IMO - During my training and education if one knows good detailed pond ecology there are rarely simple short answers for pond maintenance questions. Ponds are complex systems very similar as the human body; each is composed of numerous complex systems all interacting together as one unit.

I like using the plus size RES even if stocked as initial fewer numbers as a good idea. It allows more accurate sorting of fish from the fish farm and by you if pure RES are desired.

Q4 “If papershell crayfish can get out competed is there a better crayfish species as I don't mind the mud-tunnels.”
If you are not concerned about the mud tunnels of crayfish then I would just get 300-600 crayfish from Fenders for 1st year stocking before adding SMB. You might have to pre-order them before picking up some of your other fish due to the number of crays wanted. If the pond does not have some decent rocky habitat then crayfish will not really thrive nor flourish in the pond due to the strong predation pressures by YP, SMB, and WE upon the smaller size crays (See on this later). . Later if the pond does not maintain crayfish numbers as evidenced from catching them in traps in the rocky habitat areas then periodic restocking of several hundred crays would be beneficial. I don't think Fender charges a lot for his crayfish. Crays are a nuisance pond item for them. Good numbers of crayfish will help control filamentous algae and the more delicate pond weeds. If the pond gets too many crayfish and water becomes murky then you can regularly trap them out and add them to your other ponds as good forage items. Crayfish readily enter baited traps. Dead, cut fish, or dog / cat food are good trap baits.
If your purchase of crayfish does include some rusty crays that are now common in Ohio, rusty crayfish as does most all pond items has pros and cons. See this from
https://www.northwoodsbass.com/match-the-hatch-rusty-crayfish/
““In our northwoods lakes that are populated by them, rusty crayfish make up 60% to 80% of the smallmouth’s diet. There are so many present on some lakes that smallmouth can eat often and whenever they want. Big smallmouth sizes and trophy statuses are achieved and maintained through a rich diet of over-abundant native and non-native rusty crayfish.””
Loppnow in 2009 reported the group of fish that are able to eat crayfish of any size includes northern pike, pumpkinseed, tiger muskellunge, walleye, large and smallmouth bass. All bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, redear sunfish, yellow perch and rock bass are capable of eating lots of juvenile crayfish. A study by Roth et al. (2007) found that high levels of predation on juvenile rusty crayfish by bluegill and pumpkinseed can keep crayfish populations small. Intense predation on juveniles over a short period of time would have a larger impact on the crayfish population than large fish eating only a few adults over a longer period of time.


Q5 “I would stock TP ~15#/ SA to add a forage that will offload the needed consumption rate from the RSH (RES), FHM and GSH 'base' and be self limiting. … opinion/changes on the TP stocking as an additional forage in this plan?”
I like tilapia for filamentous algae and delicate plant management. First try the 15lb/ac and watch the results. Abundant TP young do provide good forage especially when the water is cooler. Yes use them. The only thing you want to make sure of is they have to be the 50:50 mixed M-F sex and not ones originated from a normal tilapia food fish farm. Ask before buying. Food fish farmed tilapia are almost all males and this results in very few TP offspring.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/05/21 09:25 PM.

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