Pond Greenhorn

[roymunson]

I recently acquired a piece of land with a good little 1/4-1/3 acre pond on it. It’s spring fed and the spring runs continually.


1. This spring I noticed some algae/moss starting. Is a light copper sulfate treatment my best bet to treat it?

2. It’s located near a wood line and gets a large amount of foliage in it each fall. I’ve noticed it’s not as deep as it should be. Is there anything I can do short of a long armed hoe and dipping it out to accelerate the composting of the leaves?

It is stocked with bluegill, bass, and 2-3 big koi/grass eaters. Will they catch up to the algae growth this spring?

My goal is to have a good place to take my family to fish, have some fun, and potentially use as a water source for hunting.

 

[ksgobbler]

I don’t think the grass carp eat the algae like you describe.

Head over to pondboss forums

 

[ruskbucks]

Copper sulfate will work for the algae. Aquacide company has a product that speeds up the decomposition of the muck in ponds. It is supposed to clear the water up, I've never tried it. An aerator will slow down algae also, it likes stagnant water.

 

[roymunson]

Added some fish to the pond last week.
75 2-4" shell crackers
100- 2-4" hybrids
75- yellow perch
75- crappie

made a couple brush piles and if I can keep that freaking heron from just gorging I'll be in business.

 

[ksgobbler]

Crappie would have been the last fish I would’ve put in a pond that size.

 

[roymunson]

came recommended by the fishery... and they were $0.85/ each, so I wasn't over committed to them

 

[roymunson]

Crappie would have been the last fish I would’ve put in a pond that size.

worse than barracuda? Swordfish? Sturgeon?

#heavysarcasm

 

[ksgobbler]

Yeah they want to sell you fish. Fisheries biologists will tell you never to put crappie in a pond that small. You’ll likely be killing it off in a few years to start over again.

 

[roymunson]

Yeah they want to sell you fish. Fisheries biologists will tell you never to put crappie in a pond that small. You’ll likely be killing it off in a few years to start over again.

How do you figure? He was more concerned about the crappies not surviving due to a low reproduction success rate.

The pond had a previous population before I got ahold of it. I was supplementing.

He's also been in the business for 20-30 years, I guess I trust his opinion, but I'm interested in knowing why adding 75 fingerling crappie will cause to me to kill off my pond in a couple of years.

 

[ksgobbler]

Crappie are prolific spawners. Problem won’t be no reproduction it will be too much. I know a pond we stocked with 2. Fishing was great for 3-4 years. Now they remove 200 a year and can’t keep up. My pond is the same size as yours. The hatchery biologist told me not to stock them, 2 different state biologists said not to stock them. My grandpa used to say never throw crappie in a farm pond and keep all you catch. Occasionally ponds get just the right predator prey mix but it is rare. Buddy has a 3 acre pond in his front yard. There isn’t a crappie over 6” and you physically can’t remove them fast enough.

Here are some links
http://extension.msstate.edu/news/extension-outdoors/2014/think-twice-putting-crappie-ponds

http://www.pondking.com/can-i-add-crappie-to-my-small-pond/

Do what you want, what’s done is done, but remember fish farms are in the business of selling you fish.

 

[Tree Spud]

I wouldn't worry about the crappie, they are a deep water fish and want the colder temps down low. If you have a pond that small with Koi to eat grass, crappie won't survive.

You have not shown your location so no way to really comment about weather/temp impact.