The fish truck delivers to J&N Feed this month. Looking for pond stocking in Graham, Texas?  We have a fish stock delivery scheduled soon. Take a look at our schedule and come get your fish.

Abney’s Fish Truck

• Thursday, April 7, 2022, from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Stock My Pond Fish Truck

• Thursday, April 14, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Stock My Pond Fish Truck will have channel cat, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, red ear bream, and fathead minnows.  Click here for pricing.  It is not necessary to pre-order the fish, but if you are looking for a large quantity or pond packages we suggest you call.  Questions?  Call Stock My Pond at 501-676-3768.

Abney’s Fish Truck will have channel cat, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, red ear bream, and fathead minnows. Click here for pricing. It is not necessary to pre-order the fish, but if you are looking for a large quantity we suggest you call. Questions?  Give us a call at 940-549-4631.

Stock My Pond and Abney’s Fish truck provides containers for all fish but the 11″ channel cats, so please bring your own containers for them.

How long can the fish be in the bag? No longer than 1 hour! Determine how far a drive you have before purchasing your fish. Transport the fish in a cool and shaded area of your vehicle.

Summer and warmer weather means mosquitoes.  Take care now to eliminate the environment that mosquitoes need to live and breed.   At J&N, we’ve got several options to help you win the battle against mosquitoes. Here are some tips to consider as you prepare your home and yard for summer:

• Look for standing water, that is where you’ll find mosquito larva.  Check your gutters, make sure they are clean and clear from standing water.
• Care for your lawn. Keep grass short and don’t over-water.
• Treat your bubblier and French drain lines along with rain barrels and saucers for the potted plants.
• Promote an environment that combats mosquitoes!  Purple martins, bats, and dragonflies. Mosquitoes are a favorite snack.
• Consider these plants in the garden and around your patio, as most have a repellent effect. Here is a list of plants that may help repel mosquitoes:
  • Basil: This delicious herb is not only helpful in the kitchen, but basil also is believed to keep away mosquitoes and flies.
  • Lemon Thyme: This aromatic herb thrives in sunny, dry conditions, along pathways and rock gardens. For best results, bruise the leaves and rub them between your fingers to release the herb’s essential oils.
  • Catnip: Yes, the cats love this pretty herb, but the mosquitoes apparently do not.
  • Citronella grass: The perennial is the source of citronella oil used in pest repellent and the commonly found mosquito candles.
  • Mint: Place the mint-filled pots around your home to help repel mosquitoes. Or, use the fragrant mint leaves to make an all-natural mosquito repellent.
  • Lemon balm: This member of the mint family has an aroma that is said to naturally repel mosquitoes and other insects.
    
• Consider changing your outside lighting to yellow light bulbs or lenses.
• Use Skeeter Screen Mosquito Egg. They are perfect for any social place outdoors, also offered in a spray. DEET free & Pyrethrin free and contains no insecticides or herbicides.

The use of sprays and granule repellents in the environment is an option. Some all-natural sprays include citronella,  garlic and orange oil sprays. Granulated cedar and garlic work as repellents. Stop by J&N Feed and Seed and let our experts find right products to eliminate mosquitoes where you live.

Did you know J&N Feed and Seed sells a wide selection of fish feed? If you have a pond with fish in it, you need to come see us.  We proudly stock fish feeds from Purina and Mazuri.  Whether your feeding koi in a backyard pond, or feeding for sport, we have the selection of fish feeds to suit your needs. Stop in at J&N for your pond or lake stock. Our experts will answer any questions you have about managing your pond or lake to provide a thriving environment for your fish.

Feeds for smaller ponds:

Mazuri Koi Platinum Bits & Nuggets – A floating diet designed for koi in ponds, tanks and aquariums. Mazuri Koi Platinum diets are formulated to provide complete nutrition in one product. Special ingredients have been added to provide pigmentation.

Mazuri Koi Pond Nuggets – A floating diet designed for koi in ponds. Mazuri Koi Pond Nuggets are formulated to provide complete nutrition in one product. Ingredients have been added to provide pigmentation that will be satisfactory under most circumstances for koi raised in ponds.

Feeds for  larger ponds we stock

AquaMax Sport Fish MVP – A multi-variable particle product with nine different sized extruded nuggets designed with both Sinking and Floating action. New MVP helps expand the feeding trough vertically to feed a greater percentage of different sized fish in your pond helping smaller fish grow.  Formulated to be 100% nutritionally complete and developed by professional nutritionists and fish experts it just might be the most valuable pellet you will ever feed your fish.

Purina AquaMax Sportfish 500 – Formulated as an easily-digestible, high-energy, nutrient-dense diet with excellent conversion rates, Sport Fish 500 has high feed efficiency and rate of gain and is designed to stimulate aggressive feeding behavior. AquaMax® Sport Fish 500 is a floating product in a in a 3/16″ extruded pellet.

Purina Gamefish Chow – Complete and balanced 32%- protein, extruded, multi-particle size product designed to be fed to a wide variety of fish species and wide range of sizes of fish. Purina® Game Fish Chow® feed is rich in nutrients essential for optimal fish growth, reproduction and overall health. It works naturally with everyday food sources in your water to address poor nutrition, which is the most significant limiting factor in the size and health of forage fish.

Purina Catfish 32 – A floating fish feed that is comprised of high-quality ingredients and nutrient levels designed to maximize efficient production of all types of catfish.  When combined with proper management practices, Purina® Catfish 32 is formulated to support the growth of large, healthy catfish.

To raise healthy game fish you need to provide the right environment for them to thrive. There are four key elements which are considered ideal for a productive and healthy pond that is convenient to maintain. Use these as standards when constructing a new pond, or as guidelines to make improvements to your existing pond.

1. Pond location

Check the location of your pond. It should be adjacent to a source of clean, clear water. Soil in this area should be at least 30% clay so it will hold water. The watershed should be large enough to keep the pond full – typically 10-30 times the size of the pond. If the watershed is too large, or too close to fertilized cropland or livestock pastures, consider building a ditch around part of the pond to divert some of the water.

2. Pond structure

Next, look at the banks of your pond. The slope of the above-water banks should be 3:1 or 4:1 to make maintenance easier and to help prevent soil erosion. The minimum pond depth for underwater weed control is 3 feet; information on minimum depth to prevent winterkill in your area is available from local extension agents. Depth should be determined by comparing rainfall to evaporation in your area. Maximum depth is what is reasonable for your pond’s location and, of course, your budget.

3. Pond drainage

Install a drainpipe that drains the pond from the bottom to make management and maintenance easier. For example, drawing down the water level for three consecutive winters can reduce as much as 90% of undesirable submerged vegetation. Also, the number and size of harvestable game fish usually increases following drawdowns.

In order to protect the nutrient quality of your pond water, it is always better to divert excess water around rather than through your pond. You may also consider adding an emergency drainway in case of heavy rains; do consult your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for information and regulations in your area.

4. Pond water quality

There are five main factors that determine the overall quality of water in a given pond. These include:

• Fertility: This is the amount of nutrients in the water available for the growth of microscopic plants called phytoplankton which are the first link in the pond’s food chain. Phytoplankton levels are directly proportional to the number of fish which can be supported by the pond. Fertility may be determined by measuring the depth of visibility. Most recreation ponds should be maintained at moderate to high fertility. This can be accomplished with an initial fertilization and continuous input of fish feed.

• pH: This is the level of acidity of the water. Most fish prefer a pH of 7 (neutral). While ponds fluctuate on a daily basis, they should be maintained at levels of 6.5 to 9. In areas where the soil is acidic (such as the southern U.S.) or in areas where the soil has little buffering capacity (such as northeastern U.S.), lime may be added to reduce pond water acidity.

• Alkalinity: This is the measure of the buffering capacity of the water and should be at least 30 parts per million (ppm) for proper phytoplankton growth. Some ponds are naturally well-buffered; others may need periodic liming. Consult your local NRCS, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or a professional pond management company for advice on this matter.

• Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.): This is naturally supplied by aquatic plants and phytoplankton, the wind, and wave action at the surface of the pond. This is the oxygen that fish need to survive. An adequate level of D.O. for most fish is 4 ppm; salmon and trout, however, require more than 6 ppm. Keep in mind that some plants that produce oxygen in the sunlight consume it in the dark. So ponds with very high levels of phytoplankton (water that looks like pea soup) are subject to critically low D.O. levels at night and on cloudy days. This can lead to fish kills. Mechanical agitation of the pond water with, for example, paddlewheels or fountains may be used to aerate the water.

• Temperature: The temperature determines which species of fish will thrive in your pond. Cold-water ponds (remaining under 70° F) are preferred by trout. Bass, bluegill, and catfish prefer warm-water ponds (warming to more than 75° F). Cool-water ponds (in the 65° F – 75° F range) may, depending on the size of the pond, support smallmouth bass or walleye. Some ponds in this temperature range may also support cold and warm water fish. Consult your local extension agency or a professional pond management company for information on species that perform best in your area.

Source: Larry Varner, Purina Animal Nutrition