Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Trout - Stunting and Growth

As you may know I just got some Canadian brook trout from northern Wisconsin. In a sense they are stunted initially because of 45 degree well water. Too low of temps for optimum growth even for a coldwater fish. One year old fish are only 3 or 4 inches and 2 years olds are only 7 to 8 inches. Optimum water temps would produce 10 to 12 inch fish and 13 to 15 inch fish repectfully.

Anyway, I put these fish into my pond with temps averaging in the upper 50's to lower 60's in summer. They seem to go into a catch up mode and end up trophies in two more years. Even bigger than typical brook trout. I think max lifespan is 4 years as I have not been able to hold them more than 2 years after I get the 2 year olds.

I have to wonder if once I hatch my own, and start them in warmer water from the get go, how big I can get them in 4 years?

Thoughts?



Here's one that started out as 7 to 8 inches as a two year old and ended up over 5 lbs. two years later. Excuse my appearance. It was cold out and I just got out of bed! I also suffer from morning allergies!

If the stunting is due solely to the low temps, would this not also have provided some lifespan extension? Like say 3 cold years only using up 2 warm years worth of lifspean? So that once you warm them up, they have more time to catch up than if they had been stunted by lack of food in warm temps?

OTOH, Cecil, I think you could fatten up FHM into 4 oz. trophies you wanted too.

You know I thought about that. The hatchery says they have a runty fish of only about 6 inches they keep that is 12 years old! Lots of factors to consider on growing fish big. Still experimenting.

CB1 :

Here is the thread that led to Bill doing the archive post you noted above. You can post there .

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000397;p=1#000001

I think it would be best to start your question under a different heading like "Stunted Trout" or "Trout Growth Rates" so we can find it again. I hate to lose the data/discussion based on headings. I will look to see if I can find any info wrt your question , maybe we can get a good thread on trout started.

All note that there is little or no posting on archive threads (including Bob and moderators) so as to keep it functional for the question covered (no discussion needed there).

CB1 - are you going to retitle your post as suggested by Ewest or should we do it for you?

Easy Bill I just got here today!

Go ahead please.

Cecil aka CB1 - How are the new trout doing? Feeding well I hope.
A. Any losses?
B. How are they behaving compared to the first batch of brookies from the other supplier?
C. Any photos of the freshly stocked fish before stocking for a kind of before and after Cecil's magic touch influence (Cecil Envy) thing?

I think CB1 missed my previous post unless he is now ignoring me.

No Bill just saw your post. I would never ignore you. You're too full of good information and a great person to boot.

No morts that I am aware of, and I am getting them to feed just before dark just like the previous batch I got back in 2003 from the same source. They are spooky but don't seem to be as spooky as the previous batch. Sorry no pics of them just before planting. I would have done it at the hathery but I forgot all about it.

As far as these in comparison to the other source, with the other source I was losing them almost immediately and lost about 20 in the first two weeks. Not seeing that here although if any are laying dead on the bottom I wouldn't know it. And in all fairness to that source it may have been that the larger browns already in the pond stressed the smaller brooks.

Water was crystal clear before I left to pick up the fish, but has taken on a more opaque emerald green color thanks to all the rain. Still good quality water, and proabably a blessing as I had a Kingfisher here a couple of weeks ago. Had the water stayed crystal clear he would have had a field day if he is still around.