Earthen Ponds

[Veil Gal]

Great News! My husband and I are buying a 31 acre property that has two earthen ponds. This is an estate sale so the surviving daughter doesn't know what type of fish might be in the ponds. I want to make the pond nearest the house a goldfish pond. The other pond at the back of the property, I would like to raise good eating fish. I am a foodie!!
The ponds are small. The one nearest the house (future goldfish pond) has cattails. Am wondering what people do to clear out, refurbish, and regenerate an older, neglected pond? Does barley straw work?
I have potted water lillies in my water garden at my current home. How can I naturalize them in the earthen ponds? Also marginal plants that are potted and on milk crates?
In my little 300 gallon pond I have a waterfall for aeration, and a UV unit to make the fish viewable. What would one use (economically) in a more natural earthen pond?
For those who are fishermen, what type of game fish would you put in the second pond, which is located in upstate New York. Very winter hardy, survives and breeds in a small pond, and delicious to eat?:youtellme:

[ranchusteve]

If your water is cold enough, I would put rainbow trout, and bullheads in the pond. I have rainbows and brook trout in one of my ponds, that is well fed from my overflow, grow well and eat excellent, about 5 inches a year growth on pellets. Beware of otters and herons, they will clean a pond out fast, I am in northern Vermont, always on the look out. ....Steve

[Cincy Ranchu]

Go for Black Crappie, the best eating fish from fresh water!

[William Tricker Inc.]

Congrats on the new property! Ok so about your ponds, I would pump the small one near the house out, and see what you are looking at. As for the cattails GET RID OF THEM while u still can, they can become a problem in earthen ponds as they are very invasive! contact me privately if u would like any advice on plants. Your water lilies can just be popped out of the pot and sunk into the mud on the bottom on your pond. Or if they are pot bound or u want quicker coverage break up all the good growing points and spread them out about a foot away from each other and they should fill in well over a season or so. Some people have great success with barley straw, the theory is as it decomposes it releases a enzyme in the water that inhibits new algae growth (will not kill existing algae) spring is a good time to get it in the pond, as it takes a couple weeks to start working...as for filtration, im guessing u would be better off just going the natural way through appropriate plant stocking to absorb any fish waste from the water... since you will be ALWAYS cleaning filter pads in a mud bottom pond. Aeration would be a good idea in both ponds depending on stocking density and hot your area gets, a waterfall would be a good idea for the smaller pond near the house for aeration, and since its near the house it will look nice

as for the second big pond...crappie are good, but not much taste better then a fried fresh bluegill fillet! and they breed well :exact:

[sunshine]

Quick question...not an expert. Shouldn't you look to see where the water comes from and where it goes before putting goldfish in it? If you pond is not sealed off from other water sources, you could cause a major disruption by introducing goldfish into native waters. The goldfish shouldn't be allowed to escape, even by accident.

[Veil Gal]

These are manmade ponds with no outlet to natural/native waters.