Canadian Pond Newsletter
February 2005 Issue: 3 Vol: 1Hello, with the passing of January it seems that we have made it through the darkest and coldest month of winter and as the days grow longer there seems to be a feeling of anticipation...the spring is right around the corner! This month we offer two articles regarding ponds to keep you thinking ahead for the upcoming season. Our team is busy working on some new product lines for the summer 2005 including some exciting new aeration alternatives using new high-efficiency solar systems and electrical generating windmills and we look forward to introducing you to theses new products soon. Have a great Month!
The
winter is stretching and snow accumulates on the ice on our pond... it appears
as if the watery life fell asleep while waiting for the beautiful days of spring.
What happens under the ice? One imagines peace and calms and yet many ponds can
be undergoing tragic changes deep beneath the surface. You may well ask how? 
In
summer, the aquatic plants in your pond produce oxygen during the day during photo-synthesis
but when winter comes and the plants are covered in ice and die their production
of oxygen stops completely. It is as if the pond must hold it's breath throughout
the winter waiting to take a breath again in the spring. If the oxygen levels
at the onset of winter are not high enough then by February and March the outlook
for organisms requiring oxygen is not good. This is one reason I recommend aerating
your pond all year round. 
All
that lives in the lake breathes. As with everything, when demand exceeds supply
there is imbalance and for an aquatic-eco system this can be catastrophic. The
fish will suffocate, the malignant anaerobic bacteria (which live without oxygen)
will release toxic substances... it is the quiet catastrophe. The fish die asphixiés.
The anaerobic bacteria (without oxygen) then begin to release harmful, even toxic,
substances. If you take a handful of material from the bottom of your pond and
it smells of rotten eggs then your pond is in a state of eutrophication.
Lets
start with the trout family.
Next
is the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) which seems to be now well naturalized
since it has been largely introduced in lakes and rivers abroad. Lac Brome and
Lac Memphremagog are quite successful examples. In ponds, it does quite well if
certain conditions are met. It likes cold and deep water. It will stop feeding
when the water reaches 23 C and will die when it goes beyond 28.5 C. Again, this
species will not eat the frogs and tadpole. Life expectancy is around 5 years
in ponds. 
The
brown trout (Salmo trutta) is not a favorite for ponds since its habitat is mostly
rivers with lots of small fish for food available. It is quite resistant to warm
water but it has to be well oxygenated. None of the trout species will reproduce
in your pond unless it is feed by a brook with a proper gravel bed and habitat.
Artificial spawning ground can be built and they will look like a permanent brook.
Smallmouth
bass. It is not hard to find bass in the wilds around the Sutton area. It likes
many types of habitat and can be found in ponds, lakes and river. It will not
need as much oxygen as the trouts but it will certainly thrive in a well oxygenated
pond with submerged vegetation. Smallmouth bass will feed in temperature as warm
as 28 C and will die
when temperature reaches 34 C. Its diet is composed of insects, crayfish, frogs,
tadpoles and other fish species. It will not eliminate the frogs in your pond
but will keep a lid on the population. Frogs will quickly learn to lay their eggs
in a less dangerous habitat the following years. The fish hatchery guy normally
has fingerling only available in the fall. 
Largemouth
bass (Micropterus salmoides) is not recommended since it is at its northermost
distribution and is not legally allowed to be introduced by the Ministry of Environment.
Largemouth will not feed until the water is 18 C and are not affected by very
hot water, they are found all the way south to the tropics. By its nature, it
will not be able to eat tadpoles and frogs until the water has warmed-up. It will
grow much slower than the small mouth bass.