Great information, and I'm grateful to you all for the good counsel. This is going to be fun stuff!
From what many people seem to say, there's no need for me to install aeration before the pond is filled up, but instead to wait a year or two for the pond to stabilize. Others seem to advise getting straight to it. Once I get fish in the pond, oxygen depletion below the thermocline will happen quickly, correct?
I was thinking, given that the pond should be done by middle of December and filled by Jan-Feb if I supplement with the well pump, that I would stock FHM in Feb perhaps while filling is ongoing, and then stock BG in mid-late Spring, followed by LMB later in the year or the following year.
I'm not sure I understand the relationship between aeration and stocking schedules - will stocking drive the need for aeration or should I wait to aerate regardless?
