Fishing Q&A

Im starting a rock pond with fish in my front yard. What type of fish and what type of plants.?

I like the oscar fish and the bass. Im going to put a fountain in there so there will be some bubbles for fishes that need the bubbles. How big does it need to be and how deep? Also i live in florida and there are blue herons and pelicans that may eat the fish what can i do about that besides enclose the pond with net

Public Comments

1. i have a pond in my backyard. i live in fl too ima put bass in it i guess cover it with plants but i dont know what type of plants.im gonna put cichlids in mine too1-2-3-4 feet deep is fine for bass. they love to swim so i think 6 feet wide
2. try peacock bass(needs a temp of 78 degrees) or koi.
3. You've got to make the pond deep enough to discourage the wading birds like herons from walking in your pond. Although many pond-building books and websites suggest making graduated or stepped sides with "planting shelves," these just give a perch for wading birds to stand on while they pick off your fish as they swim by. Much better, in my opinion, to make the sides of your pond straight up and down. To discourage predation from diving birds like pelicans and king fishers, try to site your pond in an area that does not provide a "clean shot" for birds to fly in and swoop out. A corner with walls on two sides, or something bordered by trees or a trellis with a vine growing on it, etc., would work well - you just want something that will break the line of sight of the birds when they are eye-balling your pond. Sometimes it can be a challenge to clean up the additional leaves that drop in the pond from nearby plants or to find water plants that will grow in less than full sunlight, but as long as you are getting at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, most of your water plants will grow fine there. You can also make sure you build some overhang like a bridge or rock coping, or even make little "caves" on the bottom of the pond with a large-ish, flatter rock supported on two or three taller rocks, that will give your fish a place to hide when they feel threatened. Plant cover can help with this, too - aim for about 60% of your water's surface area to be covered with plants such as lily pads, water lettuce, fairy fern (azollah), etc. I would say water hyacinth, too, but make sure they are legal in your area first. This additional plant cover will help keep your water clean and maintain a suitable habitat for your fish, too. Nothing is fool-proof, but I hope this helps.