 - 2 inch when stocked). They seem to have gotten to 5 inches very quick, but getting fatter not longer last several weeks. First of June I stocked 300 CNBG (2.5- 3 inch) and another 100 RES (2- 2.5 inch). Now my CNBG are 3.5 to 4 inches and the last 100 RES are about 3 inches. In June RES where making beds, but had heat waive and they left the beds. I have stocked 15 lbs FHM, they spawn small every 2 weeks and big each moon, I have thousands and thousands of FHM. I would have thought these CBNG would have spawned July moon. I have had 0 spawning of bream that I can find, or see. The plan was to add 100 bass in october, but if they do no spawn should I wait until 2023 spring to add Bass?

I keep reading that it would be better to have a couple of spawns before adding bass? Is my feeding every day preventing spawning? A friend of mine told me that I should not feed during full moon, I fed anyway that should not matter, I did not think. What do you guys think? I feed aquamaxx starter and Optimal Jr, mixed everyday,

I would wait. My thought is keep feeding as long as they keep eating or when you run out of money.