Starting a new farm pond can be exciting and fun if you avoid the common pitfalls pond owners make when filling a new pond
Avoid filling your pond too early.
Sure, we get excited also about ponds. And it can be boyhood dream to have a farm pond with trophy bass. But adding water too soon can take you down a road that ends in a nightmare.
Too often, we find pond owners disappointed by muddy ponds because of grading, overseeding, silt fence installation or erosion control. A dirty pond would be embarrassing when friends & family are excited to visit your new pond after you have added water. But with a little planning, it can save you months waiting for your pond to clear.
Adding water too early can also make it challenging to install habitats for your fish. If you plan on using habitats such as logs, trees, stumps, pallets, etc. installing them before filling your pond can save you a big headache & a lot of money.
- Adding water before killing weeds can create more maintenance. Weeds will begin to grow in your pond before filling. Adding water before treating nuisance weeds can increase your aquatic herbicide costs & nutrient load in your pond. In turn, this can come back to haunt you with more maintenance and money.
Avoid stocking fish too early.
Finally, the day has come. The reason you built a pond. Fish. So you start calling around to find out the best deal, and you secure your fish to stock your new pond.
But did you know that adding fish at the wrong time of the year can increase the likelihood of dead fish. Sure the guy who sells fish might tell you differently because that’s how they pay the bills. But pond stocking is best done in the Spring or Fall when water temperatures are less stressful on fish.
Adding fish before adding habitats or fish feeders can be a recipe for failure. Fish need a home to hide from prey and a source of protein. Often, fish come feed trained and if not feed regularly after stocking, can lose the instinct of eating fish food.
Not having a plan before fish stocking can often result in your dream pond vanishing. For example, adding catfish to trophy bass pond is one of the biggest mistakes new pond owners make. Because catfish are vacuums for fish beds, bluegill reproduction can be severely damaged.
Avoid embarrassment by hiring a guide.
Ponds are fun until they turn green, grow algae & weeds making muck. Pond care can be overwhelming and failure is hard to hide with ponds. Hiring an expert guide can help you start your pond off right the first time.
