Hello,

I have a one year old 1/4 acre pond that was initially stocked with fathead minnows and hybrid bluegill in August of 2021. I then stocked it with shiners and 35 hybrid stripers in late November. The pond has two aerators running 24/7, and the water has been crystal clear after a month or so since the pond was built. Everything has been doing great with virtually no dead fish observed. I have pellet fed occasionally, but certainly not consistently. The fish have done well and grown substantially. The hybrid stripers were about 3" when stocked, and now they are about 8 inches long 7 months later. Yesterday morning I added 15 lbs of fathead minnows since I was no longer seeing schools of minnows as before, and this evening I had 4 hybrid stripers nearing death. This is the first time I have seen any dying fish in the pond. My initial thought is that it could not be coincidental that I suddenly have dying fish on the day I loaded the pond with minnows after 7 months of doing nothing but tossing pellets a few times a week. Does anyone have any idea what may be going on?

Thanks,

Leo