My "minnow pond" is a 53 ft x 37 ft oval (1,550 sq ft) about four feet deep, built primarily to catch and divert into the main pond a portion of the watershed missed by the main pond, and secondarily, to raise FHM. As far as I can figure, it holds about 18,000 gallons. It is now about 14 months old, and has so far been a great success. I stocked it initially with about 3-1/2 pounds of FHM last March-April, many of them Rosy Reds. By late summer of this past year, there were thousands of offspring swimming around. I would throw them a few handfuls of feed once or twice a day. Being small, and relatively shallow, the water temperature swings much more rapidly than the main pond.
FHM are tough and adapted to live in small bodies like this. Larger game fish are not unless intensely managed. Small ponds can be self sustaining if only stocked with FHM, Gambusia, or maybe goldfish. If you intend to aerate and feed, you might raise 6 to 10 channel catfish.
