Stocking ideas for new pond this Spring

My wife and I are considering putting in a small pond in our garden in a few months, and I’ve been researching fish to put in it. It would probably end up being about 750-800 gallons, and I would make it at least 3 feet deep to help fish overwinter outdoors. I’m not keen on catching them and bringing anything indoors. I live in Nashville, which gets down below freezing during the winter and into the low 100s in the summer. My pond would be fairly shaded in our backyard but would get direct sunlight during the day.

I don’t want koi. They’re gigantic, destroy plants, and I don’t want to get stuck with too many for a small pond. Goldfish are the next most popular choice, and I like the look of shubunkins. That said, I’ve been reading about other options/additions. I thought some rosy red minnows or least killifish could do well in there for mosquito control. I’d let that population go in first to become established before putting in the shubunkin. Do you think the killifish would make it in the winter? I know they’re native to the SE US, so I think they might.

Speaking of native fish, instead of goldfish, I could go with some type of sunfish. I’ve heard they can have issues with overpopulation though, so let me know your thoughts. I’d want smaller species if possible. Finally, I’d likely add a few Japanese Trapdoor Snails to the mix as well.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I have mollies and Endlers inside, but I have a feeling they’d all die in the winter, and like I said, I don’t want to be stuck catching and overwintering fish inside.

 

I would love to do this I actually had a whole ecosystem planned out.
plants- whatever will survive. put in some snails, maybe a couple of varieties as these will serve as food. then get some redear sunfish these won't proliferate as fast as other sunfish and they eat snails. then one bass after about a year of the pond having redear sunfish and make sure the redear sunfish are breeding, but only have one bass and make sure there are a lot of hiding places for they sunfish to repopulate

 

I thought some rosy red minnows or least killifish could do well in there for mosquito control. I’d let that population go in first to become established before putting in the shubunkin. Do you think the killifish would make it in the winter? I know they’re native to the SE US, so I think they might.

My dad is from Illinois, and claims that one winter he and his brother were walking on some frozen marshland and found a killifish frozen in the ice. He says they dug it out and thawed it and it lived.
Not sure how accurate a story that is but that’s all I know on the subject.

Best of luck with your pond though! Sounds like a fun project!

 

I would love to do this I actually had a whole ecosystem planned out.
plants- whatever will survive. put in some snails, maybe a couple of varieties as these will serve as food. then get some redear sunfish these won't proliferate as fast as other sunfish and they eat snails. then one bass after about a year of the pond having redear sunfish and make sure the redear sunfish are breeding, but only have one bass and make sure there are a lot of hiding places for they sunfish to repopulate

A bass would be cool, but I don’t think our little pond would be big enough. It would be 8 ft at the longest, 6 ft at the widest, and 3 ft at the deepest. That’s not quite big enough for a large out bass and a population of sunfish, I don’t think.

 

I had red and white comet goldfish in my porch pond this past summer and they didn't need any help with mosquito control - they did just fine taking care of it without any help. I fed them very little unless it was really hot outside. They lived on bugs and algae and pollen of all things...they grazed on the springtime pine pollen like it was manna from above. My pond is a 150 gallon trough, and I had several comets in it. Then my daughter brought a common goldfish home from the state fair, and killed the lot of them...but that's another story. Lessons learned and try again this year.
Oh also, don't forget all the other things that will love your pond. Hope you like Cope's Tree Frogs. Sometimes we couldn't hear the TV over the racket!

 

You won’t have issues with misquoted if you have surface agitation. Mosquitos need flat calm surfaces to lay eggs on. I have a large pond and never see mosquito larvae.
sunfish are cool and I’ve had them but they won’t eat pellets or prepared foods so you’ll constantly be getting insects for them.
I can’t see much else making it through the winter or else these other fish would be marketed for ponds.
I agree with just getting goldfish or shubunikins. They are nice fish and look great.