400 gallon pond new year stocking ideas

[gar man]

I have a 6'x4'x2.5' pond that has nothing in it atm. once winter coems and goes i want to stock it again so it will be more alive! I have a few suggestions but if you think you know simething that goes good in this size of pond then post it here. please specify your answers( why you choose it and what the care of the fish is) and please nobody say koi since they get way to big for hte pond. also the pond has no filter and i plan on getting alot of live plants from a local pond to help the water quality. Thanks

 

[Destroyer551]

Well, before you get the pond going with fish, especially since there is no filter. I would reccomend adding some bog plants. Like lillies, cattails, and make sure to add some anacharis for oxygenation. And lots of them. They grow fast anyways. Does it freeze where you live? After adding plants and preferably some pond water, add several dozen fathead minnows. Make sure to provide a shallow ledge, with lots of rocks and clay pots for them to spawn in. They multiply quickly in ponds. The male will guard the eggs untill they hatch, so you just need lots of plants. As you can see, I'm pretty much just saying have a native pond.

 

[gar man]

well in the middle of the pond there are some concrete slabs that stack up and a pump goes on that that pumps water into the air to airerate the pond so oxygenation isnt really a problem. but what else other then fathead minnows?

 

[Gearhead]

Pumpkinseeds would do pretty good in a pond that size, only a few though. Just feed them some cichlid sticks every day. They're pretty easy to care for, and they love plants. You could also put a few bullheads in there, they thrive in any conditions. I caught one in a puddle of mossy mud.