Stocking Calculator

Pond Stocking Calculator — How to Use

The Stocking Calc tab helps you estimate how many fish you need for your pond based on its size, then lets you request availability directly from our team. No account required — just enter your pond size and go.

Select Your Region (Optional)

At the top of the widget, choose your region from the 📍 Your region dropdown. This pre-loads the species most commonly stocked in your area and marks the best choices with a ⭐ Recommended badge in the Fish Catalog.

ℹ You can skip this step — the calculator will still work with any species you add manually.

Open the Stocking Calc Tab

Click 📊 Stocking Calc in the tab bar. The calculator opens with a starting species plan based on your region. If you selected species in the Fish Catalog first, those species are automatically added to your plan.

💡 Tip: You can switch between the Fish Catalog and Stocking Calc tabs at any time — any species you check in the catalog get merged into your stocking plan automatically.

Enter Your Pond Size

Type your pond size in the Pond Size field. Use the dropdown to choose your unit:

acres — most common for farm ponds
sq ft — useful for smaller ponds or if you measured with a tape
sq m — metric

Once you enter a size, all quantities update automatically based on recommended stocking densities.

💡 Don't know your acreage? A rough estimate is fine. A typical 1-acre pond is about 200 ft × 200 ft (roughly half a city block). For irregular shapes, estimate the average length × width and divide by 43,560.

Adjust Stocking Density

Each species row has three density settings:

Setting	What it means	Best for
L — Light	Minimum recommended stocking rate	Low-input ponds, new ponds, limited feeding
M — Medium	Optimal stocking rate (default)	Most ponds — balanced growth and management
H — Heavy	Maximum stocking rate	Intensive production with supplemental feeding and aeration

💡 Heavy stocking requires regular feeding, aeration, and water quality monitoring. Start with Medium if you are new to pond management.

Edit Quantities Manually

The quantity field next to each species is fully editable. Type in any number to override the auto-calculated amount. The cost estimate updates instantly. Units are shown to the right of the field — fish for most species, lbs for minnow species (sold by weight).

Add or Remove Species

Click + Add Species to open the species picker. Click any species chip to add it to your plan — click it again (when it shows ✓) to remove it. Click ✕ Close when done.

To remove a single species from your plan, click the ✕ button on the right side of its row.

Review the Cost Estimate

An estimated total appears at the bottom of the plan once a pond size is entered and prices are available. Prices shown are based on our current retail price list.

ℹ The cost estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Final pricing depends on the size of fish, availability at pickup time, and any applicable quantity discounts. We will confirm final pricing when we contact you.

Review the Pond Health Summary

Once you have two or more species in your plan, a Pond Health Summary panel appears below the cost estimate. It shows:

Stocking Sequence — the recommended order to introduce species into your pond (forage fish first, then catfish and omnivores, then predators last)
Forage:Predator Ratio — the projected biomass balance between your forage fish and predator fish: Healthy ≥ 8:1 Thin 4–8:1 Critical < 4:1
Recommendations — species-specific tips such as "add forage fish before bass" or "tilapia require annual restocking"

💡 Why does stocking order matter? Forage fish (minnows, bluegill) need 2–4 weeks to establish before predators are introduced. Predators stocked into an empty pond will fail to grow or may die without a food supply.

Request Fish Availability

When your plan is ready, click 🐟 Request Fish Availability →. A short form appears where you can enter your contact information and any additional notes. Your stocking plan (species, quantities, and estimated cost) is included automatically.

Our team will review your request and contact you to confirm what is in stock, available sizes, and a pickup date.

ℹ You can also browse the Fish Catalog tab to see what is currently on farm or ready for pickup, then check species there and return to the calc to add them to your plan.

Quick Reference — Catalog Availability Badges

Badge	What it means
✓ On Farm	Species is currently in production on our ponds. Available for a future scheduled pickup — contact us for timing.
🎣 Ready for Pickup	Fish are staged in our VAT system and ready for immediate or near-term pickup. Head count shown when available.
Out of Stock	Not currently available. Use "Notify When Available" on the species card to be contacted when stock returns.