Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,113
Members18,452
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,417
ewest 21,475
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,112
Who's Online Now
9 members (anthropic, Boondoggle, Fishingadventure, phinfan, jpsdad, Brett B, catscratch, jbird5986, Freg), 644 guests, and 171 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
B
OP Offline
B
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
Hey everyone, I am about to renovate my 1/8th acre pond to be a 2/3rd acre pond. I got with a local biologist, and he recommended 3 bluegill spawning areas in 1-3 ft depths. I was planning on making them about 10' x 10' each (at 12" pea gravel depth), maybe a little bigger if I only go 8" or so deep with the pea gravel. Basically, I have one truckload to work with, which is about 11-12 cu. yards, or 300 sq. ft. at 12" depth.

Question 1: since the pond will obviously be sloped (roughly a 1:2.5 to 1:3), do I need to specifically make a flat (or "cupped") area for the pea gravel to sit, or can I build a "foundation frame" (like a concrete form for a house foundation), to hold in the gravel?

Question 2: is 8-12" deep good, or should I go thinner or thicker?

Question 3: is three 100 sq. ft. spawning areas good for my 2/3rd acres size, or would I benefit from something different?

[Linked Image]

Attached Images
Pond design with depths.jpg
Last edited by BranClanFarm; 06/02/22 10:39 AM.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112
Likes: 478
B
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
B
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112
Likes: 478
Because your planned gravel spawning areas are relatively small, consider first putting down landscape fabric or weed block material under the gravel. This can help keep the gravel from working its way over time into the clay bottom, and 2. It should allow you to use a littler thinner layer of gravel in the spawning beds because the gravel will tend to not blend into the clay bottom.

Another thing I would do is outline at least one outer perimeter of the bed as a test area with cement blocks or similar retention border to keep the gravel edges from blending or moving into areas of the outer adjacent sediment. Over time expect the gravel areas of each spawning area to become infused with organic sediment. It is how aquatic nature works. An annual raking of these gravel areas helps keep the organic better decayed and cleaner. Nest building activities of fish also help keep subsurface spawning areas in better oxygenated condition with less organic buildup.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 06/02/22 11:01 AM.

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
2 members like this: Broadwell Hill, BranClanFarm
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
I would move the middle bed location to the far end of the pond. Water flow (silting) on top of beds is a large negative. Plus it gives you more diversity in locations (wind and wave action).

See this thread link for BG beds - pics.
Mixed size gravel works best.

https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthre...spawning+beds&Search=true#Post544778

Last edited by ewest; 06/02/22 11:26 AM.















1 member likes this: BranClanFarm
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
B
OP Offline
B
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
Originally Posted by Bill Cody
Because your planned gravel spawning areas are relatively small, consider first putting down landscape fabric or weed block material under the gravel. This can help keep the gravel from working its way over time into the clay bottom, and 2. It should allow you to use a littler thinner layer of gravel in the spawning beds because the gravel will tend to not blend into the clay bottom.

Another thing I would do is outline at least one outer perimeter of the bed as a test area with cement blocks or similar retention border to keep the gravel edges from blending or moving into areas of the outer adjacent sediment. Over time expect the gravel areas of each spawning area to become infused with organic sediment. It is how aquatic nature works. An annual raking of these gravel areas helps keep the organic better decayed and cleaner. Nest building activities of fish also help keep subsurface spawning areas in better oxygenated condition with less organic buildup.

Perfect! I have about 40 feet of 8' wide geo road base fabric that has been in my way for a while, so I will lay that down as a barrier first. I was going to use some 3/4" thick HDPE plastic strips as containment walls (drop material from my work), but the cinder blocks sound like a better option to help hold down the fabric, and create the barrier, so I will pick up some of those. Thanks Bill!

Originally Posted by ewest
I would move the middle bed location to the far end of the pond. Water flow (silting) on top of beds is a large negative. Plus it gives you more diversity in locations (wind and wave action).
See this thread link for BG beds - pics.
Mixed size gravel works best.

Thanks Ed! I was wondering about the locations as well, for that same reason. although the watershed adds very little since the pond is spring fed, I will plan on moving the middle one to the far side. Appreciate the link. I remember seeing it a few months ago, but for the life of me, could not find it, haha! I will also see if my rock yard will do a mixed sized load of pea gravel.

Last edited by BranClanFarm; 06/02/22 11:38 AM.
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 884
Likes: 201
G
Offline
G
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 884
Likes: 201
Looking at BranClanFarm's layout there poses an additional question for me and will pertain to him, I have no specific beds built for the BG to spawn in, most of my water is pretty deep, but I they have taken up a lot of spawning activities in a shallower cove, way out toward the point where the water flows in at, they are in the middle of spawning activities right now it appears, we have just had about 2 1/2" of rain in the last few days with more on the way, what effect if any does the rain water have washing in across the BG beds, at obviously a different temperature then the existing pond water?
I was told that a big rain event earlier in the year while BC were spawning, enough to change the water temps, would cause them to have a bad spawning cycle, was wondering if it was the same for BG. TIA


All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
E
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
E
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475
Likes: 264
Clean water flow should not be a problem for spawning unless it drops the temp a lot. The big issue is silt washing in on the beds/eggs. If on the other hand if you had a large rain event with cold rain it could cause a delay in the spawn. It just depends - spawning issues caused by large cold rain/flooding events are not uncommon but BG are very adaptable and often have multiple spawns in a summer.
















Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
B
OP Offline
B
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 8
Originally Posted by gehajake
Looking at BranClanFarm's layout there poses an additional question for me and will pertain to him

I live in the the lower half of Texas. We don't have any "cold" rain, haha! I mentioned previously, but most of my water comes from a spring. I do have a slight watershed, but it is more of a flooded field that mixes with my pond when it rains heavily, as opposed to water actually flowing into the pond. Even in the winter time, I am not concerned about the temperature in the north end of the pond changing temps any more than the rest of the pond.

Last edited by BranClanFarm; 06/02/22 09:30 PM.

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by jpsdad - 03/28/24 09:45 PM
pond experience needed
by jbird5986 - 03/28/24 09:39 PM
Alum vs Bentonite/Lathanum for Phosphorus Removal?
by FishinRod - 03/28/24 08:28 PM
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

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5