Stocking Farm Pond

[Manassas]

Dug a new backyard pond and almost finished reinforcing the banks with concrete. It's 30x15x4m. Now just waiting for the rains to fill it up. This is only for personal fun and family dinners, not a fish farm.

Once I have water it will be time to stock. I see a lot about tilapia (pla nin). They look like good sport fish and also good for dinner. Any tips on the optimal mix and amount of fish types for initial stocking? I love fishing but know nothing about fresh water fish in Thailand.

Thanks!

[turnpike]

if it's a good fighting fish on a rod and reel you are looking for, i would highly recommend the pacu. it hails from south america. good to eat too, big bones and big bones only.

i think it's called pla ta-la-mit...or something along those lines.

you'll want to use a steel leader, those teeth can bite thru mono pretty easy. and use strong hooks, also. they will straighten the small cheap ones like nobody's business.

oh, and by the way....watch your testicles if you feel like taking a dip.

pla nin? nice to eat but not one i'd call a sportfish. just my opinion, mind you...

but any fish is fun to catch.

[Manassas]

oh, and by the way....watch your testicles if you feel like taking a dip.

The plan was strictly a fish pond, not a pool. But I hated the dirty old earthen pond full of weeds. Now that I see the concrete and rock banks taking shape it may be too inviting on a hot day. I am thinking of a diving board off the sala...

[turnpike]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/11/pacu-testicle-biting-fish-spotted-scandinavia_n_3739478.html

more than just an urban legend, i think.

there are dozens of similar stories if you google something along the lines of "pacu attack testicles".

even the show "river monsters" with jeremy wade (discovery channel or nat geo) had an episode on pacu and he referred to this.

i wouldn't be too worried, but i wouldn't swim "au naturel" just to be on the safe side....

[grimleybob]

oh, and by the way....watch your testicles if you feel like taking a dip.

The plan was strictly a fish pond, not a pool. But I hated the dirty old earthen pond full of weeds. Now that I see the concrete and rock banks taking shape it may be too inviting on a hot day. I am thinking of a diving board off the sala...

Forget ball coppers. Barramundi seem to be one of the best sport fish. They will take bait, spinner or fly. If you stock with Tilapia, the Barramundi will keep the overstocking under control. They are available as fingerprints and grow rapidly

[grimleybob]

oh, and by the way....watch your testicles if you feel like taking a dip.

The plan was strictly a fish pond, not a pool. But I hated the dirty old earthen pond full of weeds. Now that I see the concrete and rock banks taking shape it may be too inviting on a hot day. I am thinking of a diving board off the sala...

Forget ball coppers. Barramundi seem to be one of the best sport fish. They will take bait, spinner or fly. If you stock with Tilapia, the Barramundi will keep the overstocking under control. They are available as fingerprints and grow rapidly

Fingerprints should read fingerlings. Predictive spelling. I hate it. GB

[DonaldBattles]

I recommend against the pla nin. they reproduce so fast that you can never feed them enough. You end up with thousands of small fish and no big ones. Try pla duk and pla suway.

[grimleybob]

I recommend against the pla nin. they reproduce so fast that you can never feed them enough. You end up with thousands of small fish and no big ones. Try pla duk and pla suway.

If you put Barramundi with the Pla Nin they will eat the Pla Nin fry and you will quickly get some very large Barramundi and some great sport. Look on youtube. GB

[Manassas]

Thanks for all the tips! Catfish is the local staple, so I will stock pla duk. But that is only bobber fishing. I was hoping for a bit of sport too. I have heard of barramundi. May give them a try. I have not heard of pla suway, but will check them out.

[Jotham79]

If you are going with pla duk you need to feed them. They are not filter/algae feeders and will starve in a concrete tank with no food. The advantage to an earthen pond with grass is the you would have bugs, shrimp...ect that could feed a few fish. the other thing is that you only have 450 sqm of surface (1/4 rai) so the amount of energy entering your system is limited as well is oxygen. The concrete lining limits your nutrients. Paucu are fun and edible, but eventually you will have just one big fish as they eat all the bugs, snails, insects, small fish and eventually each other (same problem with only sneake head.

Here is what I would do:

First follow the instructions on earlier topics about starting a pond re fertilization.

Throw a few shovelfuls of dirt in. Maybe put a pile of rocks in one corner or ad some other structure.

Add some grass shrimp and small clams and snails

Add a bail of straw, don't untie it, just let it float.

Put a light over the pond to draw insects

Add a couple of ducks and feed them on the bank and let the spilt feed slide into the water.

Add

300 male sex reversed tilapia

100 giant gourami (pla let)

5 pla chon (snakehead)

50 Sawai

If you want a little more diversity you could add some silver threadfin (pla tapian) or indian carp/ roho (pla esok). All of the fish above are good eating and the sawai, esok, and snakehead will get a little size on them.

Periodically you will need to add fish if you control recruitment well.

The snakehead and pla duc should limit recruitment. Add them after the other fish get a good start.

Throw a little bread, greens, or feed in now or then for fun.

[Manassas]

If you are going with pla duk you need to feed them. They are not filter/algae feeders and will starve in a concrete tank with no food. The advantage to an earthen pond with grass is the you would have bugs, shrimp...ect that could feed a few fish. the other thing is that you only have 450 sqm of surface (1/4 rai) so the amount of energy entering your system is limited as well is oxygen. The concrete lining limits your nutrients. Paucu are fun and edible, but eventually you will have just one big fish as they eat all the bugs, snails, insects, small fish and eventually each other (same problem with only sneake head.

Here is what I would do:

First follow the instructions on earlier topics about starting a pond re fertilization.

Throw a few shovelfuls of dirt in. Maybe put a pile of rocks in one corner or ad some other structure.

Add some grass shrimp and small clams and snails

Add a bail of straw, don't untie it, just let it float.

Put a light over the pond to draw insects

Add a couple of ducks and feed them on the bank and let the spilt feed slide into the water.

Add

300 male sex reversed tilapia

100 giant gourami (pla let)

5 pla chon (snakehead)

50 Sawai

If you want a little more diversity you could add some silver threadfin (pla tapian) or indian carp/ roho (pla esok). All of the fish above are good eating and the sawai, esok, and snakehead will get a little size on them.

Periodically you will need to add fish if you control recruitment well.

The snakehead and pla duc should limit recruitment. Add them after the other fish get a good start.

Throw a little bread, greens, or feed in now or then for fun.

Thanks Jotham, your stocking recommendation is just what I was looking for. I know the concrete has its drawbacks, but I wanted to control the erosion that killed the old pond. Am leaving the bottom dirt so that may help balance things. Will try to get some lotus going again. Great idea about some structures on the bottom and adding some shrimp. I don't want to be totally dependent on commercial feed. I was putting a light on the sala anyway, hadn't thought of it also attracting insects for the fish. Great ideas.

[Jotham79]

I just noticed I left out the pla duc. I would put 100 pla duc in the mix also.