Good pond feeder fish?

[Nyboy]

You might want to research what predators are in your area. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean there not there. Can be upsetting going out and finding fish missing. Sometimes it seems everyone likes fish for dinner. Good luck

 

[DutchMuch]

Then you would have to do something with those 14c fish.
Crayfish, is a no no. Hiding spots or not, like I said they are sensitive to the gh/kh of your water. And need totally different requirements than any fish.
As for cruel, idk if I would go to that extent. But I don't do it, just as easy to wait and be patient as it is to spend more money on a dead fish.

 

[IPA]

Feeder fish are kept in nasty overstocked tanks and most often full of diseases. That isn't always true, but it is more often than not.

 

[Lisak1]

Crayfish, is a no no. Hiding spots or not, like I said they are sensitive to the gh/kh of your water. And need totally different requirements than any fish.

Hmmm... we've got a couple of crayfish that have lived in our pond for five years. We see them maybe half a dozen times a summer, but they're still there. Our fish don't even give them a second glance. I was initially worried that they might go after the fish, but they all just seem to leave each other alone.

Do I actually have to do something besides make sure the ph is below 7

I'm not sure what you read about cycling your pond that made you think you want your pH below 7. That would actually not be desirable at all.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! Another thing to mention is the size of your pond. At 5' x 4' and 3' deep, there isn't a lot of surface area in relation to the volume. The amt. of surface area is important because that's where the gasses are exchanged. Maybe someone else can explain it better than I can, but "deep" isn't always better. I'm not saying that you can't have a successful pond, but adding supplemental air would be a good idea.

Have you looked into filtration yet -- how will you keep the water healthy for your fish? And another thing you might want to research is the nitrogen cycle as this is important to know and understand.

 

[Mmathis]

Okay I read on cycling, but I'm confused a little bit... Do I actually have to do something besides make sure the ph is below 7? Or does the cycle just happen naturally. Also will crayfish be fine in the pond? I'm guessing it's to small for a turtle.

Why do you need to keep the pH below 7? What we have found is that it's not the NUMBER of the pH that matters as much as that you want that number to be stable -- not jump around. And mostly your pH will depend on what the pH is that comes out of your tap (or well). We deal with what we have..... So, if you start out with a pH of 7, that's an OK reading. Goldfish are very adaptable. But you don't want it to change around a lot from day to day. Right now, that might be a little much information for you to worry about, so don't. One thing you won't want to do is add chemicals to change the pH, trying to get it balanced -- with a little help, Mother Nature will take care of that.

And @Jonathon, if I'm not being too nosy, how old are you?

 

[Lisak1]

"At 5' x 4' and 3' deep, there isn't a lot of surface area in relation to the volume" - good point @Mmathis . Although @Jonathon sais he plans to use a preformed pond (I think that's what he means) so I don't know if those dimensions are exact or accurate to what's available in a preform.

 

[DutchMuch]

Why do you need to keep the pH below 7?

Think he read some wrong info because a PH below seven is just saying that plants absorb nutrients better through there leaves.

 

[Mmathis]

Think he read some wrong info because a PH below seven is just saying that plants absorb nutrients better through there leaves.

Thanks!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

They won't eat other fish if there's nothing else to eat? I saw that online, but I Obv can't believe evything I read on the internet.

There is always something else to eat in a pond.By adding what you are calling 'feeder fish' you are actually reducing the natural food supply levels.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Think he read some wrong info because a PH below seven is just saying that plants absorb nutrients better through there leaves.

That is not exactly true, the typical garden variety plant prefers slightly acidic soil and most of these do not respond to foliage feeding.

"A pH of 6.5 is just about right for most home gardens, since most plants thrive in the 6.0 to 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral) range. Some plants (blueberries, azaleas) prefer more strongly acidic soil, while a few (ferns, asparagus) do best in soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline."
Soil pH Levels for Plants | The Old Farmer's Almanac
https://www.almanac.com/content/ph-preferences

 

[Jonathon]

Hello and welcome! Another thing to mention is the size of your pond. At 5' x 4' and 3' deep, there isn't a lot of surface area in relation to the volume. The amt. of surface area is important because that's where the gasses are exchanged. Maybe someone else can explain it better than I can, but "deep" isn't always better. I'm not saying that you can't have a successful pond, but adding supplemental air would be a good idea.
.

Well it's not like a rectangle, it's like a strange shape, like a really fat, round L that has both "extensions" similar length.

 

[Jonathon]

Again - start at square one. Let's figure out how big this pond is going to be before you start planning what kind of fish you are going to buy.

It's atleast 500 gallons I'm thinking.

 

[DutchMuch]

That is not exactly true, the typical garden variety plant prefers slightly acidic soil and most of these do not respond to foliage feeding.

"A pH of 6.5 is just about right for most home gardens, since most plants thrive in the 6.0 to 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral) range. Some plants (blueberries, azaleas) prefer more strongly acidic soil, while a few (ferns, asparagus) do best in soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline."
Soil pH Levels for Plants | The Old Farmer's Almanac
https://www.almanac.com/content/ph-preferences

I was talking about aquatic plants...

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I was talking about aquatic plants...

For aquatic plants the preferred pH range is 6.5 - 7.5, although they will grow in most any pH that you throw at them barring extreme levels.
All plants will accept foliar feeding regardless of pH.