Pond Stocking - A Thread for Compatibility Questions

Hello everyone, I wanted to create a thread where anyone could ask questions regarding compatibility in a pond. We have some great members with good insight, so I figured that convening on one thread may be the most efficient way to this. Thank you all very much!

Okay, so I will pose the first question. Here is my pond: http://forum.nanfa.o...ive-fish-pond/. It is fairly large, moderately well planted with water lillies and vals (Assuming they made it through the winter) and I plan to add Ludwigia repens and possibly Elodea canadensis this summer to make it more heavily planted. I am curious if I could do a Lepomis, particularly Northern Longear or Western Dollar Sunfish in this system with fish like the Enneacanthus sunfishes, various shiners, some dace, and some darters as well. Would the Lepomis be too predatory and eliminate too many of my fish?

I also have some questions regarding fish being compatible with MN weather. Next year my pond will be 90% covered by plywood, or possibly even sheets of spray foam, as well as heated by a stock tank heater and slightly circulated by two airstones. I will list off the species I am considering stocking below and would appreciate any advice on whether or not they will make it.

Western Dollar Sunfish
Northern Longear Sunfish
Banded Sunfish
Blackbanded Sunfish
Bluespotted Sunfish
Mountain Redbelly Dace
Bluehead Chub
Yellowfin Shiner
Rainbow Shiner
Fieryblack Shiner
Rosyside Dace
Bluefin Stoneroller
Frecklebelly Darter
Redline Darter
Orangethroat Darter
Snubnose Darter
Golden Topminnow
Least Killifish
Florida Flagfish

Thank you all for your assistance!

I don't have much useful to say yet, although perhaps looking at my thoughts will help?


My current thoughts on compatibility for my own ~1600 gal pond looks like:

-Freshwater clams for filtration and because I can (obtained and in pond)
-various aquatic snails for both food sources and algae eating (trapdoors and melantho obtained and in pond)
-green frog and american toad tadpoles (if I can find them)
-grass shrimp from a nearby river (some obtained and in skippy biofilter)
-Maybe a crayfish or two?

-rosy red minnows for mosquito larvae eating and color (obtained Tuesday and in the process of checking their health/quarantine for the next three weeks)
-banded sunfish because they are adorable and _might_ be trainable to come visit when they learn I sometimes bring food (I have one at the moment who just finished its quarantine yesterday and is now in the pond - thank you to those who suggested frozen mysis shrimp to get it to eat! I was much more comfortable relocating it when I knew it had eaten recently and wasn't starving as well as in a new location)
-swamp darter because darters are awesome and swampies might be happy in a garden pond
-central mudminnow because adorable (but I may never see them, so perhaps not?)
-banded killifish because pretty and probably visible near the top of the water?


I'm kind of hoping the critters will each keep each other's babies in check, but I may be mistaken here.

Still considering on what, if anything, else to add, as well as quantities of fish (I have 10 rosy's because I knew some might not be healthy enough to survive until I put them in the pond).

Thoughts on shiners (emerald, spottail, golden, common), dace (Northern redbelly dace or possibly redside), suckers (White sucker, longnose sucker, Eastern Creek chubsucker), or Tadpole madtom (I know they eat anything that fits in their mouth, and while the other fish are sleeping and not able to flee, but perhaps this is less of an issue in a garden pond vs a fishtank)?

I like this topic!

I don't know where to start! OK, start by eliminating deep south/swamp species. Also high-gradient stream species.

It looks like you are wanting to keep a lot of stuff from all over - it would be better just to stick to animals local to you.

The reason I can't go with local animals is because I couldn't get rid of whatever is bred from it.