How to Add Fish to a Pond in the Spring
Ponds range in size from a few square feet to small lakes several acres in size. Most ponds are constructed and don’t come with a ready supply of fish. Spring is usually the best time to add fish to a pond. To avoid shocking the fish during pond stocking, do not transfer them from a tank to a pond with widely different water temperatures. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Temper, Then Stock
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Transport the fish to the pond edge in a tank or bucket large enough for them to swim comfortably in for the time it will take to get them to the pond.
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Check the temperature of the water in the area of the pond you plan to stock the fish with a waterproof thermometer.
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Put 3 gallons of water from the transport tank into a 5-gallon plastic bag.
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Net as many of the fish as will fit into the plastic bag of water comfortably and quickly transfer them into the bag of water. The exact number is determined by the size of the fish. Thousands of fry will be comfortable in 3 gallons of water, perhaps hundreds of fingerling fish or just a few adult fish.
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Insert the thermometer into the water inside the plastic bag and note the water temperature.
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Hold the top of the bag closed and place the bag in the pond water. The water temperature inside the bag will gradually warm or cool to the temperature of the pond. The time it takes for the water temperature to even out depends on the difference in temperature between the water inside and outside the bag.
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Open the top of the bag once the temperatures inside and out have equalized and let the fish inside swim free into the pond.
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Repeat as necessary to stock your complete supply of fish.
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Tips & Warnings
Generally speaking, the larger a fish is when stocked, the better its chance for survival in a pond that already has a fish population. Most adult fish will survive being stocked. Only a portion of fingerling-sized fish will survive to adulthood, and only 1 or 2 percent of fry will grow to full size.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit fish image by asmik from Fotolia.com
