The Pond Guy's Blog » Fish Stocking

What’s the best ratio of predator to prey fish to keep the population growth steady? – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending September 19th

thepondguy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:37:28 +0000

3 Prey Fish to every 1 Predator Fish.

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: I’m thinking of stocking my farm pond with fish. What’s the best ratio of predator to prey fish to keep the population growth steady? – Hoyt in Florida

A: When stocking your farm pond with fish, it’s always a good idea to keep in mind the ratio of predator to prey fish. If you’re an angler, you want those trophy fish to grow healthy and strong, and the only way to do that is to provide prey fish, like perch, hybrid bluegill or sunfish, for food.

The rule of thumb that we recommend is 3 prey fish to every 1 predator fish. So for instance, if you toss in 10 large-mouth bass or walleye, you’ll want to include at least 30 perch or bluegill to keep the predator fish healthy and their bellies full. When you first stock your farm pond, however, we recommend you add some fathead minnows to feed the predator fish while the prey fish get established. You may also want to feed the fish with a pellet food, like Pond Logic® Game Fish Food, and use an automated feeder, like Aqua Pro®’s 40-Gallon Ground Level Directional Feeder, to make feeding easy.

To keep the population of both predator and prey fish healthy, make sure your water is well aerated, too. If you don’t already have an air diffuser or aeration system set up in your pond, now is a good time to add one. When you introduce new fish to a pond or lake, they’ll be adding waste – something that can cause an algae bloom or pH shift and possible a fish kill. An aeration system will decrease toxic gases, increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, and prevent harmful stratification from occurring.

Once your population is established, you can enjoy the many reasons why you wanted to stock your pond in the first place – like fishing! A pond stocked with bass and walleye also keeps the frog and leech populations under control, too.

POND TALK: When you first stocked your farm pond, what ratio of predator to prey fish did you use?

What’s the best way to acclimate new fish to my pond? – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending September 12th

thepondguy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:19:05 +0000

Float for 30 minutes.

Pond & Lake Q & A

Q: What’s the best way to acclimate new fish to my pond? – Lafayette in Maryland

A: So, you’ve been to the fish farm, picked out your fingerlings, brought them home, and now they’re sitting in plastic bags or tubs waiting to dive into your farm pond. Unfortunately, you can’t just pour them in. In order for these little fish to survive and thrive, you’ll want to slowly acclimate them to your pond’s water and its temperature.

Here are some tips to make it easy:

Oxygenate: When you pick up your fish, most farms will pack your fish in plastic bags with water and oxygen; the fish will be fine for several hours. But if you transported your fish in barrels, keep in mind that they will quickly run out of oxygen unless supplemented with an air stone or air diffuser, like the Laguna® Mini Aeration Kit.

Float for 30 minutes: The most widely used method of acclimating your fish to the pond is to float the unopened bag in the pond for about a half hour. This allows a gradual change in the water temperature until the water inside is the same as the water outside, at which point you can open the bag and release the fish into the pond.

Just add water: If you transported your fish in barrels or containers, use a bucket to add water from the pond to the barrel. This will gradually change the temperature and will provide some additional oxygen for the fish. Check your water temperature with a fish-safe thermometer, and once it has stabilized, pour your fish into the lake.

Remember, take it slow: Patience is critical when acclimating your fish to the pond’s new water temperature. Rapid changes in temperature may weaken the immune systems of your fish and make them prone to infection or – worst case – cause the fish to die immediately.

POND TALK: How have you acclimated fish to your farm pond or lake?

Fish Stocking Predator to Prey Ratio – Pond & Lake Q & A – Week Ending September 20th

thepondguy — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:43:59 +0000

Picture of a Bass

Q: I am looking to stock my pond this year and in the past I’ve had trouble with keeping the fish population balanced. Any suggestions? – Ed of Kentucky

A: Initially, when stocking your pond, the biggest factor to keep in mind is the predator to prey ratio.

Predator to Prey Ratio: 1predator fish to every 3 prey fish is a great rule of thumb when stocking your pond. Predator fish are large mouth bass or walleye,
while prey fish would be perch, hybrid bluegill or redear sunfish. Also, add fathead minnows to feed the predator fish to allow the prey fish to get established.

Please note: Adding catfish to your pond does not have any effect on predator to prey ratio but they will cause your pond ’s water to be cloudy.

Advantages of Stocking Your Pond:

Fishing!…Of Course! Why not have a great fishing area, right in your backyard.
Keeps frog and leech populations at bay. Do you stay away from your pond because of the annoying frogs or blood sucking leeches? Well, stocking your pond helps keep down that population.

Another thing to keep in mind regarding fish is aeration. Using an aeration system will ensure not only clean and clear water, but healthy fish as well.

Fish Day is Saturday, October 4th, 2008: If you’re in the Southeastern Michigan area and are looking to stock your pond with fish, our semi-annual Fish Day is here to help. Click here to read more.