Producers are cautioned to start slowly and try tank hatching and fry stocking on an experimental basis with a small portion of their crop until they become confident of the new techniques. This fact sheet provides current knowledge on methods for preparing and stocking golden shiner fry ponds. However, this information is based on limited research, and it is to be expected that the practices outlined in this fact sheet will change as additional information becomes available. It is critically important to stock fry the correct number of days after beginning to fill a pond with water. Proper timing of fry stocking after the start of filling can make or break a crop.
Fertilizers stimulate production of natural foods for fry.
Rotifers and other microscopic animals are important first foods for golden shiner fry. The warmer the water temperature, the faster the growth in the population of these tiny animals and the sooner a pond should be stocked. If fry are stocked late, not only is the food supply diminished but numbers of insect predators increase greatly. The peak bloom in rotifer production is based on the average daily water temperature during the first three days after a pond begins to fill. The best time to stock fry would be prior to the peak in rotifer abundance.