Pond Boss
Posted By: highflyer the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 04:39 AM
Okay, there is a large part of our big pond that was not usable because of the trees we left before the pond filled. Now came the time to do a little clean-up so we could use the north part of the big pond. Well it took a 240 excavator to get the job done, but here is how it went.















The object in the distance is Lake Georgetopia. It is our new brood pond!!

Here is where it starts!!



About half way done.....



Here it is before it is filled with water!!!


The BG should be happy in here!!!
Nice! I wish I had been there to see it being built.
That's awesome.......Looks like an episode of "Swamp Loggers"
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 11:21 AM
Very cool Brian.
That machine is what I need to make my shorelines deeper.
King George should be pleased!
Mark, I think I'm using Brian's guy next Winter for shorelines, boat ramp, and new grow out pond. He did good fast work, and it was cool watching him work in water up to the bottom of the cab.

600# of Rye grass, and Brian will be set.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 12:06 PM
BRYAN - YOU RASCAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thought you told me just a little clean-up work!
SURPRISED IS AN UNDER STATEMENT!!!
When can I see it - I'm stoked!
Early morning delight - CONGRATS for a job well done!
George
Posted By: Sunil Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 01:14 PM
Awesome!
Allen,
Good call on the 600#'s of rye grass. I need to get to it asap.
63.3, good haul!!

Mark, my guys are very good and will treat you right, and they are not afraid of the water.

George, I had to wait to tell you about this because we were unsure if we could find the clay right there. If we did not, it would have not worked. But we did!! Now I have to see if it will fill on its own from the seep or if I need to plumb to it.

I also see a pump for seining in my future. We made it deeper than 4 feet so I could have options.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 02:15 PM
Nice job !! Tell us about the brood pond known as Lake Georgetopia. How will it fill , any outlet or overflow pipe to drain it and the fish into the lake , what goes in first ?

The cleaned out area might be good place for Bluegill beds.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 02:28 PM
Great work, Brain. You don't mess around!!! smile
Posted By: Tums Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 02:57 PM
Sweet!!!!
Lake Georgetopia was placed above the big pond and on a natural seep. If you remember where I was holding the Tilapia during our Christmas snow, that is the same area, in fact being back there with Heather was the reason we decided to clean up that area. And the seep made it a no brainer to try a build a brood pond up by the cabin.

As for filling, I need to see if the seep is going to fill lake Georgetopia, or if I am going to have to add water from the well. As for draining it, well I am going to use a pump. I do not want the two bodies of water to mix in the brood pond. There is an over flow on the southwest corner of lake Georgetopia to allow for overflow. It is above the emergency line for the big pond, in fact it is almost as high as the cabin. If the seep can't fill it, I'll use well water to fill it. I'll spray it through the air to Oxygenate it before adding it to the BOW. As for fish, I'll toss in FHM and Gambusia right away. And as soon as the water is tested and right, I'll add CNBG and start growing some forage.

Now I need to mat the tops and plant grass, I'll start with rye and go to Bermuda when the weather allows.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 03:38 PM
Looks great Brian! Hey, can you still use the road close to the main pond to get to the dam or do you have to use the higher road now?

I see Rye going on it your next visit.
I can not use the old road to the dam, I have to use the high road even with the tractor!! Time to get busy clearing that road again!! I might be able to use the drag to clear a higher path, but for now the beach road is closed to vehicle traffic except the Honda of course!!

I called about geo-fabric and I'll be getting that and the rye seed this week and getting it in place asap. I think Allen might be conscripted for this part of the project!!
Scott did you notice how George gets to fish and play, and I'm the designated bend over and pound erosion mat staples in all day guy?

Funny how that worked out.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 04:51 PM
The ability to hook up a piece of 6 inch pvc to the bottom of a brood pond sure makes it easy (and less stressful on the fish and manager)to get the fish out into the lake.
The location of lake Georgetopia does not allow for the brood pond to be drained completely into the big pond, so a sein is what I will have to do.

The new area by the "North Beach" was groomed for BG spawning grounds. I hope it works!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 05:53 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
The ability to hook up a piece of 6 inch pvc to the bottom of a brood pond sure makes it easy (and less stressful on the fish and manager)to get the fish out into the lake.


Eric, don't the fish get stressed a little bit when they go thru the impellers of the pump? grin
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 06:01 PM
Brian, what are dimentions of brood/forage/grow-out pond?
It's a lot of fun and productive as well, to start with forage and then go to predators - take out largest and easiest to catch with hook and line and then seine and drain or whatever plan dictates.

Little ponds are fun - can I fish or have to help Allen?
G/
Amazing the excavator didn't get stuck.

Really nice!
George, work first, play second...... grin


Cecil, those guys were fun to watch. As they took down the trees, they would use them to walk on if needed. The 240 never stopped moving, they always were a few steps ahead of the machine.

When the water got up to the paint, I was really impressed, but there was never any doubt that they could go anywhere they wanted to go.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/13 09:08 PM
It probably helped them a bunch that the ground was firm/hard, not the swampy muck that you see on Swamp Loggers.

HF, did they accomplish that all in one day?
Scott,
We started on Monday and finished up around noon on Wed.

It became a swampy mess on tuesday when we got about 4 inches of rain in a couple hours. Even after that, the 240 could go anywhere it wanted. It was quit a sight.

And yes, a excavator is on my list of things to get!!! just not that size..... grin
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/15/13 01:59 AM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
Mark, I think I'm using Brian's guy next Winter for shorelines, boat ramp

Yeah Al....lemme know I'd like to watch that guy for an hour or two when he works on your property. Looks like Brian got some great work from him. We may or may not be able to deepen our shorelines with our backhoe. Too busy with other projects right now. Down the road I too would like to have a small boat ramp put in.

A guy in Tyler (Hartbeat Construction) quoted $4293 for a turn-key boat ramp at my old property. He said that was for a 10' x 25' x 6" thick 3000 PSI reinforced concrete ramp. I would think I could go smaller at our new place. After the ramp is constructed on the shoreline and concrete has set up ( usually 7 days ) they would push the ramp into place using a Bull Dozer. I'm not really sure if that's a decent price for a turn-key concrete boat ramp or not. Looks like they do pretty nice work.







Posted By: Todd3138 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/15/13 02:46 AM
Really nice, Brian! Congrats on the great progress!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/15/13 02:55 AM
Zep, in talking to my contracting supervisor buddy a short while ago he said concrete was going for around $100-$120/yd his price in the Chicago area.
Thanks Todd, Today I get the geomatting to control erosion and contain the rye grass seed. After that, minnows go in and then CNBG. Add a little barry white music for mood and....... smirk
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/15/13 04:14 PM
Mark, that price seems really high from the prices here. That slab was done correctly. I have never seen anyone move a slab that large. If your pond is shallow in that area, you could form it and block off the water to pour it in place.Good luck.
Well Lake Georgetopia has been covered with Geomatting and Rye grass seed. I got my son to help and here is how the place looks now.

From the side:



From the top:



And from a distance:



I really like the new view as I drive down the driveway.



And here is the new beach area:



And here is the geomatting before we got started:



Don't worry Allen, we did not use it all on lake Georgetopia, there is some left for us to work on the beach....
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 07:03 PM
Well done. It should be green in a couple weeks. You have enough water to add a few FH. That beach is going to be nice. What is the plan for the beach ?
Eric, I hope to be able to have the family or the scouts out there with the canoes and kayaks. I would really like to put in a fire pit out there, we'll see if I can add that to the list of projects! If I get a fire pit, it should be ready for next November!! I know I have enough firewood.....

Further, we will plant a few more trees strategically to enhance the view and utilize the land.

I also expect the BG and others to spawn there the depth and slopes are right and with the "fishing peer" peninsula blocking the wind and waves, that area should be well received by the spawners.
Brian,

How much did the geo mat cost? May be interested in that for my ponds.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 08:48 PM
Good place to fly fish over the BG beds !
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 09:04 PM
By special permit only..... grin
Georgetopia... cool
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 09:11 PM
Brian...you are one busy man.
It's looking really good.
Keep the pictures coming!
Chris I think Brian's on the big bird, but they're around $35. IIRC, they're 8X50 and rated for one year. They worked very well for me last year, and I highly recommend them for any bare earth. Very little rye float after they're laid.
Chris, they were $31 a roll, and they cover 800 square feet. I was impressed with the coverage. I have a few leftover for now.....

George, I can pump water from the big pond to Lake Georgetopia, but I am concerned about getting unwanteds in the new brood pond.

Thoughts? I can pump all day long any day I am out there. I can also pump from the well.

Eric, I can see flyfishing over the beds in my future...... and out by the two bass havens we left out near there.

On the big bird later..... smile
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 10:16 PM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
They worked very well for me last year, and I highly recommend them for any bare earth. Very little rye float after they're laid.

a bit of thread drift here...but since we are talking "bare earth", "rye grass", ect....

has anyone had much luck "planting" wild flowers?

are some wild flower seeds basically "just throw them out"
and they'll grow?....or do you have to till or plant all of them?

I would love to have a bunch of wild flowers growing at our gate and fence as you drive up....but I'm too lazy to plant them one by one.

something like this would look cool...

Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 10:18 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer

George, I can pump water from the big pond to Lake Georgetopia, but I am concerned about getting unwanteds in the new brood pond.

Thoughts? I can pump all day long any day I am out there. I can also pump from the well.

Eric, I can see flyfishing over the beds in my future...... and out by the two bass havens we left out near there.

On the big bird later..... smile

Is there any way to "screen" lake water pumped into pond?
Would "unwanteds" survive pump impellers?
Sure would "jump-start" stockers with fertile lake water vs. well water?

Brian, you have done a FANTASTIC job!!!
George
George, my intake for the solar powered sprinkler is screened down to a quater of an inch.

The pump is a four piston setup and I doubt much could get through it, but I would like some input from the experts before I pump from the big pond to the brood pond. But, now is as good a time as any to fill, so lets see what the experts say and we will go from there.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 11:05 PM
Brian your big pond has got to be near full now isnt it?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/18/13 11:11 PM
Screens will work. Screen the exit point at the pvc or hose and let the water then fall through a small net (like cheese cloth) into the water. Can also use 2 or 3 burlap seed bags for the final screen.

On the front end (lake side) put the intake hose in a 5 gal bucket with holes in the bucket side to let water in and place it in a net or burlap bag with the top of the bucket about 2 inches above the water line. You can put a brick in the bucket to weight it down.
Mark, we are less than 28 inches to full pool in the big pond!! BTW, for blue bonnets, I think you only need to spray the seeds. I see the trucks do it in the hill country all the time. Of course, that is in the hill country, your milage may vary. grin


Eric, thanks for screen info, that ought to do it. I'll start pumping when I get out there. I have heard different info about FHM's some say do and others say don't, any inputs here?

I will be using this brood pond for CNBG for the big pond.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:11 AM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Eric, thanks for screen info, that ought to do it. I'll start pumping when I get out there. I have heard different info about FHM's some say do and others say don't, any inputs here?

I will be using this brood pond for CNBG for the big pond.



Do. I'd put a couple of pounds in there. You'd be suprised how many small minnows BG eat. Put some FHM spawning structure in there too, and make it easy to remove when you want to seine out the CNBG.
Posted By: Todd3138 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:17 AM
Originally Posted By: ewest

On the front end (lake side) put the intake hose in a 5 gal bucket with holes in the bucket side to let water in and place it in a net or burlap bag with the top of the bucket about 2 inches above the water line. You can put a brick in the bucket to weight it down.


I was thinking something like this, too, Ewest, but perhaps with some window screen wrapped around the outside to prevent anything from making it in through the holes.

Brian, that view down your driveway is amazing! Absolutely fantastic! Congrats on the progress and be safe flying - remember to keep the greasy side down!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:28 AM
Window screen would work as well around the bucket.

I would add the FH as they will make a good natural supp to feed for the CNBG. CNBG eat lots of yoy/fry fish of all kinds including their own.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:39 AM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Mark, we are less than 28 inches to full pool in the big pond!!

Yours will be full soon.
Ours is officially full as of last weekend.
Small trickle was going thru dam overflow pipe.

Originally Posted By: highflyer
BTW, for blue bonnets, I think you only need to spray the seeds. I see the trucks do it in the hill country all the time.

Wow....that sounds low maintenance like I'm looking for.
I''m gonna try some "Black Eyed Susan" seeds...see what happens.
Mark, I have tried bluebonnets and paint brushes several times to no avail. I have an awful lot of wild flowers and only a few of the ones that I have tried to grow. I have no idea how the Texas Hwy Dept gets them to grow.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:42 AM
Originally Posted By: Todd3138
Brian, that view down your driveway is amazing! Absolutely fantastic!


Agreed Todd.
Brian has some incredible views on his property.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:46 AM
Thanks Dave.

Last week I bought a pound of Black Eyed Susan seeds.

Gonna try them out around our gate entrance.

See what happens.

Black Eyed Susan Flowers

Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 01:46 AM
Zep, before you scatter the seeds, get a soil test done and add whatever fertiliser/lime you need, and incorporate it into the soil. Scatter the seeds over relatively loose bare ground, then roll them in to get good seed to ground contact. Keep them moist and they'll grow.

Wildflower seeds are naturally scattered in the Fall. Any frost/thaw cycles works the seeds down into the ground naturally.
Originally Posted By: Zep
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
They worked very well for me last year, and I highly recommend them for any bare earth. Very little rye float after they're laid.

a bit of thread drift here...but since we are talking "bare earth", "rye grass", ect....

has anyone had much luck "planting" wild flowers?

are some wild flower seeds basically "just throw them out"
and they'll grow?....or do you have to till or plant all of them?

I would love to have a bunch of wild flowers growing at our gate and fence as you drive up....but I'm too lazy to plant them one by one.

something like this would look cool...


I did that on the back of my dam last spring, it made a fantastic show! Different flowers peak at different times of the year.

The best service and prices:
www.americanmeadows.com

A couple of points:
I got enough seed for about an acre or so, it comes in a fairly heavy box. I would recommend getting the hand seed-spreader as getting even coverage by hand is tough, and yard spreaders don't seem to like the mixed shapes of the seeds.
Use a landscape rake after sowing or the birds will devastate your seeds if sitting on the surface. Many wildflower seeds do prefer being very close to the surface, so a little raking will do.
Get the mixes for your region. It will contain both annuals and perennials. It will also give you the best chances of finding a plant that really likes your local conditions. For example I thought Lupins would be nice, but they simply HATE my soil type. Too basic for them. Instead Indian Carpets, Bachelor Buttons, Cone flowers (black-eyed Suzanns), and cosmos thrive.
If wanting to prevent erosion, wildflowers probably are not your best bet, but better than nothing. They do NOT form dense root systems or vegetation like grass and some ground covers. If you need to stop erosion, grass is king.

In my case, I wanted the dang flowers. The local flower shop will be visiting next summer in return for a few free arrangements.

Fall Dam Flowers

Here's a sample - more pictures there in the above link.


Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 03:01 AM
Thanks essup and liquid.

btw beautiful pics liquid and
thats who I bought my seeds from
Highflyer,that is some place you have there,that driveway shot is awesome.

Zep,my parents grow wild flowers.While I'm not sure what they have the first year they planted a specific variety and they didnt take.What they ended up doing was buy a regional mix from our local nursery,planted it and then picked what they liked best and created their own mix.
Thanks everyone, the view is great, I am happy that this project turned out so nice. It was definitely money well spent on the equipment.

Georgetopia will have FHM as soon as I can trap some. I'll add some pallets that I have been saving for them to spawn on.

I like the screen idea for the water bucket, I'll add that as well when I start pumping water from the big pond. I'll alo add the rocks for weight to the bucket when I am pumping water to Georgetopia.

Mark, the flowers should look great! I don't think our soil would support them, too bad, they add some really nice color.

I'll be back on the farm soon and I'll add updates as things progress.


One other question for the experts. Should I consider adding RES to Georgetopia?
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 04:02 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
One other question for the experts. Should I consider adding RES to Georgetopia?


I'd only think about adding them if I had a grub problem in the main pond. I'd be worried about the possibility of them diluting the CNBG strain.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/19/13 07:45 PM
If it’s a grow out pond (add babies , raise for a few mths and release) I would add a few RES as well. If you intend to spawn CNBG in Georgetopia then during that period I would not add adult or near adult RES. Good thing is you have flexibility to do as needed to augment the lake (onetime just CNBG , next time RES , next time small tilapia etc).
Eric and any other experts, what about CNBG and some Tilapia? Any problems with that combination?

Thanks.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/20/13 03:18 AM
Not for a short time i.e. growout period with similar sized fed fish up to about 5 inches. At that point they will both start to spawn and competition in a very small pond would be fierce.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/20/13 12:25 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Eric and any other experts, what about CNBG and some Tilapia? Any problems with that combination?
Thanks.

I agree with Eric...I would not mix species if the goal for first productiion is for pure genetics. I would save the "best of the best" examples of chosen charactristics and repeat cycle.

If strictly for grow out, stock forage species at fingerling stage, let them grow and reproduce and then add predator species.
I would seine and transfer all to main lake upon desired size to prvent predation in main pond - drain Georgetopia and sterilize for next year program.
George
CNBG it is for now.... smile
Okay, Allen and I got to the farm yesterday and added another section of Geomatting and a bunch of staples. As it turns out our low-tech rocks did a great job of keeping the Goemat in place so the staples were extra insurance against a weather event.

Georgetopia now has over two feet of water and it has about 3-4 inches of visibility. Allen and I added some big pond water to get the ecology started. Minnows and CNBG are next.



Here is what the new "beach area looks like:



And with all the cleanup, the back end of the big pond now looks like this:



All in all, the cleanup really opened up the back end of the pond and allowed for the new brood pond to be placed up near the cabin. Now I just have to wait to burn the brush pile!! I figure I need to wait a month or two before trying. Any thoughts about how long to wait?
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/28/13 03:15 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Now I just have to wait to burn the brush pile!! I figure I need to wait a month or two before trying. Any thoughts about how long to wait?


That all depends on how much diesel you want to use. grin

The new pond muddy from run-off or does it need an alum treatment? The "old" forage pond is the same way, why do you think that is?
Scott,
Georgetopia is filling with rain water. I'll do the jar test for both Georgetopia and the little pond and let you know how the tests go.

About the brush pile, think "Viking Funeral Pyre." I expect it to burn for a long long time, so I will have to plan this one out.

When I set it off, I will have to notify NASA so they can plan accordingly.... grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/28/13 11:48 PM
Then I'd plan on using a lot of diesel, and making sure I get it burned while the surrounding countryside is still wet.

Hate to catch the neighbors on fire when the embers come down 1/2 mile away!

Duck island submerged yet?
Duck Island is officially under water, bass retreat is now open for business. I expect spawning there this season!!

I still need to get that rascally beaver... The hunt is on like Donkey Kong!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/01/13 02:09 AM
Looking good. Put some ag lime in the forage pond.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/01/13 11:59 AM
Brian...if that don't look "bassy" I don't know what does.

Great job.



Makes me want to throw a double blade willow-leaf spinnerbait in there.

Mark, it is totally bassy! Brian should have enough cover to protect his forage for years. Now, if I can jump his fence and get some Primrose in there, it'll be perfect.

(the sound you just heard was Brian slashing my tires)

Actually, I'm enjoying Brian's whole experience here. Basically, virgin water with unlimited potential. Changes to existing BOW's with long term stockings can be challenging, and Brian's got a window here to really create a masterpiece. All he needs is time and a defined stocking plan, and he'll be good to go.
Eric, I'll check the PH and alk this next week. Even if it is good, I will most likely toss in some aglime anyway.

Mark, you are welcome anytime with your double bladed spinner-bait. I think we should be pulling out five pounders very soon ( I hope it is my son that gets the first one, if so, it goes on the wall)!!

Allen, if there is primrose on you or your stuff, it will be the sound of old betsy you hear...not my knife.... grin

In truth, George and Allen have been an inspiration and great help getting these ponds headed in the right direction. I can't thank them enough, so I won't bother trying.... grin grin
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/01/13 05:02 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer

...........................................................
Allen, if there is primrose on you or your stuff, it will be the sound of old betsy you hear...not my knife.... grin
cry

In truth, George and Allen have been an inspiration and great help getting these ponds headed in the right direction. I can't thank them enough, so I won't bother trying.... grin grin

Brian, you have done an out standing job on your little pond and I look forward to seeing the major effect in developing the unlimited potential of your lake.

For those lucky enough to have brood/forage/grow-out ponds, you know how important they can be, utilizing maximum versatility of growing forage, as well as natural spawn of select brood fish and growing them out large enought to escape predation.

Thanks for letting me play!
George
Looking good Brian - think your grow out pond will end up being a ton of fun for you. Zep is right on - those stickups in the shallows sure look bassy and perfect for a slow rolled spinnerbait! Thanks for sharing the process with us - makes me wish I owned a dozer and excavator even more.
TJ, this has been a lort of fun and a great learning experience. George and Allen are great old guys with a lot of knowledge who are eager to share their knowledge and experiences!!!! laugh

As for the ponds, I am in awe of what mother nature can do if you let her. Life is tenacious. Point your project in the right direction and get out of its way. I have made many mistakes, but I am starting to understand how much I don't know. My long term goals are progressing and with a little luck and a bucket full of help from my friends and I think this is going to turn out very well.

I can't wait to show you guy the next couple of improvements coming this spring and summer.

Not to hijack my own thread, but how goes the show? Are you guys going to get to Texas this year?
I have tons of reasons to go to Texas - it's a direct flight from Omaha [which is huge], or a 9 hr drive [which ain't too bad], Horns haven't beaten the Huskers in football for years, haven't seen the sun here in four weeks, LL2 Bob and Debbie, never met George in person and need fly casting lessons, the good as gold handshake of Mike Otto, want to meet Zep, Al and yourself, Texas BBQ and salsa, and I want to fit my fat head inside a a true Texan LMB. Also, what's up with this snipe hunting you like taking Northerners on? I really want to try it - sounds like fun!
There is a blood oath when it comes to snipe hunting. Can't tell you any more than that for now....

The rest is just great fun, and if you wait until it is really hot here, the Shiner Bach is oh so good!

Come ready to work and play hard, there aren't many days where we just sit around. And if flyfishing lessons are on your mind, there is no one better than George to show you how, he makes it look so easy. smile
I still have my snipe gear. Don't mind loaning it out though.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/02/13 02:24 AM
TJ, Brian could put your welding skills to work. wink

Brian what's it look like now? You know what I'm talking about.

We should have took some before pics (of the straight sticks of tubing).

Has your buddy seen it yet?

It's amazing how a couple of scribbles on a piece of paper can be transformed in real life!
Scott,
I have pictures from start to where it is right now. I am hoping to get the tensioner done before vacation, but if not, it will be done right after that. Once the tensioner is done, the bulk of the work is finished and then it is on to the electrics!! I figure three or four more hours on the tensioner and who knows on the electrics. I need to find a supplier for outdoor outlets for 220V AC 110V AC an 12V DC. Got any ideas? I want the ones with attached covers.

I'll post the current pic later today.

He has only seen the pictures so far.

Agreed, from the idea, to paper, to the thing is an amazing transformation!! And I really like working with metal.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/02/13 11:47 PM
Brian, you could try the big box stores, but if not, any electrical contractor supply house should be able to furnish them.

Don't forget the GFIC.
GFIC, good call!!!
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/03/13 02:33 AM
Originally Posted By: esshup
Don't forget the GFIC.


esshup if it's possible i am "GFCI obsessed".

One of our employees was electrocuted a few years ago working on his mother's pond fountain. Very sad...great guy...gone in a flash. I probably have more GFCI plugs in my house than anyone in Texas....they tell me "well you dont need one, because this circuit already has one"...."I dont care put in another one by this sink". If you hear I was electrocuted at least know I tried! Ha Ha.


Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/03/13 02:55 PM
Zep, my great grandmother was electrocuted by stepping on an extension cord in the yard. This was way before anybody even thought of a GFIC.

I have had problems with ones that are in the main breaker box when trying to use an electric motor that has brushes. The arc that is caused by the armature/brush interface trips them. I don't know if they are GFIC or another type of safety circuit.
Well, George got to see Georgetopia and Georgetopia IS George approved!!

Today, we added water from the big pond to fill Georgetopia because we are adding some CNBG on monday. Here is how the filling went.

This the water that seeped in during the first few days.



And a few days later it had this much water.



So I decided to add some water from the big pond to fill Georgetopia sooner because we are adding CNBG next week.

Here we are starting to fill Georgetopia using a a pump.



After a few hours, We were ready to host a bunch of CNBG.




Georgetopia now has about 7 feet of water and the total Alk is around 35. The settling test is showing great results as in just a few hours, we could see settling already starting.

By the way the WE I keep referring to are Allen and George, both came out to help and Truth be told, they are going to put the CNBG in Georgetopia early next week because I will be attending a family event (Spring Break!!)


Thanks Guys!!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/08/13 12:50 PM
Yeah, Brian is sneaking off on a well deserved break next week but since Al and I have been doing all the work anyway, we will do the stocking for him.

Knowing Al's prepensity for stocking the best of the best genetic selection of brood stock, Al and I have worked long and hard to find a supplier.
His supplier may be incarcinated at the present time but Al always finds a way!

See 'ya today buddy, and don't worry about your fish... grin
George

ps: Until I actually saw the work that Brian has done on his lake by opening the heavily wooded upper end, it changed the whole appearance into even more impressing lake.
His brood/growout pond blew my mind.
Great piece of work Brian.
Congratulations my friend.
G/
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/08/13 03:15 PM
Brian you must sure trust George and Al a lot !!!!! I hope you don't return to a Georgetopia full of spawning BH , Crappie and GSF. laugh --- wink

Trust but verify !!! I want to see pics of those CNBG as they go in. !!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/08/13 03:24 PM
ewest, no crappie, just BH and LMB. Just like Brians other forage pond! laugh
Scott, you're on a roll this morning.

Eric, I'll probably have 4,000 GSF/CNBG crosses I'm seining out and relocating to another pond tomorrow. Brian better not stump his toe at lunch today.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/08/13 03:56 PM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
Scott, you're on a roll this morning.

Eric, I'll probably have 4,000 GSF/CNBG crosses I'm seining out and relocating to another pond tomorrow. Brian better not stump his toe at lunch today.

Al, you forgot about the carp......
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~ laugh
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/08/13 05:48 PM
Hey, if you want to add some Eurasian Water Milfoil to the mix, I can send some down. wink Have fun today! Wish I was there.
After I get back from skiing, there WILL be DNA testing. laugh

Any BH, Crappie, LMB, GSF, Milfoil, ect will be met by very very unhappy Brian..... You won't like unhappy Brian....... laugh

You know you have good friends when they offer to stock your pond while you are off playing with your family and you feel comfortable enough to let them, and give them the keys to do so. Man am I lucky to have such good friends.
Ah, so it's Brian's farm where you're holding the Pond Boss rave next week! Good thinking, he'll never be the wiser.
Rave away, the hidden game-cam pictures WILL make it to PondBoss!! I promise!!!

That is if I find out about the party....... grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/09/13 04:38 AM
Al, for a small fee I can tell you where the camera is hidden.
HA! Rave sounds good but I doubt the camera's would help. If Brian's neighbors heard the gentle musings of deadmau5 and skrillex rolling through the hills, they'd probably shoot us before we hit Hwy 11.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/09/13 01:01 PM
Brian have a fun and safe trip ! You fish planters just don't burn down the house next week. BTW lock the gate on the way out.
Well the water settle test for Georgetopia went well!! Allen and the boys did not burn down the cabin, and they did put the CNBG and FHM's into Georgetopia!! Allen tells me that pictures are coming soon! He also tells me that Todd did us BIG!! Thanks Todd!! The rave party was a big hit as well, I think it might be a recurring event!! But I want the catapult before the next party!!

Brian I know you and the family are having a large time on vacation while George and I continue to toil around here, but your fish are stocked.

We let Overton's in, and the fish look great and were happy with the new digs. Water cleared fine, and held it's level after settling in for a week.

Here's some pics we took while we worked.

Also, thanks so much for trusting us with the keys, the credit card, 200 gallons of diesel, 100 pounds of Aquamax, and everything else we could "borrow" while you were an absentee pond owner.




Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/13/13 03:48 PM
Brian, I’m looking forward to standing on the dam catching big G*topia CNBG on the fly and giving them a free ride into Lake Hoffman!
Thanks buddy – I love ‘ya like a brother,
George
Allen,

200 gallons of diesel, check
Credit card receipts, check
Borrowed "Items," check

But we are going to have to talk about taking the Aquamax!!! laugh

George, you can be the first to fly fish Georgetopia!!

Thanks again guys for helping out, the timing could have not been better!! I can't wait to see the fruits of our labor later this summer!
Well I got the Diesel tank filled, the credit card paid off, and the borrowed items replaced, so my son and I got to work on the new beach area. We burned a good part of the burn pile, we graded some of the new dirt, we feed the new CNBG and we tried out the new fyke net.

Georgetopia is doing great, the CNBG and FHMs are feeding and look good. The rye grass is coming up nicely and should protect the leave well.

After working for a while, we decided to take a break and throw our new tomahawks. Seems the Boy Scouts have a game where the first guy throws one and sticks it into the target and them tells the other boy which side of the target to try to stick his tomahawk into and then the first boy has to try to stick the third tomahawk in the middle of the first two. Here is the result of the third game. I got credit for being in the middle and won that round!!



Needless to say, we went through a lot of duct tape that day as I got all three handles sooner or later!!

We started out throwing for one turn and ended up throwing the tomahawks through three turns before hitting the target, we had a blast!!

One and a half turns was the hardest at first, but once we got the hang of it, we got pretty good at the game.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/18/13 08:26 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Well I got the Diesel tank filled

Brian you are one busy man. Way2go on all the improvements.

I'm not sure exactly what you are doing with the diesel, or how much you are going to be using, but did your diesel vendor have you apply for a "Dyed Diesel" number?

Tx Dyed Diesel
Mark,
We have a dyed fuel number. We have had the number for many years... I do as much as I can with Diesel because it has way more power(BTU's), it is safer, and last a lot longer in the tanks !!! And my diesel motors last a lot longer.

If I could find a diesel weed wacker and chainsaw, I would use them as well!!

The last post was talking a little to Allen's post where he talked about using the keys to "BORROW" a few things when he let Todd's guys in to stock Georgetopia and more about having fun with my son this weekend, we had a blast doing manly work and throwing the tomahawks!! Splitting the handles was just the icing on the cake. He is definitely the young bull and I am getting a little older.......For now, I can still take him, but it won't be long before I'll have to use treachery to win the fight!! grin
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/18/13 09:51 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
We have a dyed fuel number.
We have had the number for many years..


good deal
Originally Posted By: highflyer


...For now, I can still take him, but it won't be long before I'll have to use treachery to win the fight!! grin



No shame in treachery.....lol.

My oldest boy is 17...treachery is all I have!
My 14 year old Grandson is now 6 ft tall. But he doesn't have my mean streak.
Well I got back out to the farm yesterday and had a blast!! I took a little bit of video of a LMB getting ready for the spawn.

Here it is:




Also, we got some needed rain (Thanks to Diego)!!

The rye grass is looking great and the OTS CNBG and FHMs are feeding on the AM500. I have 400 on order, but it is not stocked so I have to wait for it to ship, so for now, the 500 will have to do. The CNBG are eating the 500 no problem, and the FHM's are pushing it around and then eating it as it gets smaller.

As the area matures, it is clear to me that it was the right thing to do. And the wife approves!!

Here is a picture of the cleaned up area:



Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/24/13 11:57 PM
Like that video. Were some of those LMB tagged ?

Big lake looks good !
Yep, I was wondering if I should try to catch the tagged fish and check its progress.

Any thoughts?
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/13 12:47 AM
Love the standing timber!
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/13 01:01 AM
Makes me feel bad looking at 3(3-5 more to come)in. of snow here. If you need any help catching that one, send me a bus ticket. Satisfaction guaranteed(mine).
By the way, here is a picture of the big pond showing Georgetopia in the background. I must say, I like the new view!!



Ken, after the check debacle, I am shocked that you would trust a bus pass from a Texan..... grin Diego would be so proud!!
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/13 02:36 AM
That is a beautiful place. HiFlier, I am a trusting soul(cold as the dickens here) so I would like to give you a chance to make amends.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/13 05:41 AM
Brian:

What tagging system was it, and how are the hogs doing?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/13 02:53 PM
No don't catch the tagged fish pre-spawn. Let them do their spawning first. Note on the catch data later that the fish is post-spawn. They will not all spawn at the same time so keep a close eye out for the next 2 mths. Spawn may be delayed due to the cold snap we are having (lows in high 20’s next 2 nights).

I thought I saw a tag on one of the fish in the video.
Ken, thanks, we love the place. It has been hard work, but it is a labor of love.

Scott, I am using the numbered tags from Greg Grimes.
The hogs are gone mostly for now as I have turned off the feeder, but they will be back when I get ready to harvest them grin

Eric, thanks for the info, I'll wait for post spawn to try to catch them. That tag has some alge on it, so when I catch I intend to clean the tag off so I can read the number and record the data.
Okay, it has been a few weeks so I figured an update is in order:

First off, Diego's funeral pyre has dried out enough to "get er" going again, so my nephew and I lit it off using some "made for the job" help!! I new it was going well when NASA called and asked us if we had a new volcano!!

Here is what it looked like as we got started:



As the fire burned, we got busy collecting junk wood from the new beach area and added it to the pile.

Here is how the new beach area is looking:




And as I pan to the south, here is how it looks right by the cabin:



The rye grass is coming up very well and as I "drag" the place with my little tractor, the area is getting very passable. There is still a lot of sticks to pickup and toss in the fire, but there is a noticeable difference.

Of course I can not talk about the area clean up if I don't talk about Georgetopia. Well Georgetopia got some new residence yesterday. George and I took a little trip to Overton Fisheries and we picked up some really nice Tilapia. Georgetopia got five pounds to get a head start on the Tilapia love machine so that when we get some CB LMB later this year, I should have a lot of food waiting for them to grow out on all summer long. Also, I added several pallets for the FHMs to call home.



Okay, so what else have we been doing, well I noticed FA coming back, so I needed to devise a good plan to get this under control.



Turns out that the trip to Todd's would be two fold. I got Tilapia last year from Todd and they took care of the FA very quickly, so why mess with success, I got Tilapia again this year. Here is how the FA looked yesterday.

So I got my boxes of Tilapia and headed to the waters edge.



Anyone who has been following our progress will note that the water is now over the old trail to the dam area, and I could not be happier!! As the pond fills, I am constantly amazed as to how the fish and other wildlife figure out where they want to be.

As I opened the boxes of Tilapia, I found them eager to get busy eating all the FA they wanted.





The water temperature was 65ish degrees and they swam off with vigor!! Some stayed close and others went off exploring their new home.



As we ended our days work, George and I could not help but notice the Purple Martins that now call our farm home. This years crop is better bigger and heartier than last years crop. We now have birds is nearly every net site in the little house and half of the bigger house is also full. I hope next year we have even more.



Next I'll add aeration to georgetopia. I have to see if I go solar or string 300 feet of 120V AC power to the area. This should be interesting.....
Brian, everything's coming together well. Congrats.
Yep, that one rates being called a lake.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/13 04:40 PM
Brian, looks great. I remember you talked about your solar setup on another thread, but I can't find it. Would you mind directing me to that thread, or explain the basics again - assume that I know very little about solar (specifically the number of watts/volts/amps etc needed). Thanks...
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/13 04:57 PM
Brian...thanks for the update.
It looks wonderful.
Going to pay some big dividends in the future.
Thanks guys, the blood, sweat, tears, buffoonery, and fun has to be worth it. Then place gets better all the time and the "Learning" projects are the best. I'll learn a lot from success or failure. But I have to believe I am on the right track.

Rmedger, I have a solar system for my sprinklers that is going to be converted to an aeration system. I'll post some more as my plans thicken up.

Here is the link to the solar powered sprinkler system thread. You have to go through a bit to get the sprinkler part, but it is worth it. The Bass video is also fun to watch!!

LMB and solar powered sprinklers
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/13 09:06 PM
Brian, thanks for the link. I noticed that I was asking questions back then, also, and I haven't gotten a handle on it yet, but I'll keep trying...
I'll will be setting up my solar again this year and it should be a more permanent solution for one of my power needs out on the farm. And when I do, it will get posted. The aerator for Georgetopia is one of the projects I just need to see if my current solar power is enough to handle the job.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/13 09:41 PM
Things are really coming along well. How are the OTS CNBG doing - any growth yet ? Be sure to keep data and pics on them ! Watch the tilapia in GT to be sure they aren't molesting the prime residents.
Eric, the OTS are hitting the AM500 as are the FHMs. I will be checking all of the "residents" several times a month starting with the end of this week. I'll post pictures and updates as the summer progresses. The Tilapia are a learning project. I would like to see how many I can grow and produce in Georgetopia and I am looking into some CB to growout as well. I think the addition of their genes will improve the genetics on our LMB population.

The Binford 2000 fish food thrower is about ready for its trial runs this weekend, if it works well, I should be in great shape food wise in Georgetopia.

All in all, I am set for great success or great failure!! I'll work hard and keep good records as this experiment moves along.

All of the extra Tilapia and CNBG will be set free in the big pond to fend for themselves.... grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 12:05 AM
Brian, I forgot to ask. How's the plans for Aluminum Sulphate in the forage pond coming along?
I think I need to get on that asap so I can get the phytoplankton going!!! The jar test showed some success, but there is still some clay in suspension in the jar after three weeks, and the pond still looks cloudy!!

I am also going to put in a level gauge so I know how deep the water is at any time. PVC I think is the way to go for that issue, with a good wide foot.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 04:51 AM
More alum is needed. Keep applying it until you see the clay particles start to form clumps and settle out to the bottom of the pond. Keep an eye on the pH.

Brian, in my pond I drove a galvanized pipe (3/4") into the pond bottom. Then I bought a 6' powdercoated aluminum "ruler" from Lowes. I zip tied it to the pipe. It reads backwards, but I can tell how many inches the pond raised or lowered. It does get some growth on it, but a white non-scratching scotchbrite scrubbing pad cleans it off easily when it's still wet.

In my pond, a 3' yardstick isn't big enough to measure the water fluctuation.
Posted By: george1 Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 12:08 PM
I love brood/forage/grow-out ponds and I love Georgetopia!
We dug our BFG pond in 2004 and it has been a work in progress and contributed to success of our main pond.

Ours has always been in a transition stage from forage to brood to grow out, depending on ever evolving plans. Some may recall our successful grow out program of CNBG and HSB that encouraged Overton to adopt the experiment that resulted in his grow out operation. As a result Texas farm pond owners now have adult OTS CNBG and HSB available for stocking without risk of predation.

Since Brian and I are near neighbors and good friends, we have spent literally hours if not days discussing forage and lake management.
He has abundant forage in his big lake and I have provided 18-20 pure Florida LMB IIRC, so he will get a good F1 spawn this year, so forage from G-topia is not a major issue – but having the new resource he will be able to up grade his genetic base to predominate OTS CNBG.

Brian has the option to stock fingerling Camelot Bell LMB in his little pond and retaining brood stock in the future if he elects to go this route.

He has such flexibility with his BFG pond, being at water edge to drain and refill that the opportunities are outstanding.

I am the observer – ever watchful for problems and opportunity!
Brian is very patient with me and I try not to meddle, but gosh, he named that BFG pond Georgetopia!
Thanks Brian.
G/
Posted By: ewest Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 02:44 PM
In a small growout pond (GT) really watch the alkalinity when using alum. You want the alkalinity as high as possible (within limits) prior to starting. Small waters can change quickly causing stress. Avoid quick changes as they cause death.

Have hydrated lime on hand and use it as directed during the process. However that is not what I am talking about above. Start ahead of the change curve by having good alkalinity before the fact by adding ag lime well in advance if needed to raise alkalinity. The best results would be an alkalinity high enough before hand that the alum does not cause a change. Also ag lime will sometimes clear turbidity or at least lessen the amount of alum required as it is also a flocculent.

I have pvc depth gauges marked with lines with a big black line for full pool.
Posted By: george1 Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 03:10 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
In a small growout pond (GT) really watch the alkalinity when using alum. You want the alkalinity as high as possible (within limits) prior to starting. Small waters can change quickly causing stress. Avoid quick changes as they cause death.

Have hydrated lime on hand and use it as directed during the process. However that is not what I am talking about above. Start ahead of the change curve by having good alkalinity before the fact by adding ag lime well in advance if needed to raise alkalinity. The best results would be an alkalinity high enough before hand that the alum does not cause a change. Also ag lime will sometimes clear turbidity or at least lessen the amount of alum required as it is also a flocculent.

I have pvc depth gauges marked with lines with a big black line for full pool.


"ag lime will sometimes clear turbidity"
AGREED!
I have a lot of experience with this soil type in N.E. Texas - looks normal for new pond to me.
I saw clearing on Monday that I would not jump the gun on alum treatment - patience is a virtue!
Posted By: esshup Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 04:27 PM
IIRC, Brian limed the basin before it filled with water.
Posted By: highflyer Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 04:59 PM
Scott, I did not add any aglime, the total ALK in the water was already at 65ppm before adding the CNBG and FHMs. Sorry if I caused any misunderstanding.

Eric, the goal is to have a great forage/growout pond. I made it a little deeper because of the Texas heat and because I will not be there all the time to monitor, so a little more water was added for insurance reasons. The gauge allows for a quick look. I am planning on a PVC based gauge that is easily removable when I am netting fish for transfer to the big pond.

Keep the thoughts coming, I am way happier to learn before I make a mistake!!

Of course, the ones you learn from the mistakes are valuable too, they just cost more....
Posted By: esshup Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 05:03 PM
Removable is nice, but it's gotta stay in the same place to monitor the level. It's easy enough to seine around it, we have to do that in Cecil's pond. He's got a stake holding up the outflow of his geothermal.
Posted By: FireIsHot Re: Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/13 06:14 PM
Brian, if actual numbers aren't important, just put a brick or rock on the bank at the current water line. If the water's below the rock, add water. Works for my CNBG pond because a quick drive by tells me what I need to know.
Allen, I'd like to know the numbers, but I like the way you think smile

Scott, I'll see what I can come up with. If I can leave it in, all the better.
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Allen, I'd like to know the numbers, but I like the way you think smile


I'll go with that if it's important to you, but numbers confuse me. As you well know, I still can't figure out how an airplane wing works. It's some kind of magic.
Allen it is simple, thrusties=good, lifties=good

Drag is only good when ATC tells you to expedite your descent due to traffic...
Impossible to understand. All that is derived from technology recovered from Roswell in 1947. Next thing you know, you'll tell me the Wright Brothers weren't the first ones who flew.
Allen, sssssh, area 51, just saying.
Okay, I got to go to the farm yesterday and move the fish feeder to Georgetpoia. I added AM 400 and 500 and set it to go off three times a day for now. When it heats up, I'll change the settings but for now three times a day seems to be right.



Here is a picture of them feeding after testing the feeder in its new location.




And wouldn't you know it but I found this guy trapped in the erosion netting at the water's edge. He was trying to get out so that part was good, but I don't think he made it. I have to figure my CNBG may have spawned? I would love to hear from the experts on that idea. Remember the CNBG have only been in Georgetopia since early March.




In sort, Georgetopia looks good for now. I have an aerator on request and it should be here soon. I'll post more about that when it's time. I think some of you are going to be very interested.



The beach area is also coming along. I continues the burn process and made some real headway, but I still have a long way to go before all of the trash trees and bushes are recycled.



As I burn the wood, I'll have to remove the embedded dirt. It is a slow process, but I can see the progress.

I have also decided to name the beach area as "Area 52" in Allen's honor ( Area 51 was already taken). This is where my experimentation is happening right now, so it only seemed right to give it a name....
Brian, it depends on how large the CNBG were when they were stocked. BG have been reportedly able to spawn at 3 inches in the South.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/14/13 03:28 PM
That one had to come from another source. DD1 is right they can spawn in short order. But any new spawn yoy would not be to that size from spawn to 1 mth.
Dave, a lot of the CNBG from Todd were right at 3 inches when stocked. Todd supplied us with very nice fish!!

Thanks Eric, I'll try to figure this out. I did pump big pond water into Georgetopia to get the level up before stocking, but it was before the BG seemed interested in spawning. The pond temp was 59 degrees the day we pumped. I hope I did not do anything to corrupt Georgetopia. If I did, I'll have to live with it for now.

On a side note, the Tilapia in the big pond are already starting to build nests!! I have seen them in five or six areas fanning away!!
Well I got my new 12V DC aerator this weekend and I had the time to add Ag-lime to Georgetopia as well, so I figured it would be one long day, but it would be worth it!!

As it turns out, it was a very long day but I made a lot of progress out at the farm. First off, I got the burn pile going again and I then turned my attention to Georetopia. It needed some ag-lime and since the day was beautiful, I figured that should be first on the list. I got about 700Lbs of ag-lime and got busy. I had to use a shovel to toss it into Georgetopia because I can not maneuver the tractor very well around the new pond. It took a while, but I got it all mixed in to the pond.

I them turned my attention to the new aerator. I think I may be the first one to get Kasco's new 12V DC aerator. It is based on their 12V emergency aerator, but I plan to use mine full time to grow lots of CNBG and Tilapia in Georgetopia. It did not take long to assemble the unit, and soon I was off to Georgetopia with my new aertator. Installing it in Georgetopia was pretty easy. The first thing I did at that point was to run it off of the tractor's battery both with the engine running and with it turned off to see how much water the system would throw.




Here you can see how much water the aerator is throwing and how little action makes it to the shoreline. I believe I should not have an erosion issue running this aerator.



After getting the aerator up and running, it was time to get the solar system set up and get it charging the batteries! It took four trips to the barn to get everything needed out to Georgetopia, but after some needed prep-work the system started to come together nicely.

I then tried the aerator with the batteries in a very weakend condition to see how much water it could move when the batteries were nearly flat. Here is what I saw.



As you can see, even when the batteries are nearly dead, they can still cause the aerator to move enough water to make a difference.

The last two pictures have to be viewed several times to grasp the real issue I am fighting. Here you can see the mirror smooth surface of Georgetopia while the big pond has a lot of wave action due to the +10 knots of wind blowing from south to north (right to left). While the big pond is being naturally aerated, Georgetopia is receiving none of that natural goodness.






All in all, even though the solar system is setup in a temporary configuration, I should be good to go until I can make a more permanent install. All of the panels are zip tied together on top and bottom and they are tied to the containers of dirt weighing around 70 LBS each.

I'll be back to the farm in a day or so and I'll let you guys know how the water quality has improved.

On a side note, I have asked Kasco if they would make a three bladed prop for the 12V Dc aerator. I believe it would be more efficient and could make this system even better. I'll let you know how that goes.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 02:20 AM
Brian, about how much did that cost(if you have trouble adding, remember to start at the far right and work to your left). Yes we know that you have a built in counting system that goes to twenty. However, this is not 100% with loggers and woodworkers. I am so glad you figgered out how to get back to your pond. Have a good day. Your friend,Ken.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 02:09 PM
Nice work Brian. Neat setup . Results will be interesting.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 02:56 PM
Brian, if the lime doesn't clear the muddy water, you going to go the Alum route?
Ken, built in, I can count to 23, just saying. The cost for the aerator and float system may be in flux as I have made a few suggestions to the kasco guys so I will let them speek to that point as appropriate. I find it to be reasonable for Georgetopia. When I talk to the Kasco guys again, I'll let them know there are people who are interested in the price.

Eric, thanks!! I'll be sampling the water this weekend for sure. I'll also be trying several run times to see how the system holds up. I may also add better (bigger) batteries if I have the time. More panels are in my future as well....

Scott, If the lime does not clear up the water, I might go for the Alum, but only after very careful consideration, and maybe with some help because I do not want to harm George's grand-babies!

I think I might raise the total ALK to as high as 200 to see if that might clear Georgetopia some more before going to the Alum. It is just too easy to cause a crash with Alum if you are not careful, and I do not have any experience using it, so I am going to stay on the "be careful" side of Alum for now.

Besides, I can always pump water back and forth from the big pond to Georgetopia using the filters Todd recommended to clear up the water if I need better secchi readings or a better phytoplankton bloom. For now, I am going to use aglime and see how it goes. The CNBG are getting bigger and the FHMs are attacking the AM500 every time it hits the water.

Soon it will be time for George to fly fish Georgetopia and catch some data points!!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 04:56 PM
Originally Posted By: esshup
Brian, if the lime doesn't clear the muddy water, you going to go the Alum route?

Scott, quit messin' with my pond.... grin
Visibility is as good or better than needed...
cool
G/
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 04:58 PM
Brian, go practice on the "other" forage pond with the alum first. Not much there that you can hurt.....
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/24/13 08:07 PM
Do a 2 jar test using ag lime and alum and see what happens and what it takes to clear it up some. I like to leave my forage ponds/areas with some tint to help keep down on bird predation on small fish.
Eric, I'll get a few jars and get after it. Any idea where to get the Alum?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/25/13 09:31 PM
Co-ops or specialty chemical dealers and some fisheries guys have some.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 02:25 AM
Brian, that is great that you can count to 23. I am really impressed!!! I know now why your fellow Texans call you Einstein Lite. I thought it was because you can not tie your shoes. You need to share your vast knowledge with your fellow Texans. Do you think you might coach your guv. in case he has another debate? They may ask him a trick question or ask him to recite the ABC's. Actually we know all Texans know their ABC's but many have trouble with the other 23. Do you think you would like to come to my humble abode in Va.? No,I can not get you any moonshine. That is the other Ken in W.Va.,they use it to burp babies. Let me know fairly soon so we can finish up the "Diego Saga". Your loyal friend and humble servant,Ken.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 02:36 AM
Originally Posted By: kenc
Do you think you might coach your guv. in case he has another debate?


I'm hoping soon he's the President of the Republic of Texas.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 03:08 AM
Mark, how will you be able to break the yoke of Mexico? On a different subject, do you remember the Marty Robbins diddle about the Mexican lass that was begging Gringo to come a little(maybe a lot) closer. Then Jose comes in and Gringo jumps through the glass window. Do you think Jose was an extraoridinary sized person of his country or was Gringo a smaller sized person. I just thought your state might have covered this in Texas history.Adios y buena suerte.
That gringo was from Va. grin
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 03:49 AM
Probably a highly intelligent individual who had an aversion to machetes. You up for a trip to Va.? Will send you first class(hound dog on side).
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 03:19 PM
Kenc Va is ok but keep in mind you are right next to the single most dysfunctional area in the US (note I did not say state). Lots of IQ there in a few individuals but no common sense and little clue as to responsibility. BTW the next state up is digressing quickly.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 03:37 PM
Daggone Ewest, you are hard on my neighbors. W. Va. is a bonafide state, no matter what you say (BTW, where did you find the few, the proud, the smart there. I have been there a few thousand times and have met with the few and the proud but haven't found the smart yet.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 06:11 PM
kenc - try further north - not west !!! wink -- laugh
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 09:02 PM
Brian,
Thanks for including our equipment in your project. It is a brand new offering for us. We designed it for emergency use to get people and their ponds/tanks out of a pinch when oxygen is low and 120 v ac power simply isn't available. I appreciate your showing the two different modes: full power and lower power. That is important because batteries fluctuate with charge and the aerator operation will follow that.
The motor will need some cool down time after a few hours of run time and this will vary with climate and water temperature. The fuse is a 25 amp and will disconnect the circuit when the cable gets too warm or the amps are too high- like something blocking the propeller. This is good and avoids motor damage.


1812AF035 - 12V Aerator
The 12V aerator is for remote locations, tank operation, off grid aquaculture, or in emergency situations. Each 1812AF unit includes the same float and hardware used on the ½-1HP AF units and a 35' power cord, complete with ON/OFF toggle switch and alligator clips for the battery connection. The retail price is $612.50

We were visiting about the power cable length Friday. While it is a lot shorter than we would normally offer, the low voltage and higher amperage limit the length that we can offer in that gauge of cable.



I am new the the forum and look forward to participating.
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 09:05 PM
There are some really nice erosion control products available made from coconut fiber. www.rolanka.com They can protect the shoreline until you are able to get some vegetation to hold it. I have installed it on ponds before with good results.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 09:20 PM
Aken, after the aerator shuts off, does it have to be manually started? Does the fuse blow or does it trip like a breaker? Thanks.

.... I assume the solar panels are extra?

I am interested in learning if the panels will keep up with the demand. Interesting, thanks for sharing and keep us posted.
IIRC Brian is OTR. The panels are a separate issue and cost, but Brian has all the details.

With timers and the correct solar panels, this could be a home run for off the grid ponds. I'll probably pull the trigger on this same setup after a few months of observation.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/29/13 11:13 PM
Originally Posted By: kenc
Aken, after the aerator shuts off, does it have to be manually started? Does the fuse blow or does it trip like a breaker? Thanks.


Kenc,
Fuses blow, breakers trip. You can also blow circuit breakers shocked

I am just wondering if this is a thermal device that is built into the motor that will open and drop it out, and not a fuse or such.

Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 12:13 AM
JKB, why don't you try to get the info on this aerator and post the good or bad news. I learned a long time ago to never turn the main breaker off on a house. If you do there is a good chance that the breaker will blow. Some people call breakers fuses so that is why I asked the question.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 12:59 AM
If your main blows by flicking it ON, then you got screwed by who ever set it up!, or have a serious issue!

Al and Brian are big boy's, so I trust this will all be hammered out in future posts.

It's their project, so why should I screw with it?
Originally Posted By: JKB
Al and Brian are big boy's, so I trust this will all be hammered out in future posts.


JKB, you ain't kidding this will be hammered out. Brian's a cutting edge guy, and my knife's pretty dull. I'll hammer him with questions and scenarios, and he'll research the answers. I really hope this works, but there's always bumps in the road with a new product. Hopefully everything will run smoothly, but it'll be a 106 in the shade here in a few months. That will tell the tell.

I want to add that this is Brian's deal. I'm an observer like everybody else, but he's kept me in the loop on this, and I'm anxiously waiting for the results. No way I can justify a 2,500' run just to keep my BG happy, so I'm hoping this all plays out.
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 02:01 AM
If it overheats, the fuse will blow, and it would be replaced to restart. These are the inexpensive inline fuses. While this may be inconvenient, it is there to keep the 12 volt motor running without damaging it.
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 02:03 AM
We are not a solar company and don't carry any solar products.
Brian seems to be really up to speed on the solar design work.
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 02:06 AM
It is a simple inline fuse.
Posted By: AquaKen Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 02:16 AM
The summer heat is definitely a concern. (I am in Baton Rouge) I am not sure that it will be able to withstand the near continuous duty plan that Brian is setting up. It was designed for emergency, temporary use.
One strategic time that it could be used is predawn. Oxygen is lowest and the weather would be coolest.
From visiting with Brian he said that he has full timing capabilities. That may allow him to come up with a practical timing schedule that would avoid most overheating and allow him to use it strategically.

Ken
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 02:27 AM
All main breakers will blow sometimes when you turn them back on. How could they set the panels up wrong? My brother is an electrian and my electrian has worked for me for 37 years. Both of them say the same thing and niether would do me any harm. Breakers just get weaker over the years and they blow sometimes when they are flipped on and off. Sometimes they go bad without being flipped on. Small breakers are not to costly but a main breaker will cost more then the panel box. That is why I never turn off the main breaker. Al and Brian do know their stuff but I suspect you are an expert as I am in my field. Experts can give an unbiased report so that is why I thought you would do a good job.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 04:01 AM
In regards to the motor getting hot. Wouldn't the motor be cooled by the pond water? (huge heat sink)
All, AKen is right, it is an inline fuse like in a modern truck or car.

I plan on running this unit as much as possible to keep the O2 levels up in Georgetopia. If I find that I don't need to run it as much, then I will consider running it a little less.

Know that this is a work in progress and I do have fun playing on the bleeding edge. The solar system is the same system I used very successfully last summer to pump water on to the big dam to grow the grass that is now on it. If I get the aerator running well, I may make a permanent solar system for Georgetopia to run all my electric needs out there.

AKen, would your engineers consider 24V? or 36 or 48V? at 24V the amps are halved and much more reasonable. At 48V, there are efficiencies that would almost ensure 24/7 operations. If this takes off, a integrated thermal CB would be a great protection enhancement.

Also, any word yet on suggestion number one?

As always, I'll post the good, the bad, and even the ugly if that happens. That is the price of admission to the bleeding edge.

Laugh with me or at me, either way, I am in it for the full E-ticket ride!!

Scott, I am planning on checking the motor's temp while running and I'll let you know what I come up with as the season progresses. I suspect the water will cool the motor as it passes the motor on the way through the system, but I will know soon enough.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/30/13 01:21 PM
Go for it Brian and good luck ! Results will be appreciated.
Oh I will Eric, the "Geek Nerd" in me is in high gear with the turbo boost set to max!! I love moving the bar!!


One of these days I need to just go fishing and enjoy the fruits of our labor, but not today.......... grin
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/01/13 12:27 AM
Originally Posted By: kenc
All main breakers will blow sometimes when you turn them back on. How could they set the panels up wrong? My brother is an electrian and my electrian has worked for me for 37 years. Both of them say the same thing and niether would do me any harm. Breakers just get weaker over the years and they blow sometimes when they are flipped on and off. Sometimes they go bad without being flipped on. Small breakers are not to costly but a main breaker will cost more then the panel box. That is why I never turn off the main breaker. Al and Brian do know their stuff but I suspect you are an expert as I am in my field. Experts can give an unbiased report so that is why I thought you would do a good job.


We'll talk circuit breakers at a later date and on another thread, but it depends on what type of loads you have that are currently connected (hot) when you flip the mains. Resistive loads are gradual, but inductive loads, like motors, are going to grab everything they can, very quick! If your main CB can't handle the inrush current when you flick it on, usually trip it back out or fry it.

Kasco hasn't posted anything on the 12vdc rig yet, except for a very short video.

Fuses are current limiting devices, as well as circuit breakers. You can get these in every flavor imaginable.

Fuses however, are not Temperature devices wink

If we are going to melt a 25 amp automotive fuse, what makes you think someone won't throw a 50 amp in, or even bypass it altogether?

Brian,
+1 on the higher voltages, that should keep things a bit cooler at the motor level.

A Thermal Circuit Breaker would be a step up, but where would it be placed? It has to work with thermal stuff to get the desired effect of what you are thinking.

Something at the motor that would actually measure the temp of the whirring device would actually be better. Feedback to the controlling device would also be a benefit.

Don't know if you have a controlling device tho?

Look this up: Amps X Volts = Watts

Better yet, (Amps x Volts) / efficiency = Watts.

A 12 volt motor at 10 amps is going to suck the same watts as a 24 volt motor at 5 amps.
Posted By: kenc Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/01/13 01:27 AM
JKB, it is fine to talk about CB on another thread but correct me if I am wrong. You turn off all energy sucking machines then turn off all Circuit breakers,then turn breakers back on,then machines gradually. That is how we do them here but we stay away from the main breaker. Tell me if I need to do something different.
JKB,
Agree with all, nicely said.

Here is the bigger picture. I met one of the Kasco big wigs at pondboss con V last Oct and saw their 12 emergency aerator and I asked them if they would convert it to a fulltime 12V aerator. And here is where we stand so far. I got the first one and I told them I would post my experience on PondBoss. It is a work in progress to some degree. They may choose not to improve on their device or they may choose to update it as they see fit.

I have been asking for a few modifications and improvements in the hopes of making this thing a rock solid off grid system that will help pond owners all over the place. Kasco is a business, so anything I ask for needs to have a return on their investment, which it should as the amount of feedback I have been receiving is high. In short, their cost have to be recouped in sales. So I'll ask for the moon and hope I at least get a ride into space!!

Lets hope the engineers have more pull than the beancounters out of the gate, after that, the sales should come as I really like this thing when I am pushing the limits, it is great insurance.
OK, let me dumb this down a little. Would a rheostat cut voltage and there by cut the heat generated by the motor? Or would the motor generate the same heat irregardless?

If so, would running the aerator at 80% possibly reduce heat and allow the motor to run longer without overheating? And, would running the motor at 80% be better for the pond than running it at a 100% for 8 or 10 hours?

I've been planting Caladiums all morning and all this has been running through my head.
Allen, it is simpler to lower the amps by doing less work or increasing the efficiency. I am working on a plan to increase the efficiency. If the change is approved by Kasco, I'll let you all know!! So far the engineers have not called me back, but the sales guys are very interested!!
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/03/13 01:11 AM
Originally Posted By: kenc
JKB, it is fine to talk about CB on another thread but correct me if I am wrong. You turn off all energy sucking machines then turn off all Circuit breakers,then turn breakers back on,then machines gradually. That is how we do them here but we stay away from the main breaker. Tell me if I need to do something different.


Drop everything out before dropping out your main CB, if you will be doing maintenance or working on your wiring. The reason for a main Circuit Breaker is that you can kill power to everything at one flip of a switch. This is extremely valuable for the public servants that help us in crisis.

I am working out my electrical scheme, and for the most part, it has been positive.
Posted By: Rentzlaw Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/03/13 01:37 AM
Originally Posted By: JKB

I am working out my electrical scheme, and for the most part, it has been positive.


I think I see part of your problem...In most electrical schemes it is important to have polarity...


Sorry, couldn't resist (pun intended).

John
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/03/13 01:44 AM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Allen, it is simpler to lower the amps by doing less work or increasing the efficiency. I am working on a plan to increase the efficiency. If the change is approved by Kasco, I'll let you all know!! So far the engineers have not called me back, but the sales guys are very interested!!


Sales guy's are always interested wink

You really need to know what the motor is before you can put the screws to it.

I think the engineers may know something that you may not be aware of.

First question I would ask is, What is the Duty Cycle of the motor? If it is rated other than Continuous, you may not be able to achieve your goals with this motor.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/03/13 01:54 AM
Originally Posted By: Rentzlaw
Originally Posted By: JKB

I am working out my electrical scheme, and for the most part, it has been positive.


I think I see part of your problem...In most electrical schemes it is important to have polarity...


Sorry, couldn't resist (pun intended).

John


laugh laugh laugh

I was talking about positive with the JHA.
JKB, I found out why the engineers have not called back yet, they got a few snow days as the office was buried with snow and the power was out.

All of those questions are in the queue. Plus a few more. As this unfolds, I'll let you all know, but for now, I am seeing what it can do for me with the setup I have. I'll be back to the farm in the morning with George and we will report our progress after that trip.

Again, any thoughts or questions are welcome, I always learn something from a good question and at times I learn even more from a bad question....
Well, George and I got out to the farm yesterday and had a big time. Georgetopia is doing well. The total ALK is above 80 and the water has cleared some. I have adjusted the time on the solar powered aerator and I now have it running throughout the day and night at different time. (I do not have it running 24/7 yet) One other observation George noted is that the float is too big for this motor and because the float rides so high in the water, the propeller is allowed to cavitate from time to time. The simple solution is to add some weight to the float to get it to ride lower in the water. That will be on the list of things to do this weekend.



After playing in Georgetopia, George tried out a stubby worm in the big pond to see if my unfeed trained LMB would go for it, well, here was his first catch!

!5 inches long 2Lb 3oz and she appeared to be post spawn!!




And here is how George did it:



George rid the worm to be the weed guard and allowed the LMB to still catch the hook in the upper lip.

All in all, I saw between 5 and 7 LMB nesting in the area we cleared out this winter. It will be interesting to see how the fish colonize the newly opened waters.

I am also hoping to hear back from the engineers some time this week about the aerator possible modifications. I'll keep you informed.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/07/13 01:33 PM
How did the jar test work? Have you added any alum yet? What is your visibility ? Hard to tell from pics but a little clearer would be better. By now the fish should be feeding well.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/07/13 02:47 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
How did the jar test work? Have you added any alum yet? What is your visibility ? Hard to tell from pics but a little clearer would be better. By now the fish should be feeding well.

My observatiion is that the pond just needs time to mature a bit....surface aerator may be contributing to turbity - looks improved since my last visit.
G/
Eric, the jar test is set for this weekend as George TOOK all of my time yesterday!!!

The visibility is better now, I would estimate over 8 inches. The color of the water is also better with a slight green hugh. I added another pound or so of fertilizer as I see the color looking better. The jar test I started last month has settled almost completely, so I expect a little more ag-lime will make a even greater difference. I am shooting for a total ALK of something north of 150ppm which means I will need to add about 1500 pounds more.

About the feeding of the CNBG, last week they fed well, but with all of the cooler weather we have been getting, very few fish came up intill the afternoon feeding. I did catch a bunch of FHMs in fishtrap 2.0 lite yesterday that were very fat!! I expect after the water warms back up a few degrees the feeding will be restored. I also plan on sampling some of the fish starting this weekend. using hook and line.

By the way, has anyone had any success with a fake Owl as a deterrent to birds or other bandits around a forage pond? Does anything work better passively?
I got a call from a BIG Wig at Kasco late this week and the news is good!! They are very interested in helping me experiment with my 12 Volt DC aerator. I should be getting some enhanced items this week and the preliminary testing they have done are just what I would expected and wanted!! My field trials will begin as soon as I get the "enhancements" and I'll post the amp draw and O2 levels as soon as I can say definitively.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! I love to play with cool toys!!!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/11/13 06:32 PM
Don't forget the jar test.....

LMB are spawning in my pond. Can't see nests, but some 17" fish have lost 1/4# in weight over the past 2 weeks.
Scott, I am up in Canada right now, but as soon as I get back I'll setup a jar test set. I'll try a few different levels to see how it works.

My bass have been on and off the nesting areas depending on the latest cold front to move through. I wish those cold fronts would cause more rain around our farm as we really need the water. Some of my neighbors are down 10 or more feet in their ponds. It is heart breaking to see. If we don't get rain soon, this year could be worse that '11.

I think I am really glad to get an aerator in Georgetopia before the heat hits this summer. It might be a tough summer and I have a bunch of CNBG in there trying to grow big.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/14/13 01:26 AM
It would be interesting to know what all the questions were, and the responses.
JKB,
Ask away, what do you what to know about. I got no secrets here. As I learn about this system and how to better it, I'll post everything. I did get a new prop for the 12V aerator today and I will compare it to the installed one for amps, temp, water movement, O2 levels in Georgetopia, ect. and Of course, I'll post the answers here.

After I get the results, I'll see where I would like to go if it can be improved for our small remote ponds.

(Hint Hint:) I have a friend who has a 3D printer and making enhanced parts to prove the concept should be very easy.......

Learning curve, activate!!
Well as always, I have been very busy, But I did make it out to the farm this weekend to do a little work and have some fun. First things first, I added the new propeller to the DC aerator and I must say the new prop is definitely Brian Approved!! Even in heavy overcast the voltage did not fall below 12.7 volts (side note: I was unable to check the amps due to an equipment issue). The new prop also throws a better water pattern, it is a little taller and curtains much better as it falls. Yes the prop is smaller, but it seems to be much better matched to the DC motor than the original prop that came with it. And I did not ever notice a cavitation with the new prop the entire weekend.

After several hours of running, I swam out to it and found it cool to the touch in 79F water.

I also did a few DO tests. I checked the DO when I got to the farm and it was very good from top to bottom. Then I let the pond sit over night. I check the DO and Temps again and found that there was some stratification.

Here are the numbers:
When completely mixed the pond was 79.8F and the DO was around 9PPM (side note I checked calibration three times because the DO was that high). In the morning, after I let the pond sit over night, I found that the top water was 80.2F and the bottom water was 76F. The Do was in the low 8PPM range on the top of the pond and around 5PPM near the bottom. After one hour with the new prop running, I tested the pond again and I had a complete mixing of the water with a temp again at 79.6F throughout the water column. The DO was also in the high 8's PPM and after another hour of the new prop running, I found the temps uniform throughout the water column and the DO again right around 9.1PPM throughout.

As for the CNBG, they are doing well and are hitting the AM400 & 500 well. I will start the first culling the next time I am out at the farm and have the time. Their color is very nice and they are full of energy!! I can't wait to see how they look after I sein them out.

One other thing I noted was that I did see some algae on the banks of Georgetopia and I am unsure where that is coming from. Any thoughts?

Thanks again for any ideas or questions. Pictures will follow as soon as I can get them uploaded.
Okay here are a few picture from this weekend, Enjoy!!

Here I am floating in Georgetopia getting ready to test the O2 levels. Notice the better aeration pattern from the new prop.




Testing the O2 levels, notice the coloration of the water.




Checking the O2 levels at the deepest part of georgetopia.



Here are two pictures of the water flow patten from the new prop. These pictures were taken after several hours of running. The motor was cool to the touch and the solar panels were able to power the motor and charge the batteries!





Another view


Ok, I'm over my shock.

Glad this rig is working. What kind of O2 numbers are you getting?

And more importantly, how did you get a truck driver tan flying a FedEx plane? Belted Galloway's come to mind.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/31/13 01:04 AM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
Ok, I'm over my shock.

Glad this rig is working. What kind of O2 numbers are you getting?

And more importantly, how did you get a truck driver tan flying a FedEx plane? Belted Galloway's come to mind.


Didn't he tell you about hanging his arm out the window as he was flying along? wink I really like the improvised boat.
Posted By: Yolk Sac Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/31/13 01:53 AM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
And more importantly, how did you get a truck driver tan flying a FedEx plane?


But then, nobody's actually SEEN him fly a plane, now have they, although we're pretty sure he works for FedEX.....

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post335860
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/31/13 02:19 AM
With what you noted in the prior post about stratification and DO drop levels overnight with no aeration you need to keep that system going. To high of BOD with all the fish and plankton to go naked (no aeration). As Bruce once noted it only takes about 15 mins to ruin a years (or in some cases a lifetimes) work.
Allen, I hope you stayed awake thinking about that one!!

Scott, it takes TWO hands and two feet to handle a Whopper!! Especially when things go wrong...

Yolk, I have pictures mister....I have pictures smile

Eric, Agreed, I am going to thin Georgetopia some next week. I am also working on a permanent solar install with about three times the battery storage and four times the solar collector. I am going to try to make a standard system for little ponds which will allow for aeration (top or bottom) and some extra power for other uses.
Brian, I'm certified ADHD. You'd be surprised how little time it took. laugh
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/31/13 05:44 PM
That water has a green tint ! grin
Eric, the green tint is really noticeable if I turn off the aeration system. Could it be algae? I do notice some algae on the edge of the pond. And if it could be, should I do anything about it?

Thanks.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/01/13 02:56 AM
Plankton bloom. Good news. Let it take its course. A plankton bloom with that much water moving is unusual but great to have. That pond is really ramping up its RPMs (engine like). Keep the air going !
Eric, GT water is much greener than I remember also. I give Brian a lot of crap but he'll push the envelope to get the best results possible. I usually just tell him he can't do something, and then he'll figure out a way to make it work. It's much easier for me to let him do all the mental heavy lifting before I try something.

Since this is Brian's project, I'll leave all the future postings of the particulars to him. But personally, I think this remote 12 volt system may be a game changer. The next few months will tell.

He still looks like a Belted Galloway to me.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/01/13 12:21 PM
That new prop seems to be a big improvement.

Did they give you any estimates on motor life?
JKB,

I don't remember a conversation about longevity, but I will say that with the new prop installed there is a reduction in the temperature of the motor and it is not working as hard. After several hours, it is still nearly water temperature. In fact, I never saw or felt any significant increase in temperature while it was running even after 8 or more hours. I'll get my floaty out again and do further testing and let you know next week!!

Allen, that would be a black belt.......and that's Mr Galloway to you!!

I'm off to the gym, then the tanning booth...... grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/01/13 05:09 PM
HF, readings from my pond today - no aeration. Secchi disk disappears at 48" heavy overcast day barely a shadow; no polarized glasses, looking in shadow of the boat at the disk. Ambient temp 74°F. Readings taken at 11:15 a.m. CST

Max pond depth is approx. 14' with the current water level - roughly 3' below full pool. All readings were taken in 13' of water.

Secchi disk - 48" visibility

1'---- 9.58 mg/l--- 73.5°F
3'---- 9.30 mg/l--- 71.3°F
6'---- 9.77 mg/l--- 66.0°F
9'---- 6.91 mg/l--- 63.3°F
12'--- 2.81 mg/l--- 60.0°F
Scott,
How many fish and what size fish do you have in your pond (Georgetopia started with 2000 CNBG, 20 Lbs of FHM, and 5 Lbs of Tilapia)? Also, do you plan to keep all of those fish in your pond all summer? Finally, how big is the pond that you are talking about? Georgetopia is something bigger than a tenth of a acre and eight feet deep in the deep end. Just so people can compare. smile

Of course I could grow less fish in Georgetopia without aeration, but that would defeat the purpose of the project. grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/02/13 12:55 AM
How many fish is a good question. Roughly 40 Golden RBT about 2# each, around 40 LMB between 3# and <5# (and the usual accompanying smaller 0-3 Y.O. LMB), 10 SMB 10"-14", 50 10" SMB in a cage, couple hundred YP up to 13" (maybe up to 400 depending on how many the LMB ate), 40# of Tilapia, maybe 30#-80# of CC (some fish should be pushing 20# now as they were 15#-16# 3 years ago - they come out if they get caught), no idea on the # of BG/RES. I stocked 15 10" HSB last year but I'm not sure any made it - fish handling during shipping problem. I did see a few last Fall, but haven't seen any this year yet.

I'm trying like heck to get a good population of BG/RES established, but it's a constant battle with the LMB in there and not much cover for the BG due to the fluctuating water levels. Fall of 2010 ago I stocked between 1,500 and 2,000 2"-4" BG on top of what was aready in the pond, and this Spring I put in a bunch of BG from Cecil from 8"-10" down to 2" fish. Right now I believe the pond is about 3/4 acre, as it's 30" low. I see very few small BG, most are running around 5"-6" then more at 8"-10". I did stock between 20 and 30 PS @ 5"-6" a few years ago, but only one has been caught since then. I stocked 200 adult GSH (6"-10") a few years ago, but I think they all became LMB food. People don't realize how much food a LMB will eat, even the pellet trained ones.

I'd like to keep all of them in there for the summer if possible. I'm working on a way to "over summer" the trout.... IF it works, then I have to do some design changes to make it more UPS FedEx shipping friendly. wink grin
That is a lot of fish!

How much natural aeration does your pond get, Georgetopia gets none. Even at 15-20 knots, Georgetopia does not agitate due to its high walls.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/02/13 02:53 PM
It gets very little due to 40'-60' tall trees to the East, South and South West. It's a groundwater pond, in sand, and I believe there is considerable water flow thru the pond subsurface - it's hard to keep a phytoplankton bloom established.

As was said in other posts, fishing regs are remove every LMB caught without a tag, and any CC caught. The 1,500 - 2,000 2"-4" BG stocked a few years ago all disappeared over winter, but trhe LMB stayed fat and happy.
Well Georgetopia has a new timer controller for the aerator. This one has up to 17 cycles of which I am using 5 right now (due to solar capacity). Both the input lines and the controlled lines are protected. I will convert to a new bus block and relay setup after I build the new control box. I have chosen to use aluminum for the new box. I'll post more tomorrow. more solar is in the future......

For now, I am tired, it was a big day. I got to see Allen place and look at all the things I can get him to spend money on!! grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/06/13 01:08 PM
How's the aluminum welding coming along?
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/06/13 10:04 PM
Much cheaper to buy electrical enclosures than build them.
I get mine from either:

Hoffman Engineering
or,
Saginaw Controls

A few other good ones out there also.

Generally for outdoor control stuff, one would use a NEMA 4X rated enclosure.
(IP ratings are open to interpretation by the mfg)
You can fry DC stuff just as easily as AC stuff.
Guess it don't matter tho.

It would be interesting to see what ya got so far. The controller and all the stuff.

Originally Posted By: esshup
and I believe there is considerable water flow thru the pond subsurface - it's hard to keep a phytoplankton bloom established.


Are you saying these two things are related? If so, I'm curious as to why.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/06/13 10:59 PM
Yes they can be but not always. Lots of flushing (flow)will wash out nutrients and make it hard for plankton to sustain. But if the ground water flow is through rich soil and picks up phosphates and has alkalinity (like some Florida phosphate pit lakes) you can have unbelievable carrying capacity and plankton growth.
Scott, I'll get busy working with the aluminum when I get a few free minutes grin

JKB, part of building my own is learning how to weld aluminum. I have a few welding friends who are very patient with me and will teach me how to do it right, and I want to learn, just because. I do like the links thou (thanks!), I may need another enclosure in the future and they might be the ticket.

We got some very needed rain today so I did not get a lot done, but the binford 2000 fishfood dispensing device is now in place. I up'ed the motor to the most powerful (and highest RPM) I could find in its class and it does a much better job of tossing the food than the original motor that came with the old Aquapro. I think I have one more "Modification" to make to it before I am really happy with its performance.

More to follow, for now, its time to sleep.
Well I got a few minutes to get out to the farm yesterday and see how Georgetopia is doing. And I must say that I was pleased with everything,

The O2 levels and the temperature were great. The CNBG were biting and the FHM were chasing the few AM500 pellets that the CNBG left behind.

I caught several CNBG from the original stocking that are now 4.5 to 5 inches long.



And this guy is thinking big!!




This guy was a little over 5 inches!!





This is a picture of the first fish I caught "hook and line"




I also caught several 2 inch fish and all seemed to be fat and healthy and full of energy.

As a side note, the Purple Martins are also doing great!! I counted over two dozen birds in the air as I walked by early in the morning. PS the Cormorants have left the building for the summer!!


Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/21/13 02:13 PM
Looking good Brian.

I still can't get Purple Martins interested in calling the Martin house home. I guess this winter I'll take it down, give it a good cleaning, buy some plastic gourds and add them to the house when I open it up in the Spring. I had a pair sitting on the roof, but they never stuck around. Right now there's a pair of Bluebirds nesting in it. I know English Sparrows are a problem, and when the chance arises, they get a dose of high velocity lead.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/21/13 05:06 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Well I got a few minutes to get out to the farm yesterday and see how Georgetopia is doing. And I must say that I was pleased with everything,

The O2 levels and the temperature were great. The CNBG were biting and the FHM were chasing the few AM500 pellets that the CNBG left behind.

I caught several CNBG from the original stocking that are now 4.5 to 5 inches long.



This guy was a little over 5 inches!!



Nice growth on the OTS CNBG Brian!
We will have much fun soon hook and line catch and stock in main lake.
Light color of fish caused by turbid water due to aerator installation and maintenance in immature pond.
Good job!
G/
Well I got the chance to run a sein through Georgetopia yesterday with the help of my family and friends and man was I pleased!! We caught four or five size class CNBG, three or four size class Tilapia and countless FHM!!!

Here is a sample of the fun and results!!


Here we are getting ready for our first pull of the sein. I was glad to learn from a friend that pulling slowly was the key, it worked!! we had three very successful pulls to towards the shallow end and one to the deep end. We used a four foot tall sein which was not nearly tall enough, but we got very good results anyway.

I see a tall sein purchase in my future....




Here is a picture of one of the CNBG we caught. It looked like the first spawn size class as it was an inch and a half smaller than the big boys.



Here we are holding one of the original stockers of CNBG and several Tilapia from what appears to be the first Tilapia spawn.



Everyone was getting into the act, we did not want to loose any of the little ones!!



Here you can see at least two Tilapia YOY size classes. I also had really small ones that did not make it into the pictures, so I believe our Tilapia have spawned three time so far this year in Georgetopia!!!





The original Tilapia stockers are now around 10-11 inches and look great. The Original CNBG are all over 5 inches and most are over 5 and a half inches.

All in all, I ran the sein through the pond three times and removed about ten pounds of fish which are now swimming in there new homes!!
Congrats Brian. Looks like it's all working well.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/06/13 11:22 PM
Really nice Brian - all that hard work is paying off!
Good job!
G/
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/07/13 05:45 AM
Good job!
Posted By: Sunil Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/07/13 01:00 PM
Cool!!!
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/07/13 06:41 PM
Yep! cool
Thanks for the kind words guys. I hope tomorrow may bring another exciting update.... stay tuned!!

This has been such a learning experience for me, and its fun!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/08/13 12:18 AM
psstt. schematic. wink
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/08/13 02:56 PM
Nice work ! Did you leave the biggest fish in Georgetopia ?
Eric, I did leave the best in Georgetopia. I took out the first spawn mostly, and some of the second and third spawns as well, but less of them.

The fish looked great!!


Scott, white/brown=blower, orange/brown= spinner

Okay, today we (Allen and I) had a big day. We learned a lot about treating turbidity with Alum Sulphate. The bucket test turned out to be the easiest part of the process.

Here is a picture of one and two tlbsns of Alum in one gallon of Georgetopia water.




As you can see, the results are dramatic!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/09/13 01:26 PM
I think that an alum treatment is going to be coming up shortly. I did a pond consult yesterday, and the turbidity was so bad that the secchi disc reading was 9"-10" from clay. He had water in a glass for 4 days and there was hardly a film on the bottom of the glass. The fish in the pond were almost white - hardly any color at all.
Scott, build a trailer with all of the things you need and make it very mobile!! Get the biggest mixing tank you can. Allen and I found out that you need a minimum of 10 gallons of water per pound of Alum and Hydrated lime to make a pumpable slurry. More water does make it easier. Using five pounds and five gallons does not work unless you are trying to grout in tile. grin

A two inch pump worked well for us, if I were to do it again, I would make a nozzle for the end of the two inch hose that would sprayed the slurry more evenly. Pinching the end of that hose was a little tricky, but by using the aerator, we got a very even distribution.

I'll post the after pics on Friday when I get back to see how it looks after everything settles.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/10/13 12:30 PM
I still think you're going to have to whack it again with alum. With your aeration system, I think the fish would grow quicker with less pelleted food needed if you were to let the phytoplankton do what the turbidity is doing. wink
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/10/13 12:32 PM
The trailer is a good idea, especially where you can drive all around the pond on the small pond. That gas powered pump, a drum and overflow pipes work in a boat for slightly larger ponds, and the big ones need a pontoon and a fire hose.
Scott,
Georgetopia had a good green base before we started the alum treatment, and I want to take this slowly because I don't want to screw up the great success I have been having with it. With all I have read, from great sources, I believe I will see a big improvement when I get back to the farm in a day or two. Either way, I will learn more....
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/10/13 02:15 PM
You could practice on the smaller pond below the dam. Whack it hard enough to get it all to precipitate out at once, then compare it to Georgetopia.

You work any on getting the BH out of there?

Just remember the PITA factor in doing the alum treatment in stages. wink
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/10/13 06:03 PM
Originally Posted By: esshup
You could practice on the smaller pond below the dam. Whack it hard enough to get it all to precipitate out at once, then compare it to Georgetopia.

You work any on getting the BH out of there?

Just remember the PITA factor in doing the alum treatment in stages. wink

Scott, Brian and Al are taking baby steps right now and in my opinion are doing an outstanding job.
George
Well today should be a big day, I am headed back to the farm to see how Georgetopia looks. I have borrowed Allen's Sechi disk and I am not afraid to use it!!

I hope all that hard work paid off.

More later tonight.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/13 12:15 PM
Looking forward to the report!
Okay, it has been a big day, I got to look at Georgetopia and the report is great!!

We hit a standup triple!! the sechi reading is 12-13 inches and the color is a lot greener!! The CNBG and FHM's are easy to see as they hammer the AM. I can easily see them as they approach and dive.

Here are a few after pictures:







As you can see a lot of the clay particles came out of solution and landed on the pallets.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/13 03:09 AM
Very fertile water ! Looks better. There is a lot going on in there. Watch the alkalinity.
Eric,
Thanks for the advice, the last time I checked it was over 80ppm, but I'll check it again this week to see if any changes have happened.

Another update, the fish are feeding so well that I have upped the throw time for each feed. I also seined more fish today, with some help, and everything looks great. We removed a lot more little guys from Georgetopia today and gave them a new home. I can't believe how many Tilapia we are getting from Georgetopia. Also, it is great to see so many size class of CNBG. I have also noticed that the CNBG and Tilapia are gaining some more color as the turbidity abates. The next few weeks are going to be interesting to say the least.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/13 10:18 AM
Brian, did you get a chance to pump lake water into BP?
I'm with Eric, there is a lot going on right now.
Fertile lake water filled pond - you started way ahead of the game.
Georgetopia is a little gem!
George,
Allen and I did pump water into Georgetopia up to the feeder level. It took about an hour and everything looks great. That was done just after we treated, we also ran the aeration system during that transfer to mix the water in as well as possible. The latest pictures are post treatment and post pumping. Knowing what you and Eric have been saying, I will test the water ever time I am out to the farm this summer just to understand what the water is telling me.

So far the best thing I have seen is the fish feeding and seeing the fish we have seined. They are full of energy and are healthy looking!!

Now I am off to build the new control box and to add bigger batteries.
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/13 02:29 PM
Things are looking real nice!!!

What ya getting for batteries?
I am getting bigger batteries for the solar powered aerator. The old little batteries I am using are tired and won't hold a charge as long as they use to hold a charge. I am also going to upgrade the charge controller to a new MPPT controller (when it becomes available). Basically, its a MORE POWER issue. grin
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/13 03:04 PM
Brian, I know you've gone over this before, but what is you solar set-up again???
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/13 03:44 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
I am getting bigger batteries for the solar powered aerator. The old little batteries I am using are tired and won't hold a charge as long as they use to hold a charge. I am also going to upgrade the charge controller to a new MPPT controller (when it becomes available). Basically, its a MORE POWER issue. grin


Look at Concord products for your batteries. They ain't cheap, but are the best! http://www.concordebattery.com/

Their Engineers will set you up!

Best prices I've found are from a rep in Texas, so that's home turf for you.
I would like to hear more about the solar set up too. I have an off grid pond and am getting more worried by the day. It had some great LMB in it a month ago, but I saw 5 big carcasses yesterday on the banks. Not a pretty sight! Your project is INSPIRING to say the least!

Rob C


Originally Posted By: rmedgar
Brian, I know you've gone over this before, but what is you solar set-up again???
Rmedar,

The setup is, four 85watt panels, a 30amp PWM charge controller, three lead-acid batteries, a 12volt DC timer and a 12volt aerator.

I plan on a new MPPT controller (when available) to take advantage of better efficiencies from the panels, and bigger batteries to allow for better run times during critical hours of the day. Eventually, I will upgrade to bigger panels and run the aerator 24/7, but that will be a little while as I have other priorities for now.

A solar tracker may also be in the future, but we will see if I have the bandwidth for that as well. I still need to finish up the burn pile out by Georgetopia for starters.

JKB,

Concord does make great batteries, but I will use cheeper ones for now so as not to tempt anyone. When I have a more permanent setup, I will look hard at their offerings.

BTW, Texas is bigger than France, so being from Texas might mean a really long drive to get to his place, after all, El Paso is closer to LA than to my farm. grin

But I would like his contact info just incase he is closer!!
Okay,
I got back to the farm yesterday and got a lot of work done. I also had time to shoot a little video of the CNBG, FHMs and Tilapia feeding in Georgetopia.

Here you go, Notice they don't really seem interested in a rubber worm hanging below the bobber.




There is other video coming from the beach cleanup area. Teaser, it was prom night for the BG. I'll post that video later today.
Okay, here is the video of the area we cleaned up this winter. It appears to be a big hit with the Bluegill!!



There appears to be a LMB swimming through the top of the frame towards the end of the video, but I did not see it eating, it seemed to be passing through that is until it got run off.
Brian (or Kasco)-- Have you heard if the new propeller design is going to be what consumers get if they buy the emergency aerator off the shelf? If not, will Kasco sell an aftermarket propeller?

With the first propeller, you had to change the weight to get it better. With the new propeller, did you leave that change in place, or go back to the original configuration?

Thanks
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/31/13 03:58 PM
Excellent video !!! Shows the BG nests well and the spawning activity of males protecting their broods. Nice work Brian !
F&C
I do not know if they are going to use the newer prop, but they should. It is a better pattern and it draws fewer amp than the original. I really want them to make a three bladed prop for this application as it will draw fewer amps still and have a better pattern as well.


Eric, Thanks, that was just too good not to record. I am glad it turned out as well as it did, I got lucky!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/04/13 01:14 PM
Nice work Brian.
Well we got out to the pond yesterday to remove a few fish from Georgetopia and to my horror, I found the aerator not running. It turns out that the on/off switch burned up. The fish took food willingly and seemed to not be in any stress, but, I figured if we were going to remove some fish, it might be prudent to remove some more if all goes well on the first pass.

Well the first pass of the new seine was interesting to say the least. We needed to slow down even more than I expected. As the net drew in water, it sank easier and was very easy to work with in Georgetopia. We decided to seine only the shallow half of the pond for the first pass. That seine pass turned up a lot of fish and everything worked well. We did add a frozen bottle of water to each cooler as suggested by one of the experts and they cooled the water and lowered the stress on the fish being transferred to the big pond.

Here are a few pics of the fish we transferred;

Clearly this is one of the original stockers!!



Here is another original stocker!!



A better view.



Here are a samples of the fish we transferred:





And of course, we did find evidence of several successful spawns from the CNBG and Tilapia.

Here is a picture of some of the size classes we found in Georgetopia.



And here are some Tilapia focused pictures.









While the transfer only took about 10 minutes per pass, we could see that adding the frozen bottle of water really helped the fish out. We forgot the frozen water bottle in one of the coolers on one of the passes and it was very obvious to us that those fish were more stressed.

All in all, we believe we lost very few fish. I only found two or three CNBG floaters and they were very small fish. I only found two Tilapia that could not be revived and they mostly came from the cooler that did not have the frozen water bottle.

We calculate that we moved around 30-40 Lbs of fish from Georgetopia and we learned a lot about the process. Remember that we found the non-functional aerator when we arrived which drove us to remove some more fish after we found that our process was sound and quick.

And about our aerator, well we removed the failed switch and it is running great!!
Nice update..

Did you transfer those little CNBG?

Did you transfer any Tilapia? and what sizes?

Any size increase on the Tilapia

You must have had a backup switch with you. Good thing. Thanks for sharing.


Posted By: Shorty Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/11/13 07:30 PM
Looks fun! smile
I'm not much on moving fish when it's 100+, but that trip down might have been a big time save with the aerator out. Glad you caught it in time.

The fish are looking good as well.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/11/13 07:51 PM
Me too - as you know I was concerned about solar aerator failure.
F&C

Every fish pictured went to the big pond. I put some of every size class or Tilapia, FHM, and CNBG into the big pond. I also ran our AC powered aerator in the big pond for an hour before the transfer thru an hour after we finished the final transfer. The aerator was in the area where we completed the transfer to assure we had good O2 ifor the transferred fish.

Fish eagerly took food before and after the seining and transfers.

George, the aerator switch failed, But I can't blame the solar for that. I think the fact that this is a first of a kind might be the real issue. Also, the manufacture is in Wisconsin, not Texas and it has been over a hundred degrees all this past week and the switch was in a metal box in direct sunlight. The good thing is that as soon as I removed that switch, the aerator ran like a top. When I finish the upgraded control box, I'll be adding two cooling fans so I can keep the temps as low as possible during summers.

After the switch was removed, the aerator was running like new!! I really did not need their switch as I have the system on a DC powered timer to turn it on and off as needed. The DC timer runs a high amp relay that turns the aerator on and off.

Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/11/13 09:01 PM
Brian, your surface aerator will handle high biomass.
Looks good.
G/
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/12/13 12:31 AM
Nice Job - like a pro. Glad it worked well tricks and all. Did you transfer into cages for habituation ? Those are well conditioned fish.
Eric,
I did not Habituate them because I did not want to keep them in the warmer waters on the top of the pond any longer then I needed to (my cage is only two and a half feet tall). I figured some might become food and others would survive and that would be okay. The real focus was on reducing the bio loading in Georgetopia.

When I transfer the lion share of the fish, I will have a new cage that will allow me to habituate them. I am going to build a round cage for that effort.

Have any other tricks I can learn?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/12/13 08:20 PM
I use a net to habituate fish. Best way IMO is with rigid plastic netting. Buy it in a roll or long sheet. Walk it out from shore in an arch and D ring it to temp posts. Put fish behind it and give them several hours then take the net down and roll it up for storage.
Eric, that is genius! simple, easy, very effective and reusable! It would give the fish access to nearly four feet of water and a large area to habituate in. I love it!! I have some left over ridged netting from my last fish trap so I'll see how big an area I could make and let you know. I think that just might the ticket for the fish!

Any thought on size of the area for the pen? And do you release them all at once or some at a time?
Originally Posted By: Zep
Originally Posted By: esshup
Don't forget the GFIC.


esshup if it's possible i am "GFCI obsessed".

One of our employees was electrocuted a few years ago working on his mother's pond fountain. Very sad...great guy...gone in a flash. I probably have more GFCI plugs in my house than anyone in Texas....they tell me "well you dont need one, because this circuit already has one"...."I dont care put in another one by this sink". If you hear I was electrocuted at least know I tried! Ha Ha.




I have them in the schools I provide fish systems and fish for but one problem we have is the darn things like to trip for no apparent reason. One time one tripped and although I had battery back up, it was over a weekend, and once the batteries used up all their juice the aeration failed and the fish died.

Thoughts? (Yeah i know this is a old thread but just saw it as I was interesting in the solar powered aerator.)
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/21/13 08:41 PM
Double check Cecil. They may have combos with AFCI's (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters) Some electric motors will nuisance trip them.
Okay, I have been very busy and had little time to write, but I have finally have a few minutes.

Georgetopia is doing great!! The solar powered aerator is a great addition. The O2 levels remain high even during the Texas drought. Last week, we got rain, a lot of rain!! We got over 8 inches and Georgetopia came up over 18 inches. We got so much rain the Feeder got a bit of water on its feet!!






The CNBG and Tilapia are doing great. I have transferred over ten coolers of fish from Georgetopia to the big pond, and I plan to transfer as many as possible to the big pond in the coming weeks. I plan on keeping the best of the best as my brood stock in Georgetopia. Further, I may try to over winter some Tilapia just to see if I can do it.


And here you can see the beach that we cleaned up this spring. The rain brought up the water level about 13 inches, not as much as I would like, but I'll take it. (Side note: the bucket in the lower right was sitting on dry land before this rain)




And here is how the big pond is maturing. I like how it is doing!! (Georgetopia is in the upper left corner of this picture)




One other thing I am focused on is the feral hog problem, I have set up my deer feeder and some hog panels. There is an opening that will be set up as a circle 6 pen the next time I am out there. With any luck, I should be set for BACON!! for a long time.



All in all, the the farm is doing great. Gergetopia was a great addition to our farm. I now have a really nice seine, and hunting season looks bright.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/30/13 01:36 AM
Looks great Brian. Love all the pics.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/30/13 01:48 AM
You have done a great job! The big lake really looks "fishy"...
Brian, seriously happy you got all that rise. We got 4" of rain, and the puddle came up 4".

I like the hog feeder too!
Posted By: sprkplug Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/30/13 01:12 PM
So awesome to see that additional water! The lake looks great!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/01/13 01:02 AM
Nice job on the farm/lakes. You must be good at doing the rain dance also.
All,
Thanks for the kind words. The real test is when we seine Georgetopia and see how we did. I expect that we are going to be happy with the results. Remember, we have already taken lots of fish out of Georgetopia over the summer and now as the water cools, it is time to transfer all but the ones we will retain as brood stock in Georgetopia. The extra Tilapia should be great with a little lemon juice!!

Eric, I can not take credit for the rain dance, but I love the results!!

BTW, here is a few pics I took from a storm at the end of Aug (sorry for the late post). This storm took down hundreds of trees in the area. We lost the tops of a bunch of the trees in the shallow end of the pond during this storm. Also, we lost power for quite a long time. But we did get an inch or two of rain while in town, they only got wind and dust.

Also, these pictures were taken after the big part of the storm passed and I felt safe enough to step outside long enough to take them!!




Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/01/13 08:55 PM
White-caps on Lake HighFlyer!
I remember that storm well. That was the one highflyer had while we were getting our hay baled. We are 20 miles southwest of him and the sun was shining at our place as he was getting this.
Well tomorrow is a big day at lake Georgetopia.

Allen and I are going to bring George out to the farm and show him how Georgetopia has done. Remember, the spring was cold and wet off and on so we really never got a good start to the season. Right after that, it got hot and dry, very dry. It was so bad that even in June, my springs could not keep up with the losses. My LMB spawn was iffy at best. I have a lot of pictures and video of Bass on nests, but so far I have not seen much recruitment. I am afraid the weather just did not support a good spawn. On the other hand, I have seen some smaller catfish and a lot of smaller BG in the big pond. The catfish were delicious!! The BG that I do catch are fat and full of life. I was able to take video and pictures of their spawns and I have seen a lot of little BG swimming around.

So with all of that, how is Georgetopia doing? I will admit I spent a lot more time working on Georgetopia than the rest of the property this summer, but there was a method to my madness. I added the solar powered aerator because I needed to have a safety valve and it work very well. I was also able to add just the right amount of fertilizer to get a good bloom. Allen help me get rid of some turbidity with our alum experiment. But with the eight inch rain we had a couple weeks ago, a lot of that returned. It will be interesting to see if Georgetopia clears any now that it has had some time to settle. If not, I will add another learning point to the list.

Now it's October and I need to start to put Georgetopia into its winter mode. I will try my best to ease Georgetopia into that mode by removing most of the fish this week. This is going to be a two pronged attack. First off, George is going to try to teach me a little about fly fishing on Georgetopia, and when he get frustrated with my incompetence (I bet less than five minutes, Allen gives me ten), Allen and I will seine Georgetopia. We will select the best of the best to remain in Georgetopia for the winter and the rest, as Allen says, get to go swim in the public pool. George gets to be the photographer. I hope its a fun day, the forecast could not be better. Everything should be ready and it is time to get Georgetopia into its winter gears.

There is going to be a winter experiment/learning opportunity this year in Georgetopia. I have ordered 1000 feet of half inch black drip tubing. I plan to set it up around the rim of Georgetopia and run water through it during the day seeing if I can add enough heat to Georgetopia to raise its temp and expand the warm season at all. The goal is to never see less than 60 degrees in Georgetopia all winter. Of course I will use the solar system to power the project and I will use the same pumps I used for the sprinkler system the last two years. All in all, I am in this experiment for $87 in poly tubing. And if I see some progress, but not enough, I'll add another 1000 feet to see how that does!!

To think,Georgetopia started out as a tribute to George only after I was more than half the way through the beach clean up. I added it to try my hand at growing some CNBG to improve the genetics in our big pond because of where it had started, I never imagined that I would do so much with it and learn what I have in such a short time. It may not look like it, but I have a better understanding of what George was trying to tell me last year now that I have a thimble full of experience this year.

Pictures of the events of tomorrow to follow; Wish us well!!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/08/13 08:32 PM
Good luck and please keep up the info exchange. There is no teacher like personal experience. It was a fun first year and productive.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/09/13 04:19 AM
Brian, I waved at you when I went near Memphis today. I guess you didn't see it. wink I'm about half way to Georgetopia, spending the night right outside of Little Rock, AR.

With the black tubing, you might want to get it up off the ground, or at least insulated from the ground so the ground doesn't suck out the heat. Maybe get some of that thin foil faced insulation, cut it into whatever width you need to place it under the tubing?

Good luck tomorrow! Say HI to George and Al for me.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/09/13 10:38 AM
Use the foil/insulator that has a black face to absorb heat to be transferred to the tubing. Or put tar paper/roof wrap on top of the insulator next to the tubing.
The black tubing was delivered today, and it's a big roll!! I am now working on the best value way to set it up to capture and retain the sun's heat wit as small a foot print as possible.

Eric and Scott, thanks for the ideas. Now that I see how big the roll is, I can start to put the plan into action.

As some might have read, I did not make it back to Texas today due to an Aux Pitot tube heater. Allen and George had a great day at their places, so our place will be the focus the next time we get out in a few days. Pictures and the report from Georgetopia will have to wait until later this week or early next week. I missed a great day in Texas.... But that comes with the job.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/10/13 05:17 AM
Couldn't you have put a lighter to it to heat it up? grin
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/10/13 10:41 AM
Such is life ! There will be another day.
Scott, there are no, I repeat no 500 mile an hour lighters available!! But we did look just to make sure!!

Saturday is the reschedule day, I hope we don't get too much rain before we finish seining Georgetopia.

Agreed Eric.
Okay, it's Saturday!! We got to get out to the farm and see how Georgetopia did this year. It started out as a fun day. I brought my son and picked up george on the way out to the farm. Santa Allen caught up to us just a few minutes after things were set up.

Allen and my son got started setting up the seine. George was in charge of photography, so you know how this is going to go!!




Next Santa and I got ready to get going. The seine is 55 feet long and eight feet tall.



During the first seining, we caught a bunch of fish including these fish.








We figured we had pulled the seine way to fast on the first pull, so we decided to try it again and slow down. We found that slower was much better.







All in all, we pulled the seine three times, each time we pulled slower than the previous time and we got better results each time.

After all three pulls, we sorted all of the CNBG's saved to select the best ones to be returned to Georgetopia. George got to toss back the first fish!!




I was second fiddle for the repatriation of Georgetopia.....




I also saved some of the tilapia to also be set free in Georgetopia for the winter. I am going to try to add a solar powered water heater to Georgetopia in an attempt to overwinter some tilapia in georgetopia.






All in all, Santa, George and I had a great day out on our farm. While my son did most of the work, we took most of the credit!!





I'll post more after the solar powered heater is installed and I'll post how well it is working.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/13/13 11:43 AM
Fantastic post , pics and results. Those CNBG look in great condition.

Those CNBG look like George's babies.

Any guess on the #s and weight of total fish moved ?
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/13/13 08:38 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
Fantastic post , pics and results. Those CNBG look in great condition.

Those CNBG look like George's babies.

Any guess on the #s and weight of total fish moved ?

Yesterday was a great day that was a new learning experience for me - observed seining a forage pond!
The most exciting event of the day was watching Brian select OTS CNBG brood stock based on confirmation of color, pattern, and growth characteristics.

Compare Brian’s CNBG photos to the photo of their great grand dad’s photo!





30 September, 2009


Best CNBG genetics in this part of the country IMO!

Good job Brian - thanks for the memories!
George
Eric, I believe I can defend weights and numbers as followed:

I think we took out between 1000 and 2000 fish this time, and I would estimate the weight removed from Georgetopia and put in the public pool to be close to 35 pounds this time.

I figured this two ways. One, the weight of the fish in each dip net as we cleaned the seine; And two, the pictures we took. The seine passes had about a 25 inch, a just under 30 inch and an over 32 inch ball of fish as we pulled the seine out of the water. A fish count went like this. "Holly crap that's a lot of fish." Then I would count an area and do a little multiplication work and when I figured we were over 1000 fish and I was happy and stopped counting. That happened before we finished with the second pass.

We ended up putting something less than eight pounds of the best of the best CNBG back into Georgetopia as next years brood stock. I also added back five to eight pounds of Tilapia to see if I can over winter them in Georgetopia with a little help from a solar water heater. The water heater will get installed next week. I have all the parts now so this should come together pretty fast. I should be able to gauge the delta T from input to output with a simple thermometer. knowing the rise in temperature and knowing the flow rate should make this simple math to see if I can add enough heat to make a difference.


All in all, we seined Georgetopia three times this summer. I would estimate in total we took out something under 100 pounds of fish which we put into the big pond. Georgetopia started as an after thought, but I am glad we did it. I like the control it affords us and I like the fact that we can select what we would like to put into it as we go. Georgetopia's future looks bright!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/14/13 10:40 PM
I agree. No need to defend as no one has a better count than you guys.

I was trying to formulate a rough guess as to carrying capacity for GT and #s and lbs moved to big lake.

Watch over winter and spring at condition of big lake's LMB to gauge improvement in RW. That is for example 100 lbs of added forage = 5 % improvement in RW condition. Also have to gauge how many of the CNBG stocked into big lake survive to become pert of standing stock in Big Lake.
Georgtopia had MORE TOPIA!!

Today my dirt guy came by and got rid of the old burn pile. It took a while to shake out the dirt, but after a while, the burning commenced!!

After that, the real work began. He was there to dig out two new forage ponds. Georgetopia II and III.



Georgetopia II was first, it is roughly the same size and shape as Gerogetopia I. Georgetopia III is a little smaller but that is okay because it is going to be used to work on LMB genetics!!

Georgtopia III is also closer to some pine trees, so I 'll have to see if that effects water quality in a little pond or not.



I took a panoramic of the three ponds in the foreground and of course, the big pond is in the background.



All in all, the ponds turned out pretty cool. I like the way they look and I like how we have them set up.



It was a very busy day, and to top it off, I found signs of a beaver in our pond.

Turns out that there was one. And Eric was right, you only get one shot, but that was all I needed to shut him down. And now according to Santa, I do not need to shave again as now I am a mountain man!!

I have just one question for all the real mountain men out there, Is there an easier way to skin a beaver? (Pun intended!!)



All in all, in looks great, I am going to add water and erosion control matting this weekend!!



I think I'll start with FHM's in both the new ponds and go from there!!


I sure hope this doesn't go to George's head......
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 03:51 AM
Good going Brian! So, was it the practice on the 'coon that allowed you to get the beaver? wink

As for skinning, leave them just like that. Cut around the tail and legs right at the fur line. Make a slit from the tail all the way to the chin. Work the skin off from there. They don't let go of their skin easily tho, and then you need to flesh them to get the fat/meat/gristle off. They are dried "in the round". Lay the skin on a piece of plywood fur side down (make sure the fur is dry). One nail at the center of the tail, one at the nose. One in the center of the belly on each side. Now put another nail in every inch or so and pull it so the outside of the skin is round.

With the turbidity problems that you had with Georgetopia I, I'd get ready for an alum treatment of the new ones. Better fish growth that way.

I don't think your boss is going to let you give Al a run for his money in a beard growing contest.....

Looks great!!


Keep up the good thread George and Brian. I love the pictures!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 10:46 AM

Originally Posted By: highflyer
Georgtopia had MORE TOPIA!!
....................................................

I sure hope this doesn't go to George's head......


Brian, I am blown away - CONGRATULATIONS!
Just think - about a year ago I was trying to convince you to dig a forage pond - 'ya done good my friend!
George
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 11:01 AM
Originally Posted By: esshup
I don't think your boss is going to let you give Al a run for his money in a beard growing contest...


Heck Brian may give Overton's a run for their money! laugh

Way2GoBrian!
Originally Posted By: highflyer
...And now according to Santa, I do not need to shave again as now I am a mountain man!! ...

No more mountain man for me. I was without a cell phone signal and internet for 4 days at Beaver Bend OK and almost had a panic attack.

Congrats Brian, looks like Hans did good work again.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 11:25 AM

Brian, you made my day – I am excited!
I have visions of a world-class fishery!
With the ~18 pure Florida Bass we stocked last fall in big lake you have pure Floridas, natives and F1’s – a fantastic fishery as is!

Now with visions of grandeur, Georgetopia III “grow-out pond” is begging for next spring stocking of Camelot Bell to feast on your fall stocking of forage fish.

With your management skills, I see options galore to achieve your goals.
I’m stoked.
George

Ps: get you name on Todd’s Camelot Bell next spring fingerling list – if not already.
He tells me they will be ready for delivery in May.
G/
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 12:06 PM
Moving right along Brian. Nice!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 02:07 PM
Very nice work Brian. Which new pond GT III or GT II did you put the spawning shelf in ?

George , Brian and I talked about growing out his own LMB from a few adults he should get from Todd. Spawn his own yoy and grow them out. Watch them as the yoy numbers decline from the spawn # of appx 50,000 to a few hundred. When he gets them to about 8 inches then seine and select the 50 best and put them in GT I to feast on its inhabitants for several mths. Then seine them and the remaining GT I forage out and place all of them in the big lake after habituation. Should be quite a ride!

BTW nice shot !
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/22/13 03:03 PM
Eric, Brian briefly discussed your advice with me and I agree if you are talking about Camelot Bell LMB genetics.
I do not agree with stocking more LMB in main lake until he has a culling plan in progress and discussed CB options with Todd – which I insist that he carefully consider.

I provided enough pure Florida LMB stock last fall for him to have ample F1s so would not stock any additional LMB if CB are not considered. I believe I am the only one on the forum with CB experience with adult stockers.
These are the ONLY new LMB genetics I would introduce into my pond/lake:

Caught CB in December 2012 - weighed in at ~2 lbs @ 15 inches - 8 months old!


My 2 cents worth.
George

Thanks everyone, I am humbled by the success we have had. I say we because I have not done this alone and there are too many people to mention, besides I might miss one and that would not do.

Scott,
Outing me on the raccoon? You try shooting a raccoon at full speed while standing on the side of a dam while the thing is running past you from right to left while you are holding your phone up to your ear and talking about important stuff like GT II and III!! Second, that is about how I did the skinning, but man was that a process. I think I need a sharper knife!! I now need to get him up on a board. The turbidity issue may be there, but I have all winter to see how they settle before I need to do anything if I feel it needs to be done.

Cecil, thanks, this has been a lot of work, but it has been fun.

Mark, NO WAY, Todd is a professional, and I am just an amateur playing in the water.

Allen, I recommend him completely. and really, four days, big deal.....LOL!! Get busy with your renovation mister!!

Phil, this is fun!!

Eric,
Thanks for all the help. GT II and III have ledges for spawning. It may not look like it, but they do. My plan is to toss all the unwanted fish into GTIII as food for the bass that I 'll try to grow there. That way, I get rid of the ones I don't want, and the bass grow big fast!! The plans are going to be fluid as I learn things, but I expect GTI will remain my CNBG pond and GTIII will be my LMB production pond. GTII is the real Mystery. I am unsure where it fits in the whole process, but I'm sure I'll figure it out with a little help from my friends......

George,
Input is always welcome!! Lets see what the spring brings. When I started out with our ponds, I wanted a balanced pond and I still do, so I have to be careful not to swing the pendulum too far to one side or the other. I agree I need to get busy removing bass. And now that the temps are good, I am on it!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 01:33 AM
Brian:

laugh

I gotta give you a hard time! wink If you read my reply, I just said "practice on the 'coon" I never said whether you hit it or missed. wink grin I wondered what the "pop" was when we were talking. grin

Good thing you got that Nutria, they are like huge muskrats.

What'd you get the beaver with?

Yeah, they ARE hard to skin. Now you gotta flesh the hide. I know you don't have the equpiment to do that, so just take the hide, roll it up, put it in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer until you get the proper tools. I'll send you an e-mail with links to the tools you'll need.

Your place is shaping up nicely!
Scott, I would not have it any other way!!!

I got the beaver with my trusty .40 cal right behind the eyes. I saw him first and got a good shot off before he saw me. I was planning on trying to flesh out the beaver hide with one of my Ulu knives, but I'll take any advise you have!! For now, its in the freezer awaiting instructions!! The 330 got the Nutria.

I know this is a little off thread, but its my thread: I saw several YOY LMB in the big pond today chasing dragonflies in the shallows. It was fun to watch, and it inspired me to get my fishing stuff out and get busy removing the slackers. I'll post the best pictures tomorrow.

Now back to the thread's theme. GT II and III are making water, but I am unsure if it is from the big pond or from the rains we have had the last two weeks. The water looks a lot clearer than GT I's original water so I am hopeful that the turbidity will be lower form the start but we shall see.
It is great to see yall out there seining, and showing off high quality product. Pure genetics, good program, great guys, thanks for sharing. Shed a tear seeing my babies all grown up so fast. Those bluegill stocked were graded off the top of several thousand individuals. They look awesome.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 04:20 AM
Todd:

I'm sending you a PM. Check them when you have a chance.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 10:42 AM
George I was only addressing the growout pond not the lake culling program. I think Brian has full control of that aspect. I am not even sure where it stands. I just know Brian wanted to grow out some better genetic LMB for the lake.

Brian what about just tilapia in GT II. That way you could use less expensive feed for them as they do better with less protein and a higher plant based product.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 12:08 PM

Originally Posted By: ewest

George , Brian and I talked about growing out his own LMB from a few adults he should get from Todd. Spawn his own yoy and grow them out. Watch them as the yoy numbers decline from the spawn # of appx 50,000 to a few hundred. When he gets them to about 8 inches then seine and select the 50 best and put them in GT I to feast on its inhabitants for several mths. Then seine them and the remaining GT I forage out and place all of them in the big lake after habituation. Should be quite a ride!

BTW nice shot !

Originally Posted By: ewest
George I was only addressing the growout pond not the lake culling program. I think Brian has full control of that aspect. I am not even sure where it stands. I just know Brian wanted to grow out some better genetic LMB for the lake.

Eric, I am confused what you mean by “I just know Brian wanted to grow out some better genetic LMB for the lake.”
Brian already has the very best genetics from the very best sources in this part of the country, with pure Florida LMB and CNBG introduced into his lake and brood pond this past year.

What kind of improvements are you addressing?
The only improvements in Florida LMB that have been made are the Camelot Bell LMB strain – fast growth, catchability and confirmation. I have personally documented these traits in my pond.

I have had the honor and unique opportunity to accompany Brian of his journey from the beginning of our relationship and considered a “mentor” in avoiding mistakes made that I have experienced.

As you know, the only information that I make public on the forum is experienced based.
Brian confides with me in a personal and private manner, which I respect and will not post on the forum.

Brian has done a fantastic job with his resources, which I recognize potential for a world-class fishery.
I have been honored to participate in his adventure.
George







Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 02:16 PM
George the big lake in my understanding has a mix of LMB genetics including some very good ones . Brian wants to keep improving the genetic mix in the big lake. What we talked about was getting a few adult CB LMB from Todd and putting them in GT III and watch them spawn , grow them out and hand select the best to go in the big lake. That is an option to stocking small CB yoy with the risk of heavy predation or stress related loss and unknown survival #s for planning. Plus you have the benefit of your own judgment and gain experience. Fairly simple plan and is the same concept as the one used on his /your CNBG and consistent with what you have posted. It is just an extension of what he is currently doing.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 02:39 PM
Eric, we are on the same page....develop forage base in "grow-out" pond and stock Camelot Bell fingerlings next spring.
Stocking adult CB pairs is cost prohibitive.

I am privy to confidential information about CB that I cannot disclose. However with experience and knowledge accrued, I am in a position to be helpful to those interested in Camelot Bell LMB.
George
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 06:12 PM
George " Stocking adult CB pairs is cost prohibitive."

Not if you raise your own from fry in GT I , II or III !
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 08:08 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
George " Stocking adult CB pairs is cost prohibitive."

Not if you raise your own from fry in GT I , II or III !

Eric,I know that you know about the birds and bees...right? grin
Where are you going to get the CB fry?
Those fry have to have a mama and papa and they are pricey!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 09:02 PM
From Todd. Put some in GT III with some FH and small BG fry and watch them grow. If you can't buy adult stockers then grow your own. I don't think that would be cost prohibitive for Brian. 50 2-4 inch CB yoy should be plenty. If I bought a couple hundred from Todd I would hold back 50 and put them in GT III filled with fry forage and a feeder.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 10:30 PM
Sorry, I did not know that your advice had come from Todd since he does not talk about customers business. We have discussed this subject at length in person.

My mistake - I didn't know Todd sold CB "fry".
Todd has on his website 1”-3” CB will be available May-June and 3”-4” at the same time. Are these fish fry or fingerlings?
My redneck definition:
Fry: 1 inch?
Fingerling: 3 inches?

We have been telling Brian the same thing. I call it options since it is his decision.
I ask him to consider stocking “fingerlings” in May - grow them out - save his best of best for brood stock and transfer selected numbers to lake.

He should get his name on the list early however - Todd sold out early this spring.

Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 10:39 PM
George what are you doing with your adult non-cammy black bass that you cull out?
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/23/13 10:54 PM
Mark, I hate to tell you, but they are coon food.
I may get divorced when apprehended by Mrs. G however. cry
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/24/13 12:19 AM
George I may need to drop by & pick 'em up!
What sizes are they?
Caught Floridas all my life...
I could give them a nice new comfy home!
smile
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/24/13 10:44 AM
Mark, Brian and my sons and I took out some 18 pure Floridas last fall for his lake and with the hot weather have not fished our pond enough this summer to evaluate condition and numbers.

Out of the 8 CB we stocked, 4 have been caught and released, proving the catchability and fast growth characteristic - fin clip ID.
Only one 3+ lb fat and happy Florida has been CPR.
So far the only LMB that have been culled have been small <14 inhchers and like I said Mrs. G wasn't happy.

With the on/off hot/cold spring I don't think we got a good spawn - hope not anyway - how was your spawn and how are your Camelot Bells doing?

If we find over abundance of Floridas I will give you a holler.
I have too good Florida genetics to go to waste.
George
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/24/13 02:44 PM
Thanks George.

To tell you the truth there has hardly been any fishing going on since we started building the log cabins early this year. I added some small camelot bells last year, but I would assume that many of them got gobbled up. It was probably a rookie mistake adding small camelot bells into a large pond full of predators, but who knows maybe a few made it? I switched gears this year and had Overton's add some nice size adult Florida largemouth bass in late Spring 2013. I hope the adult Floridas we added have been feasting on Overton's Tilapia over the summer. Gosh those Overton Tilapia are the best aren't they? Maybe 2014 will allow more time to wet a hook!

ps: Sorry for thread-drift Brian!

Okay, I am back among the connected. First off, I would like to thanks Eric and George for their continued input as I learn about growing the best fish. Both your input means a lot to me. I have set up GTII now called "Moretopia" by the boss, and GT III, "Extratopia" so I have options. IF CB are available I may try my hand at growing some out in Extratopia, but if they aren't, I will find the best of my LMB, either F1s or Floridas and try my hand at spawning them in Extratopia and try to grow the fry out and select the best to go into the public pool. I will of course save the best of the best to remain behind for the following year if possible. But nothing is in stone at this time. Moretopia will be growing FHMs and CNBG to start with. I may change things up as I go, but who knows, it is only the beginning of a long and fun journey. No doubt I'll make more mistakes. We all do, but as long as I learn from them, I'm okay with that.

Mark, no problem!! I enjoyed the discussion!!

Okay, so how did it turn out, well I like the results so far: But first a picture of the back waters of the big pond for Mark and Tony.


The topped trees happened during the storm last month, the same one that caused the whitecaps.




NOW back to the thread!!

Here is Extratopia filling using Allen's improved filler "neck" and the filters Todd recommended. I was happy with the water as it filled. I took the water from the big pond.

Eric, the shelf only has 8-10 inches on it right now, but I plan to raise the water level another foot before adding any LMB.



Here is a picture of Moretopia early in the process of being filled. Again, Allen's modification worked great!!



Finally, I took these pictures early this morning. While I have not finished filling either pond, both have enough water to get started. I'll add more water as needed in time.

This picture was taken while standing on Georgetopia looking south towards the new ponds and down the big pond.



Here is a picture taken from the west of the new ponds, It shows the big pond in the background and how the two new ponds look today.



Next week I plan to add FHM's to both ponds to get them started. I'll add some Georgetopia water to add a starter amount of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton as well.

As always, I would love to hear any thoughts.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/24/13 07:46 PM
That looks great ! 18-24 inches of water over the shelf is enough for LMB or CNBG to spawn. I have seen them spawn in 10 inches of water. May want to think about a temporary netting method over the shelf to keep herons out during the spawn.

I know you have put out some rye or other grass seed.
Rye goes out on Tuesday with the erosion matting!! I have a helper (read nephew) who will be used like a rented mule Tuesday and Wednesday!!! If we have any time left over, I have a few other odd jobs we will be working on!! And we will go fishing because skinning fish is also on his agenda!!

Heron netting may be needed, I'll see how it goes and be ready if needed. I think a scarecrow might just do the trick as the area is not that big.
Posted By: sprkplug Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/24/13 09:06 PM
Outstanding!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/25/13 12:11 AM
Brian, thanks for the "heads up" phone call - 'ya done good my friend!
George
Well Georgetopia's new neighbors are doing well!! I have rye grass seed out and some of the erosion control matting out as well.

Here is a picture of Extratopia. It will be used for LMB spawning and grow-out.



Here you can see all three ponds and the erosion control matting that we have put down so far.

I plan to put down the rest as soon as possible.



Here is a picture of Allen and another friend who helped me cull a few of my CNBG from Georgetopia and set them free in Extratopia to get going on a spawn. I hope to get ahead of the curve in both Extatopia and Moretopia as I have plans for them in the spring.



While a little off topic, this was just a great picture form this weekend and I had to share it. No one is quite sure the masked man is next to Santa, but he has a grin on his face and he is having fun fishing on the big pond.



Now back to topic, here is a picture of the new brood ponds from the hilltop on a beautiful November day. I just love this time of the year!!



All in all, this has been a great year, yes there have been some challenges, but the blessings far outweigh the bad.

I'll write again as needed to document our progress.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/11/13 10:43 PM
I've been on that hill! Beautiful place!
Your lake is bigger than mine & I may never get over that!
laugh
Yep, it's a beautiful place
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/12/13 02:03 AM
That guy standing next to Al with the fly rod in his hand doesn't fool anyone. wink grin

Looking good!!
Scott, he wasn't hiding his face, he was passing out. I had just told him the Japanese swim bait I hung up and lost at Brian's cost $50.

I did catch him before he hit the clay.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/12/13 02:28 AM
laugh

Using the cheap ones, huh?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/12/13 03:04 AM
Just get him to roll cast up there with a big LMB rat bug and snag it out of the mess.

Beautiful Nov property review !!! Next one has to be Fecundtopia .
Mark, you are welcome anytime!!

Eric, I hope they ALL are!!
Okay, this week I got started on the solar powered water heater for Georgetopia. Round one is a DC electric water heater. I used a replacement water heater element. My solar panels puts out about 350 watts. Holding the heater in my hand, I can feel it warming up very quickly so I know it is working!! By the way, it was an overcast day as I tested. In full sunlight, I should be getting even better power.

I also tested it in a bucket of pond water and it raised the temperature over 6 degrees in less than five minutes with the same overcast!!




I then added legs and put it in the pond. It is not quite in the deep end, but when I get a chance to get better wire, I'll move it to the center of the deep end. Hopefully this will create a warmer sanctuary for the Tilapia. Time will tell.



Currently Georgetopia is about 60 degrees while Moretopia is at 58.5 degrees, so I should be able to tell if the heater is doing any good other than making me feel better!!
Posted By: RER Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/22/13 02:09 PM
Im very interested in how your heater performs..

I live right on the edge of the climate range for some of my pond fish. Every few years we will get cold enough to effect them. I really only need to a couple degrees when this happens.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/22/13 02:20 PM
You do know that with that heater and a tarp (photo period control) you can manufacture some extra spawns !
Bobby, I'll be keeping a log to see if there is any detectable increase in water temperature in Georgetopia. I figure after a few samples I should know if it is doing me any good. The coolest part is that it is easy to add more solar power to the setup if needed. And of course, I'll post the results good or bad as I know them.

Eric, I am all ears!! What do I need to do? Will it work for FHM, BG and Tilapia? Is there a PDF available I can download and read about this?
Wouldn't it be more energy efficient to make a convective water heater (aka solar pool heater) like some folks have here in the northeast on roofs? Solar to electric to heat is sort of an expensive way to skin that cat, unless you have solar just kicking around...
Liq,

I had the same idea, but I found out that I needed a little more time to finish that project and I do have solar just hanging around. They are the solar panels I used fo the solar powered sprinklers two and three summers ago and they are the same ones I use for the solar powered aerator this summer in Georgetopia. I simply had not taken them down because I was going to use them to power the pump. BUT, I did not have the time to finish up the heater, so I went electric. Here is what I have so far:



I started out okay, but the project grew faster than I expected. The 2x4s are 8 and 12 feet long. And that is 1000 feet of 1/2 inch drip tubing.

Then as you see, I figured out that I was going to need more support structure on the bottom, so I added two more 12 footers on the 2 and 6 foot lines. That worked great!



That is Blue Thunder in the background!




I'll need another day to finish the job and get it into place. I'll also need the strong arms of my son to help me get it into place!! But for now, I need to finish the spindle to unspool the drip tubing "nicely." I also need to get some fasteners to hold the tubing in place once it is on the OSB.


Side note:

Mark, I used the lure you gave me last year and caught this "butterball" It was 17 3/4 inches long and weighed 3lbs 12oz making it around 120 RW!!







I only had a minute or two to wet a hook, but I had to try!!

More on the solar as I get things done!!
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/22/13 09:33 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Side note:
Mark, I used the lure you gave me last year and caught this "butterball"


Ha Ha....you just made my day Brian!
Even had my brother in my office showing him.
That's awesome.
The H&H for me has always been a winner
over all those fancy more expensive spinner baits!

Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/22/13 10:35 PM
HF check this next PB issue for the Cutting Edge. I can send you some stuff.
Mark, smiles are what its all about.

Eric, I can't wait!!
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 11/23/13 04:07 AM
Thanks for the report, Brian. This is really interesting...
Well I got back to the farm after the big freeze and what a shock. The rains, ice and sleet brought up the water level by over 6 inches in the big pond making the pool there the highest it has ever been. With all that water, I found this waiting for me in the Topia area.




I call it Pantopia. Georgetopia and Moretopia merged. Extratopia was still separated, but not by much. I also see that the overflow for extratopia is about a foot and a half below the inflow level from Moretopia, so that is good to learn as well.

Here is a different look.




After several hours of pumping, Georgetopia and Moretopia were separated. I now know that syphon pipes are in the future for the Topias. Also, Texas hunter feeders don't float. I fear I'll have some cleanup to tend to later this month.

The solar heater did work, but not well enough. I fear that the icy weather most likely took out the Tilapia. I'll know more when I get back out to the farm and pull the seine net through Georgetopia. I did not have time to work a net as I got the opportunity to try out my new skinning knife unexpectedly!!

Turns out Otters are easier than Beavers to skin.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 12/17/13 03:59 PM
Brian, I had a TH that was submerged once. One thing I learned was to clean out the food as quickly as possible. It dries like concrete. Also, mine was solar and worked fine after re-cleaning.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 12/17/13 06:23 PM
The TH will be fine. The fish populations are now mixed up but that is ok. Next step a self deploying water control system (siphon/release mech.)for excess water and fish release.
The feeder was empty!! so no problem there, but it was a little scary seeing that much water around it.

Eric, I agree, I need to add syphon pipes for the Topias. Georgetopia started out as a "lets see what happens" pond, but now I am convinced as to the potential of forage/spawning ponds to control certain aspects of the ponds.

As for the fish, the fish that were in Moretopia came from Gerogetopia so there is no problem there as well. If I had gone any further with the plans, I would have had a possible problem on my hands.

I figure a two or three inch syphon pipe setup for the Topias. The water does not enter all that fast, but it can slowly flow in for days. Even if it is a "normal" spring, I doubt I would over run a three inch syphon set correctly.

Thoughts?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 12/18/13 11:59 AM
2-3 inch can handle a good bit of water. Mark the elevations from the pics and debris ring to see what should be changed if anything.
Okay, I have been out to the farm and I am learning patients. We had some real good rains and now the big pond is about 8 inches from full pool!! The bad side of all this rain is the fact that moretopia had a blowout. Georgetopia and Extratopia are fine. I am working with my dirt guy to repair moretopia as soon as possible.

On a side note, I now have better solar equipment for TP&L (Topia Power and Light). I am going to generate substantially more power out at the Topias. I plan to setup a pump, syphons, aeration, and lights for the Topias.

I do have a few questions for the group:

Has anyone used the Bojo lights? And if so how did it work? Were there any problems? How about maintenance?

I want to add a natural food source but only if it feasible and cost effective.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/13/14 07:21 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
(Topia Power and Light)


Love it!...lol

Mark that is a good start, I would like a graphics on the shirt showing several fish turning a squirrel cage tied to a generator making electricity for the lights and aerators!!
Also, I like blue text instead of black text..... and give it some style please!!
Posted By: JKB Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/14 12:52 AM
Blue is much better!

Forgot to ask. How did the Aluminum welding gig go?
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/14 05:25 PM
Brian, I used a Bojo light a few years ago. I think you can get them solar powered, but not positive. They work pretty well, 8 on a 1-10 scale...
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/14/14 05:36 PM
Brian:

What are the goals for the 'topia where the Bojo will be stationed? Is natural food needed, or would it be more cost effective (strictly on a performance level - aestetics aside) to put the Bojo $$ towards a TH feeder and/or food?
Phil, I am learning to weld Aluminum pretty quickly!! ( my practice looks good, the millermatic is making it easy) The box should be done next week. I'll post as soon as its done.

RM, are you still using the Bojo, or did it fail? I'll be using an inverter to power mine if I get any.

Scott, I wanted to consider natural food for the fish. I figure it might help them grow better. It is all about learning. Besides, I think I will have a little extra power now that I am getting serious about my solar power.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/17/14 01:36 AM
Brian, I had an unexpected flood at my pond, and it got submerged, and I never bothered to try and fix it. I'd buy one again.
Thanks for the update, I am still undecided. I would love to hear from others about their experiences with things like Bojo.
Well I have had some time to work on some of the parts for TP&L. I have a Beta Charge controller for my project. I got to test it today and it looks very promising. I tested it using several configurations and I can say that it is a very solid piece of engineering. It is a MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker). This Technology allows the panels to collect at their maximum power potential and the controller does all of the conversion to charge the batteries.

TP&L is also going two axis solar tracking for better daily power. As my testing shows, I should be able to produce far more power out of the existing panels and do even better if I upgrade to bigger panels. In short, TP&L looks like a go!!

Here is a test run using 90 watts of solar potential in partial cloud coverage. It produced 83-84 watts without cloud coverage.



With any luck, TP&L will have this upgrade before the spawning and aeration seasons this year!!
Well I got to get out to the farm late last week and we fixed Moretopia. The skill of the equipment operator was fun to watch. That thing never stopped moving.



Moretopia now has an eight inch drain pipe and is now six feet deep. That should be idea for my eight foot tall seine net!!





The plan for Extratopia this year is to try to spawn the best LMB from our big pond in a closed environment. To that end, Allen and I Alumed Extratopia. Here is a before look.



And on the sechi disk, it look like this before the treatment.



That is about three inches of visibility.

Here is Allen's great idea for mixing the alum and Hydrated lime. He set up an old trough with a few directed holes in it to chanel the water to one end. That end is weighted to keep the intake well below the waterline. Pouring the alum or Hydrated lime into the shallower end allowed it to mix with the water before being pumped through the system and back to the pond.



After we cleaned up the system, we took a look at the water and noticed an improvement. The visibility was now over 12 inches and still clearing.





In fact by the next morning, the visibility was around 24 inches and the temp was closing in on 60 degrees. I added some fertilizer to promote the phytoplankton as this week should see rising temperatures.


The plan for the Topias this year are as follows. First off, I am going to add bottom aeration to all three Topias to see how that works for us.

TP&L is getting a major upgrade. I am going 24Volts and I am going to use a nicer charge controller and solar tracker. I should be making a lot more power which will allow me to try a few different ideas.

Gerogetopia will remain my CNBG pond. Extratopia will be for LMB spawning. I am planning on catching the three nicest Female LMB we can from our big pond and also using three FLA LMB males to see how we do. Moretopia will be for extra CNBG production or if I need to "try" something else this summer.

I could not have done it this year without a lot of help, so to all who have helped, Thank you so very much, this is so much fun and a great learning experience!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/31/14 06:00 PM
Nice job -- well done !
Well the Tilapia arrived on friday and we got busy. First off, a Big Thank You to Allen for driving!! And a Really Big Thank You to Todd for growing such nice looking Tilapia yet again!! Overton's just does it right year after year.



The other good news this year was I had some help!! I had one of my nephews helping me so setting up the blocking net was a lot easier this year. We went with a triangle shape as it gave us more deep water for the Tilapia. The water temps was 64.3 degrees so I was not worried about the Tilapia, but I did want to give them a little deeper water in the big pond just in case.



For the big pond, it was easy, we floated the fish bags for about four minutes to start the temperature equalization. We then allowed the bags to fill partially with pond water to let the Tilapia get adjusted to the pond's water then we set them free in the netted area.




After an overnight soak to habituate the Tilapia, we set them free!!

For Georgetopia, things went about the same, but since there are no predators, no net was required. After the Tilapia got use to the pond water, we set them free and gave them some food.



As you can see, there is a little FA available in Georgetopia, but I expect them to feed on the aquamax most of the time.

Georgetopia got ten pounds of Tilapia. Moretopia and Extratopia both got five pounds of Tilapia, which is what I put in Georgetopia last year.

Moretopia went the same as Georgetopia. Extratopia was a little different as we treated that pond to reduce the turbidity and it showed. Extratopia was a lot cleaner and the Tilapia swam away sooner than in the other three ponds. But as soon as we tossed in some food, they came up for it.



On a side note: I really like the colorization of Extratpoia after we treated it. That pond is greening up nicely now that the temperature is rising. I have added a pound or so of fertilizer and it shows. We also added some hand selected CNBG from the big pond to start a nice forage base in anticipation of adding a few select LMB to Extratopia for brooding purposes. This should be an educational year to say the least.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/07/14 06:52 PM
Can you post the plan for Extratopia ?
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/07/14 10:11 PM
Methinks you need a lot more alum in Georgetopia...........
Eric,
Extratopia will get three of the biggest female LMB I can catch from the big pond. RW has to be high or I won't use them. Then I am going to get three male LMB trying for pure FLA genetics. They will also go into Extratopia for the spawn.

I then have two choices to make again. Choice one: Leave the spawn in Extratopia and grow them out over the summer and see how they do. If I go this way, I know that for the first week or so I will need to add really small food for them. After that, they should be able to eat the FHM's and other fry.

Choice two: Catch all the fry and release them in the big pond in the shallow end and let them survive on their own. The good thing here is the big pond is mature enough that it contains all the food they will need. But I would not know the results directly.

There are pluses and minuses to both ideas and I am still undecided as to which way I am going to go. I would love to hear your thoughts and the thoughts of others who may have tried this in the past.

I still have time to decide as the Dogwoods came into bloom just this last week. In another few weeks, the Male LMB will start to make their beds and I could be too late for this experiment this year.

It is going to be interesting to see where the LMB males make their bed this year as the water level is up several feet from last year. I am curious to see if they will use the old bed areas or move to new areas at the old depths.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/07/14 10:54 PM
If you leave them in there, add a bunch of cover for them to hide in. If not, I'd expect a lot of cannibilism.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/08/14 12:20 AM
Brian, you asked my opinion earlier on the phone about your LMB brood program - you know I don’t give advice without prior experience - but - if X-topia was my brood pond, and It isn’t - I know exactly the plan I would execute - I envy your opportunity.

First of all - the LMB spawn is already in progress in many ponds in our area - probably too late to harvest new brood stock. These cold fronts coming through are moving the bass off and on the beds.

I would talk to Overton about availability of his projected June availability of this year’s Camelot Bell spawn and purchase fingerling numbers recommended by Todd for maximum survivability.

In the meantime I would build the maximum forage base for X-topia by transferring as many CNBG, tilapia and FHM from G-topia and M-topia for CB fingerlings.

Yeah, there will be cannibalism but you want the to maintain the fastest growing “jumpers” for future brood stock - feed them heavily with trapped or net forage throughout the growing season and transfer smaller CB to main pond caught by hook and line.

This would be a great opportunity to preserve pure CB LMB genetics to jump start a world class fishery. Any bloodstock currently harvested would have questionable genetics IMO.

I would rely on Todd for management advice.
This would be my dream!

Good luck on your plan,
George


Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/08/14 09:58 AM
Brian, re-thinking your LMB brood plan last night (dangerous grin ), it’s not going to be a simple matter to run out and catch brood stock right now.
You and I got skunk all over us a couple of weeks ago and Jeff couldn't buy a bass last week.
These spring storm fronts are killing the fishing right now.
How ‘bout giving X-topia a few months to develop stronger forage base and grow out some advanced certified pure Florida fingerlings from Todd or Bob Waldrop later in the year.

Save your best of the best for next year brood program?
Tyler Fish Farm is a near neighbor if you can’t make the Camelot Bass thing work.
Just an idea?
George
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/14 03:00 PM
I would try the method described by George (plant small fingerlings) into X with as much forage as possible. I would want a bloom going as the yoy LMB put in (depending on size) will eat plankton/inverts at first then switch to a piscivorous diet (fish).

If I were going to try the plant adults to spawn route I would want them in the pond for 6 weeks prior to the spawn. This is because the stress of catching/ moving could delay or abort the spawn. Another option would be to move yoy LMB fry from the big pond to X. This is also hard as morts may be high and survival uncertain (you may put in 100 and all but 5 die or all 100 could live and overrun the forage).

The other plus to planting known yoy is you maintain the known quality for next time if you hold a few back. The negative is finding the right genetics for those planted yoy (sourcing is hard and uncertain).

My 2 cents worth.
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/14 03:45 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Eric,

I then have two choices to make again. Choice one: Leave the spawn in Extratopia and grow them out over the summer and see how they do. If I go this way, I know that for the first week or so I will need to add really small food for them. After that, they should be able to eat the FHM's and other fry.

Choice two: Catch all the fry and release them in the big pond in the shallow end and let them survive on their own. The good thing here is the big pond is mature enough that it contains all the food they will need. But I would not know the results directly.


What about doing half of each? Leave half the fry in Extratopia and put half in the big pond?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/09/14 06:44 PM
I was only addressing the initial stocking of X. What you do with the grown out LMB later this year is a different question based on goals. One could , if very brave , over stock the LMB and move some out as the fish grew. You would be assuming you could gauge critical load (carrying capacity) as the fish (all of them) grew. I don't trust running a system at high capacity for long --- usually bad things happen.
Eric,

As always, I learn. George is a great teacher and has so much knowledge that at times I am too many steps behind. You both talk about genetics from past experiences and I value that input. My concern was that I don't really know what I am doing so if I screw this up this year, so be it, but now I see that I really need to prepare for next year as I am already too late for this year. I think I may try to get some fingerlings from a trusted source and raise them this year in preparation for next years spawn. I have enough forage in there now to grow a good base for any fingerlings I may get and by next year, I should really have a good bottom up food chain in Extratopia to try my hand at raising some really nice fish.

On the loading front, I believe I have that covered. TP&L is coming along nicely, I should have 12 and 24 Volt DC and 120 volt AC power available at the Topias within a month. I have been collecting the parts to "fly" 900 watts of solar power out there and I should have enough storage to do just about anything I want electrically. I have a set of bottom diffusers that I am going to place in the Topias and I am looking for small (1/5 or 1/6 HP) surface aerators to add to them as well. My 1/2HP worked so well that I only had to run it a few hours a day, but what I really want is a smaller setup that I can run 24/7. Yes I could run the 1/2 HP stuff 24/7, but that would be a big waist of power and three of them plus the bottom system might tax the system if I have several cloudy days is a row.

Getting a good bump on genetics now is a worthy endeavor. I'll learn what I can this year to be better prepared for next year. But this is a bitter pill indeed.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/14 02:31 AM
Brian, don't sweat it. You had other priorities this year. A year won't make any difference in the grand scheme of things.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/14 10:34 AM
Hey buddy, 'ya doing good....you just don't realize how much you have accomplished this year - step back and take a look!
You are light years ahead of where I was at your stage and I was piddling with a puddle. You have an amazing resource!

Hey, Jeff wants to help you catch some of those big crappie Saturday - you gonna be fish farming or flyin'?
Gimmi a holler...
George
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 04/10/14 02:40 PM
Originally Posted By: george1
Hey buddy, 'ya doing good....you just don't realize how much you have accomplished this year - step back and take a look!
You are light years ahead of where I was at your stage and I was piddling with a puddle. You have an amazing resource!
George

Brian, IMO you have not lost a year - you have gained a year.
We'll talk about it!
George
Well my LMB are post spawn for sure, so this year is over for trying to spawn LMB in Extratopia but that is okay because I am using it to grow CNBG and Tilapia for the big pond. I went by on Thursday and I was excited to see thousands of tadpoles in Extratopia. The CNBG and Tilapia are eating from the feeder and the water chemistry looks great. I added some salt and I'll add some aglime in a few weeks but for now Extratopia looks great.



As you can see after the Alum treatment, Extratopia looks great. Here is another view.




Extratopia is so clean and getting green that I have decided to treat both the other two topias down to clean water. I have the Alum to treat and I am going to get some help from a friend and we are going to get the other two topias looking as good. I will keep records of the fish production and see what difference if any I get out of the cleaner waters.



On a side note: In the area where we cleaned up the shoreline, I have a lot of FA and I am very happy with it being there because I have seen so many little guys in there that have a chance to grow up before being eaten. The explosion of life this year is very encouraging!!







All in all, the Topias and the cleaned up area seem to be doing great so far this year. I now have my solar panels and charge controllers, so I am working hard to install TP&L in two locations and use the old system to water the grass on the hill.

It should be a busy summer for sure.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/03/14 11:21 PM
Are you going to try mixing alum and hydrated lime in the barrel at the same time again? wink grin

I like the clarity of the water compared to what it used to be!!!
I learn slowly......... smile

I like the water better now also.... so do the tadpoles and fish!!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/04/14 04:46 PM
I'll be interested to see the "before" and "after" pics of the topias after the treatments!
I'll post them and the water quality numbers as I get them. I am very interested to see if the treatment remains in effect, or if over time I will have to treat again.

Georgetopia was minimally treated last year and it did not hold through the dirt work we did this spring. so it will be interesting to see if after this treatment I get the same results.

Learning should occur.

BTW, what did you think of all those minnows in the algae? They are everywhere in the algae, that was just one place I took pictures. Also, I took some video that I will post later.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/04/14 06:22 PM
What species of "minnow" are they?
I figured the experts would be able to tell me what kind and how they are doing with those pictures. wink

I know I have FHM, topminnows and gambusia. I'll try to post the video tomorrow, today got away from me while I was working on other projects around the house.
Originally Posted By: esshup
Are you going to try mixing alum and hydrated lime in the barrel at the same time again? wink grin...

I feel safe answering for Highflyer, and the quick answer is no.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/05/14 02:43 PM
They look like and school like LMB fry (yoy)?
Eric,
Thanks, here is the video I promised, does it help to ID them? or do I need to catch some and take really good pictures?


Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/06/14 05:26 AM
I will not take a stab and actually try to tell you what they are, but will say those pictures and the size of the fish and the way they travel in groups act very much like what the experts ID'd for me as being Gambusia.

Here is a link to the pictures I took of the minnow that they ID'd

snrub's minnow ID request thread

Catch one in a minnow net and see if they don't look the same. If they are gams, there is a lot of good information about them in the thread link above.

Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/06/14 12:11 PM
Take a look at fishbase info below. They could be gams (cant tell from pic) . Usually gams don't have large broods like that.

http://fishbase.org/Reproduction/FishRep...;StockCode=3411


Reproduction of Gambusia affinis
Document source: http://fishbase.org/Reproduction/FishRep...;StockCode=3411

Main Ref. Seale, A., 1917

Mode dioecism
Fertilization internal (oviduct)
Spawning frequency No obvious seasonal peak
Batch spawner Ref.
Reproductive guild bearers
internal live bearers
Description of life cycle and mating behavior The species is viviparous (Ref. 5258). Internal fertilization is possible because the anal fin of the male is modified into a copulatory organ. The females carries about 30 alevins and gestation lasts for a period of 24 days (Ref. 6348) to a month (Ref. 30578).
Search for more references on reproduction Scirus





http://fishbase.org/Reproduction/FishRep...;StockCode=5109

Reproduction of Gambusia holbrooki
Document source: http://fishbase.org/Reproduction/FishRep...;StockCode=5109

Main Ref. Wischnath, L., 1993

Mode dioecism
Fertilization internal (oviduct)
Spawning frequency
Batch spawner Ref.
Reproductive guild bearers
internal live bearers
Description of life cycle and mating behavior Matures at 4-6 weeks; 3 generations can be produced in one year. Gestation lasts 3-4 weeks. Brood may reach up to 354 young, but is generally around 40-60 (Ref. 1672, 59043).
Search for more references on reproduction Scirus
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/06/14 04:01 PM
Originally Posted By: ewest
Take a look at fishbase info below. They could be gams (cant tell from pic) . Usually gams don't have large broods like that.


In the old portion of my daughters refurbished pond that has old water and fish and in one new portion where I made a cut to let the water in, the ones identified in the thread I linked to above are thick as hair on a hogs back.

The other new portion of the pond the water has not risen to a high enough level to join the old portions of the pond with the gams. I hope we do not have enough runoff of water to join them for another month or so and maybe the BG we recently stocked will get off a spawn before the gams have access to the new portion.

Have put some 5-6" BG in the old parts too, thinking they would make short order of the small minnows, but not so far. Still see tons of them on the surface.

In the seasonal creeks where I usually see them they are like you say, not large broods. But in this old pond they are just thick. I kind of wonder if in this very shallow remaining BOW (maybe 3 or 4' deep) the ice cover didn't kill off what remaining larger fish were there and the gams were given free reign of the pond. Lots of variables.

Don't know what all the gams will do to the BG reproduction when all 3 BOW's join when we get about another foot of water in the pond. Will they wipe out the BG reproduction newly hatched fry, or just be a good food source for the large stocked BG?
Eric, John and all,

Here is a full sized picture of those fry, does this help to ID them?




I'll be back to the farm this week to take some close up (Macro) pictures of these fish if I can find them again. All I know is that there are about a thousand of them in this school and I have found three or four schools like this school in the algae by the cabin. The schools are five to eight feet long and about two feet wide as they swim through the algae.

Eric,
If they are LMB fry, do I need to do anything to control their population? Or do I just let mother nature handle them? The Algae seems like a great nursery for them and all the other little fish I have this year. I doubt the Tilapia can eat it all of the algae anytime soon, but if they do, they would provide a lot of fry all by themselves for the other YOY to feed on.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/06/14 11:05 PM
Catch one, put it in a plastic bag, hold it in your hand or use some other method to get a side photo of one.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/07/14 02:48 PM
I enlarged the pic and can't tell - too fuzzy.
Okay, I'll have better pick as soon as I get back there and net up a few of them.
Eric,

Here is one of the best pictures of the fry I found in the pond. It was about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half in length and when it eat something, it would open its mouth very wide and very quickly. smile




I did not catch any because they are too fast and I only had a little net. If I need to catch a few, I'll figure out a way to catch some, but I think I know what hey are....


Thought?
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/12/14 01:27 PM
LMB yoy/fry. Did yours look like this ? Do to me from your pic.








Brian,
If I saw that in my pond about 1.5 months after LMB spawn, I'd think it was a LMB!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/12/14 01:40 PM
Here is one more

Posted By: jludwig Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/12/14 02:04 PM
Looks like baby LMB to me.
Eric,
The picture from under your dock looks the same. And the close up pictures do too. I think we have solved the mystery!! Now I am seeing them in schools of about 30-50 fry in an area. Does that mean the rest have been eaten already or are they dispersing?

Thanks for the lesson, I would not have figured that out without your help. I just thought they were minnows....

Note to self, I still have a lot to learn.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/12/14 06:52 PM
Many would have been eaten , starved or dispersed. LMB often have a first year mort rate of 95% + . Also when they switch to a piscivorous diet they disperse or go hunting in small schools. That would be at about 2 inches +-.
Well The Topias got cleaned. Allen helped me treat Georgetopia and Moretopia.

Here is what they looked like before treatment:



Pumping the Alum sulphate and hydrated lime was work, but we have a much better program this year!!



Right after treatment, we could start to see the water clearing!!



After a week of settling, Georgetopia has 18-20 inches of clarity using a sechi disk and Moretopia has 14-16 inches!



I have had an explosion of algae, but that is okay as I have some tilapia in there and I expect it to be controlled in short order!

Now I can see the beds being created in the topias!!




Even better than that, I found a second spawn of tadpoles in Extratopia!!




And to my surprise, I found a lot of fry in extratopia!! They look like CNBG fry!!



I'll follow them and update the thread as I learn more!!

I also have to report that the CNBG in Georgetopia are doing great, if I toss in food, they are on it!!! Their color is coming back as the water clears. It is a great time in Topia central!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/28/14 12:03 AM
It might get turbid again if you don't get something down on the shoreline to stop clay from washing into the pond during rains. I see very little grass in those pictures. I remember someone mentioning that they have erosion mat and grass seed??? wink grin

That is when you aren't busy!! wink
Its on the list......
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/28/14 01:20 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Its on the list......


Ahh..Pond lists! Check off one, add ten more to it!
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/28/14 01:26 PM
Glad to see that water clearing after the alum treatment. I wen to get the tanks off of my spray barge the other day to discover someone had "borrowed without permission" all the camlock fittings, chemical hose and high end particulate filters from the barge. Crazy thing is, they used, and left, a pipe wrench on the boat to steal the stuff. Why they didn't just take the 2 trash pumps it was all attached to, I have no idea...then again, thieves are just stupid to start with. On the bright side, IF cops will look, there was a new digital security camera system installed by an adjoining property that is aimed directly toward where my boat is stored. Value was in excess of $2000, so it is in felony terriotory.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/28/14 02:05 PM
Lets hope the tape has a long enough loop that they are still on the video. That sucks!!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/28/14 05:46 PM
Nice work Topia King !!!!

I hope they get caught and you can use the wrench on them Rex.
Well the Topias are doing great! With a bit of work, the water looks great and is right for the spawning of Tilapia and CNBG.


Here is Georgetopia



Here is Moretopia



And here is Extratopia






To check on our progress, I, along with a few friends, seined Extratopia and Georgetopia to see how things are going, and they are doing great. Extratopia has had three Tilapia spawns and perhaps four. This picture was from two weeks ago and this weekend I checked again and found what looks like a fourth spawn of little tilapia!



Side note:
Can some one tell me what these are? I found them in the big pond.



So why all the work on the Topias? Simple, I was going to try to spawn by best LMB in Extratopia this spring and use Moretopia and Georgetopia for CNBG production. Well after I failed at trying to catch my finest LMB and try to get them to spawn in Extratopia, I regrouped. I talked with experts and decided I would try my hand at growing a few Camelot Bell LMB. So, I called Todd at Overtons and he fixed me up with some very nice fingerlings to work with.

This is the runt of the group. smile



From there, most of the CB LMB looked like these:




And a few looked like this!!




All I can say is "Bless you Todd Overton, You grow some outstanding fish!!!"


If you look at the pictures above, you can see the confirmation for the CB genetics. the green spot on their head, the gold coloration down their spines and the mottled backs. They are very good looking fish, and I can't wait for this fall to see how they do.

In short, the Topias are in great shape with the visability between 14 and 22 inches, all with the PH around 7.8 to 8.0 and the total alk between 60 and 80 I am very happy with our water this year. I am glad to see all the fry in each of the Topias and seeing the RW's from our big pond, I think we are at a good balance point right now.

Here is a CNBG I caught in the big pond this weekend, it was around eight inches and just under eight ozs.




Its a good time to be the pondmeister at our farm.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 12:06 AM
Brian, about how many CBs did you put in ExtraT? Is the plan to grow 'em out and put in GeorgeT and/or hold some back to spawn? Is ExtraT roughly 25x25?
Posted By: Cisco Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 12:08 AM
Excellent work Brian!! You've got it going on!
RM,

First off, I put less than ten CB LMB in each of the Topias because the water was so nice and I figured I just might learn something this summer. Also, I figured I would spread out the risk of failure to all three ponds. Extratopia is about 40 feet wide and about 50 feet long with a curved western face. It is a little deeper just in case it did not get as much water from the rains. After I get TP&L up and running, I'll use pumps to keep the water where I want it, and periodically change out the water in the Topias.

The plan is simple, I will grow them out this year and in Feb, I'll collect them all and find the biggest, nicest, healthiest few and put them in Extratopia for the spawn. The rest will be placed appropriately. If I loose all or most in any given pond, I'll learn something, if they all do great, well that will teach me something else. In the long run, I will try to spawn them and up the genetics in the big pond.

Good Brian, thanks, it is fun to learn and it is really fun to learn when a few things go right after you first failed.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 02:01 AM
Brian, I know we talked about it, but looking at the pictures I thought the plants would be further along. I really, really think you need to get the seed and mats down around the Topias and get the grass going ASAP. Even before the aeration in the big pond, before you spend more time on the solar. A gully washer could reverse all the work that you did on them this year....... That wouldn't be a good thing.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 11:51 AM
Brian my friend, you now have some of the VERY best OTS CNBG and pure Florida genetics in the country....IMO!!!
CONGATULATIONS!
Pretty neat ID characteristics - no problem ID Forida LMB from natives anymore - good luck on your brood stock program!
George
Brian, you know we are 20 miles apart, and we manage our ponds completely differently. IMO, this CB move might be the biggest addition you've made to your place so far. You document far better than I do, so be sure and take pics as you go. I'm particularly interested in the unique markings of the CB. 3 month, 6 month, and one year pics would be very helpful to all as far as the growth rates.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 01:38 PM
Outstanding work !!!! Much more to come in the next year or so on LMB genetics over time. There is some truly game changing info in the works.

Brian see how close your fish in question looks to this

http://web1.cnre.vt.edu/efish/families/linetopm.html
I'm almost sure its a topminnow... it could be blackspotted. You should post it over on the nanfa forum, they could tel you.

This is a blackspotted topminnow.
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 02:37 PM
Good luck with it Brian.

It was seeing your Topias at the PBF get-together that was the final push for me to build my own mini-forage pond after reading about a number of other forage ponds here on the forum.

So far I have FHM fry and saw a RES on the nest, which are the two species in the pond. So far, so good.

What you are doing helped get me started.

My mini-forage pond
Scott, agreed the matting is on the list quit high. I have to finish sculpting the banks and tops of the banks and then I can get it covered. I also have the seed needed to get the bermuda going.

George, I learn slowly sometimes, but I do learn.

Al, you know I will collect data and pictures as I go. This should be interesting, and I hope fun. I also agree that both systems work.

Eric, I can't wait for the new info, but for now I learn as I go. As for the minnow, it does not have stripes, so I would go with Gavin and call it a black spotted topminnow. I have lots and lots of them hiding in the shallows.

Gavin, thanks for the picture, it is right on. Now I know what they are!!

John, Glad to help, and sorry for the addiction, it is contagious!! I found one Topia to not be enough. Just saying....... And if my CB LMB are successful, three might not be enough either... smile

Posted By: Bocomo Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 06/30/14 06:50 PM
Originally Posted By: Rainman
Glad to see that water clearing after the alum treatment. I wen to get the tanks off of my spray barge the other day to discover someone had "borrowed without permission" all the camlock fittings, chemical hose and high end particulate filters from the barge. Crazy thing is, they used, and left, a pipe wrench on the boat to steal the stuff. Why they didn't just take the 2 trash pumps it was all attached to, I have no idea...then again, thieves are just stupid to start with.


That sucks, Rex! Sounds like they are taking only the components they need to make meth -- not a steal & sell job.
It was a pleasure having Brian here to see us harvest his fish, and hopefully he picked up some pointers based on our procedure for pond harvest.

I want to thank you Brian for posting pics of these fat little Camelot Bell fingerlings. Made my day to see your posts. Makes all of this hard work seem worth it somehow, LOL.


Here is how they should look after about a year…. See the markings?
Those are beautiful bass Todd. I can't wait to see mine a year from now! grin
Todd,
Thanks again for letting me tag along and learn. The lessons are still soaking in.

About the confirmation I see two of the three clearly and the third softly.

Did you by chance measure that fish for RW? And can you tell us what you feed it? I am using the Tilapia and CNBG fry for now in the Topias. As mine get bigger, I will see if I need to adjust the "food."

Again, thanks for all you do for us. I get to learn and plus up the genetics all at the same time because of the work you do.
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/01/14 06:31 PM
Originally Posted By: george1
- 13 December, 2012
Caught my first fin clipped CB LMB last week - weighed in at ~2 lbs @ 15 inches - 8 months old!





Brian, this is what your "jumpers" will look like at ~8 months!
Todd picked you out some really nice fish!
G/
Well I got out to the farm the past few days and I found that Extratopia is loosing water faster than the other two topias. Also, its temperature is higher by a few degrees and its thermal-cline is a bit shallower as well.

SO, I channeled my inner Redneck and came up with a solution I think will help, but it is not overkill in the least.


Here is my solution. I am running well water through hoses to the feeder on Extratopia. A single zip-tie holds the hose to the top of the feeder and the stick aims the flow. I have the water on a timer which is set for 3:15AM each day. It runs for 45 minutes and adds about a tenth of an inch to the pool. I choose 3:15AM because of the O2 it adds to the water when it should be needed most.

Experts, thoughts?

To correct the other two potential problems, I moved the nozzle forward so any drips fall on the ground not the feeder, and the hose has been routed so as to not block the solar panel for the feeder. All in all, I learned a few things this week, 1) I need to run water to the topias for summer fillings, and 2) if I am going to trench out to the topias, I might as well add power to the list of things I am going to run.




One other note. If I add another topia to the mix, it has already been named.
Originally Posted By: highflyer
...1) I need to run water to the topias for summer fillings, and 2) if I am going to trench out to the topias, I might as well add power to the list of things I am going to run...


I'll give you $100 for all your solar stuff. Cash in hand!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/11/14 09:18 PM
I'm wondering why there isn't a solar water pump....... wink grin

Yes Brian, I'm just jabbing ya a bit. If you hadn't have called I wouldn't have looked here until late this evening.
Brian, just ignore Scott. I'll give you $150, and can be there in 20 minutes, give or take the few 50 mph speed traps between us.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/14 02:22 AM
$155

laugh
$156
I just have one thing to say:


Repurpose Repurpose Repurpose
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/14 03:01 PM
$157.50
This is ridiculous. Brian, to keep these guys from hounding you, I'll just pick the stuff up and keep it here. I'll store it somewhere that's a good distance away from the casa.

Like maybe my brood pond?
EDIT TO PLAY WITH TEXT
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/14 05:32 PM
I have a really good place with big white guard dogs...shhhhhhhhhh!

Brian, you know that I am the only one of these guys you can trust - right?
G/
$160.00. Why expose it to tornado damage? Lots of sunlight here to keep it healthy.
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/14 08:25 PM
Brian, we know you're not greedy, So, I'll offer to trade you one water pump that will fill each topia in an hour, AND fill the gas tank! I'll put out a rescue blimp and you can just dive bomb my house in the FedEx jet next time you are in STL to p/u, and deliver the solar toys.....I'll even rig some fireworks mortars so you can call it a flash back to avoiding ack ack when the FAA craps themselves over the maneuver....fun, creative and fills the topias
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/12/14 08:39 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer

One other note. If I add another topia to the mix, it has already been named.


snrubtopia! Wow, I'm honored!

Who would have thought...... laugh laugh grin
Allen,
I agree this is ridiculous!! NOW even George is driving this bus!!

Dudley,
Far too much Tabasco in your part of the swamp to be safe......

Rex,
Man that is tempting!!! In my younger years, I would be in!! But now, sadly, the bossman does not let me play that way with the toys.

John,
Snrubtopia is off the list. Just saying.

BTW, do any of the experts like or dislike the re-fill/aeration system? This is after all a pond information site..... grin
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 05:17 AM
If the refill option is on long enough to keep up with evaporation I'm all for it. But, if it's a long term solution, I'd make something that once it was on, there would be enough flow to keep the well pump from cycling on and off.....
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 09:58 AM
Brian, I'd have to think in your current drought climate temps, at .1 inch addition, you are only reducing daily loss from evaporation to about 1.4" per day. I would assume you are just tapping into energy already being consumed, but I would put the highest flow jet nozzle and place the stream low and flat on the topia surface hoping to get some minor circulation started and minimize the aerating because there is a faster evap rate on the same surface area that adds DO. You have a low biomass right now, so LOW DO should not be a concern with the low volume of well water. I don't know how much more volume of flow lowering total head pressure might gain you here, but max flow fresh water and more of it would be better even without creating a circulation, IMO...an added benefit might also be slightly cooler water temps as a result of the idea suggested.
Brian, I see 2 possible issues and one of them could get nasty.

I don't know all that much about aeration but do know that fountains aren't all that efficient or effective. Aeration actually works by creating mini ripples under the surface that spreads across the water column. It might be more effective to toss the hose into the water to actually move the water around. You're actually adding non O2 water to the pond after passing through the air. But it won't help stratification. The wild card might be the different temps of the well water and the existing pond water.

Now the nasty part. Your friends, Al, Scott, Dudley, George and John all want to buy your sunshine generators. No matter what the outcome,there is bound to be hard feelings among them and you. To solve the problem, I'll take it off your hands to solve yours and their problems. I have thick skin and don't like any of those guys anyway. Since it's a long drive, there might be a minimal fee involved.

Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 11:40 AM

Brian, I have available a heavy duty industrial electric water pump that may be useful if you choose to run elec to the topias. You have done an outstanding job in developing your solar systems that will be useful when and where needed.

This heavy duty pump is used for multiple sprinkler systems that may work for you - I continue to believe the very best way to maintain water level in the topias is from the lake - that is very good oxygenated water.
G/
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 11:54 AM
I agree with you on using the lake, George....close, oxygenated, and not much head pressure or total lift needed, so lower HP required to power!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 04:33 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Well I got out to the farm the past few days and I found that Extratopia is loosing water faster than the other two topias. Also, its temperature is higher by a few degrees and its thermal-cline is a bit shallower as well.

SO, I channeled my inner Redneck and came up with a solution I think will help, but it is not overkill in the least.


Here is my solution. I am running well water through hoses to the feeder on Extratopia. A single zip-tie holds the hose to the top of the feeder and the stick aims the flow. I have the water on a timer which is set for 3:15AM each day. It runs for 45 minutes and adds about a tenth of an inch to the pool. I choose 3:15AM because of the O2 it adds to the water when it should be needed most.

Experts, thoughts?

To correct the other two potential problems, I moved the nozzle forward so any drips fall on the ground not the feeder, and the hose has been routed so as to not block the solar panel for the feeder. All in all, I learned a few things this week, 1) I need to run water to the topias for summer fillings, and 2) if I am going to trench out to the topias, I might as well add power to the list of things I am going to run.




One other note. If I add another topia to the mix, it has already been named.

Brian, here's a pic of my first redneck aeration system I rigged up before Bill Cody was kind enough to get me on the right track.
This is the pump I referred in earlier post.
G/

Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/13/14 06:07 PM
You'd be suprised how fast well water absorbs O2 from the air.

Brian, you have a meter. Can you run well water into a bucket and keep the end of the hose submerged in the water and test the O2 levels, then do the same thing except keep the end of the hose out of the bucket by about 3'-4' and test the O2 level again once the bucket refills? I'll bet the difference in O2 levels will suprise DD1.
Rex,
I was able to check for two days and the net increase was 1/10 of an inch per day (notice my calibrated stick in the foreground at the edge of the water). I did not want to add too much water, but I wanted to slowly bring Extratopia back up to full pool over time. I did check the O2 levels before and after adding the well water and I can see the benefit. Also, the well water is cooler and it is causing a slight circulation while the water flows.

When I get back to the farm this week, I'll know if what I am doing is making an impact or not.

As for using big pond water, I am okay with doing that, but I did not have my pumps available because they are being tasked elsewhere so the well was the next best idea. ALso, I am unsure about how much filtering I will need if I use big pond water. I want to protect from cross contamination.

Dave,
I knew you would have my back, thanks!!

George,
I like it!!!!!

Scott,
I did that already. The well water straight from the well was almost zero mg/l of DO, while after just two feet of travel through the air the O2 levels were at saturation. After three feet there is no appreciable difference. I have the nozzle set the same now as I had it when I did the test. Also, I used my meter to check and the water at the site of impact is cooler by several degrees and the O2 levels were at saturation. I know I have some pictures from back when I first got the ODO. I'll post them later today.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/14 05:45 PM
Another advantage to using big lake water is it is infused with plankton and fertile.
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/14/14 11:00 PM
Excellent point ewest!!

Brian, if your reasons for raising the pond "slowly" are water quality changes, no need to be concerned. The volume may be large, but the fish will more than acclimate easily as it fills, even if you used a 2" trash pump at full flow. Your fish would like it far better at full pool sooner than later!

As for filtering the lake water, using fiberglass window screening on the intake and out flow would be plenty adequate for fish, and still allow the good stuff to enter. An intake I made was a 2" PVC 'T'. I drilled a couple hindered 1/4" holes on the 10 foot long cross of the T and covered it in several wraps of the 24" screen material. The extra wraps were fairly loose to allow the entire surface to be drawn from rather than the holes drilled only...it never clogged in 60 days of use in an FA laden pond. Black vinyl tape held it on well.
Eric and Rex, good points,

Thanks for the info.

Rex, any chance you have a picture of your device? And the reason for slowly raising the level was because I was not there to check for a few days. Also will your filter catch eggs/seeds? I don't want any unwanted fish or plants in the topias.

I am about to go bigger on the solar side and I will setup my pumps asap!!

The cool thing will be using a float to keep the level right. But I will have to consider O2 levels and temps. Of course, I'll test before use.
Okay, The water levels in the Topias has come up very nicely with the rains this week!!

The fish are taking food anytime it is offered. And the water looks great. Temps are 84ish with extratopia being a coupe degrees cooler because of the well water. And the O2 levels are very good in all the ponds.

On another note, TP&L is up and running!!!!!!

Here is the test site getting ready to run the pondlife aeration system!!




The system is making 27 amps in this photo even with only partial sun!! 30 Amps is the limit of the charge controller, so far.....




And here is the temporary setup out at the topias!! Everything is tied together in case of bad weather. Next, I add the aeration system for the topias. With any luck, I should have aeration in the topias in a week!!!



I have a 140mm fan running with two exhaust ports to cool the setup, and after two hours, the setup was only two degrees above the ambient temperature.
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/04/14 04:37 AM
I love your toys! Very cool Brian!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/04/14 01:31 PM
Nice work ! Is that enough power to keep things going if you have a few days of clouds?
Eric,
I was very encouraged by the amount of power I was able to make even during cloudy weather. It will be enough for several days of overcast weather. I will also be adding a third panel to the mix when I bring out the stand for the panels which will give me even more power. On a side note, as Beta tester for the controller, I will be getting the ability to "overpower" mine to 40 amps very soon. This will ensure my batteries are fully charged even with overcast weather and the aeration station running using the third panel.

It is a good thing to have power out at the Topias again!! I also have a new pump on the way to use big pond water in the topias. That pump will also use the solar power as I have plenty of extra power now!!

Rex,
How dare you call them toys!!!!
This is a exciting project. I'd be interested in seeing the system functioning. Also the cost of getting something similar setup.
SB,

I am having fun with the topias. I figure some one else might be able to take a few good ideas and keep the process going. I have had my share of failures, but in the end I chalk them up to a learning experience. All I know is that I am learning, having fun and making the topias better all the time.

So, what would you like to see? I'll be glad to share any info about my stuff.

About the costs, the old adage of "It Depends" is true. How much power do you want to generate and how much do you need to store? For me, I want to generate something better than 500 watts from the panels and I want to store enough power for the needs. I also over built the system for cloudy days. I want to have the power I need regardless of the weather, so I added another panel and used the best solar charge controller. It can take advantage of any power the panels can make even in lower light which gives me an advantage during cloudy days.

I have made DIY single disk aeration stations for the topias which will be installed soon. I'll post that part of the project as well. I know my O2 levels and stratification depths, so for me, this will be all about the data. Better water means better fish habitat, and with CB LMB and OTS CNBG, I want maximum results!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/07/14 07:03 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
So, what would you like to see?


Now that you have power, you can run a watering system. I'd like to see lush green grass on the banks of all the topias to prevent more clay from washing into them. wink grin

(You should have seen that one coming!)
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/08/14 01:50 PM
I agree - get that grass going.
Scott and Eric,

The grass is on the list for next week. I am going to use an area approach. This way I can use my solar power to water the areas and see how it goes. Then I will step it up. By fall, I should have a good grass cover in place around the Topias. smile
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/11/14 05:42 PM
... and you will not be slipping around in the mud as much.
Okay, I got out to the farm with a bunch of parts and ideas yesterday! A friend came over to help and we got started.

The first thing to do was to finish building the aeration stations. I went unconventional for several reasons, but the biggest was portability.

The bases turned out great! They came out of the buckets very easily, and the shape makes them slide on the bottom with minimal effort. In the end, I made the diffusers 10 inches tall. this approximated the height of the Vertex diffusers, and it brings up very little turbidity if at all.



Once I had the diffusers ready, it was time to head out to the Topias.



As it turns out, I was able to use one of my 100 foot bottom line for two of the Topias. I cut the line in half and was able to run air to Georgetopia and Moretopia from the central location with a little line to spare! Getting to Extratopia was easier than I thought as well. It turns out that 100 feet of bottom line makes it from the pump's manifold to the bottom of extratopia. This way, I don't have to cut that line and will be able to use it in the future after I plumb PVC to the pond's edges.

So how did we do? We did well. I now have a boil in all three Topias.

Being so new, I did not smell any off gassing, but to play it safe, I have the aeration system on a timer for the next week.

Here is how the Topias look:


Extratopia



Moretopia



Georgetopia



When I return back to the farm, I'll get out my ODO meter and see how the aeration system is doing. By then, I should be able to run it longer without any concerns.

So are the fish happy? I would say so!!



Now to get the water going so I can get some grass around those topias!!
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/12/14 03:54 PM
way cool
This is what I was looking for highflier, to see how the lines were run and what the boils were pushing with your setup. Very impressive. I can imagine those fish just giddy with their new aeration.
Well I got out to the farm today and I got to see the Topias less than two weeks after adding bottom diffused aeration and I could not believe my eyes, the Topias have NEVER looked better.

Bob Lusk said is an article a few years ago that air has magical properties, and he could not have been more right.

All three Topias have very nice green coloration and a secchi reading of around 14-20 inches. The water temps are down a few degrees and the O2 levels are great all the way to the bottom. Further, the PH readings are now 7.4 to 7.6 and the ALK levels are 95-105 between them.

Needless to say, the fish are feeding whenever food is offered.

I'll post some pictures later this weekend.
Okay, we made it back to the farm this weekend and had a lot of fun!! As it turns out, we have been too successful growing Tilapia in the Topias so we seined a bunch of fish from the Topias.

Here we are running the seine through Moretopia.



Here we are sizing and checking the health of the fish in the Topias.





Here is one of the stockers.



Here is one of the early collections.



And another.



And here we are setting them free in the big pond.



In the end, we took out somewhere around 200-230 LBS of Tilapia, FHM's and some CNBG (mostly Tilapia) out of the Topias and set them free in the big pond. I'll be checking to see how they do against the Algae problem we have this year.

As always, I'll post the results.....
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/03/14 08:04 PM
Great results and documentation. Any idea what capacity you are running in the Topias (lbs. per acre). Moving out most of the large tilapia?
Thanks Eric,

We left most of the larger Tilapia (six pairs per Topia) in the Topias so they would make more for my overwinter project. (They come out at the end of OCT).

The Topias are about 1/8th, 1/8th, and 1/11th of an acre.

If I had to say, I would expect we were near 600 lbs of fish in the three Topias and now we have something less than 350 LBS left in the Topias, but that is only my best guess (using feed after the seining). This winter will see a drawdown of the water levels in the topias, so I should be able to get a really good count and weight for each Topia.

I will say I was worried about the carrying capacity of Extratopia so it was seined twice this weekend. I would say we took out around 90 Lbs of fish from it alone. And to think I only put about 6Lbs of Tilapia into it back in April.

I can also report that I found a crap load of spawning beds in all of the Topias mostly around the edges, so this fall's checkup should be very interesting indeed.
Posted By: mnfish Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/03/14 10:05 PM
Man that looks better than Christmas morning to me! smile

I have no reference point for any of those numbers( never worked with Tilapia)..was it what you were expecting? 600lbs/.34 acres of water?!?
I think I had way too many Tilapia in the Topias especially Extratopia. So many, I was worried about a fish kill. Besides, the Algae problem in the big pond really needed a solution, so it is a win win!!
Well I got back to the farm this past weekend and I took a few pictures of the algae in the big pond. I believe I can see a reduction in several areas. I also see a lot of Tilapia swimming around the pond. These are the Tilapia we transfered several weeks ago.



I am seeing opening areas in the algae in deeper water and the new beach areas.



I'll be back to take another look this weekend and I'll report on any progress.
Brian, you did good on the Topias. You got a lot of production out of them.
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/19/14 12:22 AM
Originally Posted By: FireIsHot
Brian, you did good on the Topias. You got a lot of production out of them.


Now with the cooler weather, he can get the grass seed in!! Banks are still looking a bit bare...... wink grin
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/19/14 10:35 AM
Looking really good in the Topia's and main lake, Brian!
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/19/14 03:30 PM
Nice work. Given tilapia reproduction and growth rates I would move as many as possible. I would leave ample for your overwinter project. They reproduce geometrically and lbs. per acre can run up quickly in conditions like the topias.
I finally got a chance to take a few pictures from the air of the topias and the back waters. It provides a whole other perspective....




I now see potentials I missed before.
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/28/14 10:00 PM
Not the way I've always pictured. Really looks great!
Posted By: mnfish Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 03:03 AM
Now that's a serious pond(s) project right there and a cool pcture. Looks Awesome Brian! Just out of curiosity how long is the list now after getting the new view? smile
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 11:04 AM
That picture is only showing about half of it. The big open water part up to the dam which is unseen in the picture is to the right.

Brian has a really nice pond and retreat.
Posted By: Sunil Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 12:15 PM
Nice!!!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 01:18 PM
I don't know if the eggbeater was high enough for him to get everything in one picture.
Posted By: Rainman Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 02:28 PM
Originally Posted By: snrub
That picture is only showing about half of it. The big open water part up to the dam which is unseen in the picture is to the right.

Brian has a really nice pond and retreat.


Half? I'd say less than 10%! The place is beautiful to see from the air or at ground level!
Thanks guys for the nice words. I was focusing on the back waters as that is where the most change is happening and I want to help it end up the way we want it. And to see the Topias from the air gives me a new perspective on the property. I also see room for expansion of the brood pond area if needed.

I love the trees in the back water and it is interesting to see how the back water matures. It is cool to see the fish use them as cover, and the birds use them to nest. Also, as the vegetation decays in the water, it is also interesting to see the habit it creates.

The list grew by at least six items..... smile
Here is a picture of the big pond. The Topias are in the upper lefthand area. The wood ducks tend to use the areas in the upper left and far right. While the other ducks tend to use the upper right area and sometimes use the lower right area as well. In all, We see a lot of duck on the ponds this time of the year!! I even have seen ducks on the Topias recently.


Posted By: mnfish Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 07:02 PM
AWESOME place!
Posted By: george1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 07:15 PM
Originally Posted By: highflyer
Here is a picture of the big pond. The Topias are in the upper lefthand area. The wood ducks tend to use the areas in the upper left and far right. While the other ducks tend to use the upper right area and sometimes use the lower right area as well. In all, We see a lot of duck on the ponds this time of the year!! I even have seen ducks on the Topias recently.



Great photo buddy!
I love your place!
G/
Posted By: sprkplug Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 07:39 PM
Beautiful!
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 08:25 PM
The HighFlyer Ranch is one beautiful property!
Posted By: rmedgar Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/29/14 08:43 PM
Wow, just wow!!!
Thanks for the kind words, we are very blessed, and we work hard to improve the place all the time.

Giving back to nature is very rewarding, which everyone here knows. I am just glad we get to share it with friends and family.

It is times like these when I get to reflect on how far we have come and how lucky we have been to have the property turn out so well. I am truly at peace when I stand on the big hill and see that view, especially when we are blessed with a colorful sunset or sunrise.
Just beautiful Brian!

Congratulations on such a breathtaking property to have, enjoy and share!
Posted By: esshup Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 09/30/14 02:33 AM
Brian, you seeing any more beaver activity, or was that a one shot thing?

That low road from cabin towards the dam is long gone, isn't it?
Scott, One more and I'm an ace,

The lower trail is gone, but it will be replaced after the pool fills. Just another item on the list... smile
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/02/14 06:33 PM
Keep after those beaver. Beautiful picture !
Posted By: mudhole Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 10/02/14 08:17 PM
Brian,

What is the surface areas/dimensions and depths of the topias? I just read through most the thread and didn't see them or (more likely) missed the information.

Thanks,

Michael
Michael,

Georgetopia (on the left) is 45 feet wide and around 105 feet long. The depth only needs to be around 4 feet deep, but I dug our to six feet deep to have a little extra water for the summers. The bottom of the topias are shaped like a paint tray to make it easier to seine.

Moretopia (in the middle) is also around 45 feet wide and more like 95 feet long. It is also 6 feet deep.

Extratopia ( on the right by the trees) is a little deeper, but it is teardrop shaped and around 40 feet wide and around 60 feet long.

Georgetopia and Extratopia are the best producers so far. Moretopia's feeder needs to be serviced and that might be the reason it is not producing as many fish.

Also, you need to know the water chemistry. Fertilize and feed as needed.


Brood ponds are a game changer.
Well after all the rain this year, we did get a chance to see how we did and what we need to adjusted.

First off, the Topias are doing well. The CNBG in Georgetopia are eating every time we throw food regaurdless of the time of day, but it is the most turbid pond on the place. Moretopia is also doing well. But Extratopia seems to be slow.

On a better note, the CNBG in the big pond are spawning like mad!! I have observed three spawns so far this summer in this area and four other areas in the pond. I am finding little BG all over the place and we have taken over 150 LBs of CC and LMB out of the big pond so far this year. Also according to my records, we are holding our LMB RWs to around 109% on average for all LMB caught over 15 inches. I have only released one 14 inch fish back into the big pond as it was also a 110% RW fish.



It is interesting to watch the LMB swim through and see if they can find a quick meal. My observations say they get one about every 5 hours or so. I do not know if they are different LMB, or the same few, but I do see two or three that look very familiar...

Here are a few of the YOY from the big pond.







On a more immediate time frame, we found this on sunday. It has to be the reason I became an ace on saturday. I see a Viking funeral fire in the future. This just has to go.



Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 07/07/15 04:26 PM
Oh my Brian....Leave It To Beaver isn't what it used to be.

Tannerite time?

Mark, I've still got a 10 pound load in a one gallon pickle jar if Brian decides to become a real ace.

Good hearing is just a luxury anyway.
Okay This post is a great one!!!

I had a lot of help seining the Topias yesterday and we found these!!!! They are truly a blessing as I did a lot of it wrong as usual. Mother nature is tenacious!!



They are the spawn of my yet to be "know as" LMB I got last year from Todd. The average length was over 5 and a half inches and some were over 6 and a half inches. In all we found around 40 of this years spawn with one pull through Extratopia.

Here are a few average pictures!!



This one shows the side coloration.



Here is a bottom up picture to show how well they are eating!!



This picture shows the average spot patterns.



This one had good girth!



This one was just above average for this group.



And this was one of the biggest we got on film.



I selected the biggest and best and moved them to Georgetopia. That is the brood pond with the most food, and the best water. Now I have more work to do!!!
Posted By: Sunil Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 08/25/15 03:37 PM
Nice report!!!
Those are some great soon to be monsters. Congrats the hard work is paying off.
Congrats Brian, those are healthy looking for sure. The next 6 months should see some incredible growth.
Well its time to freshen up the Topias. Truth be told, It is time to expand them as well. I have been looking around and now I have found the excavator I need to get the job done.

I have learned so much about brood ponds and now I know I want six of them to have options. I figure one for fingerling bass, two for tilapia, two for CNBG, and one for anything else I want. I'm going to get started by clearing the area needed for the three new topias and get them started. I am hoping to get them built early in March. I hope to seine the current topias and sort the fish I want in the new topias in April. Finally I an going to "move" the old topias uphill to be able to use them the way I want.

I'll add drains to all the new topias and I will have the ability to add big pond water to them as needed.

I am planning on the depth to be just under four feet.

Any thought? Anything you would do differently.
Sounds like a fun new project Brian. What's the reasoning behind making them so shallow? I would think 6 feet would keep that extra water in there during those hot texas summers. Maybe even add potted Lilly pads to give cover to the fish and reduce water temps. Lilly's could help keeping your water quality better if you plan on heavy stocking. Pull them out when seining. Just a thought.
Posted By: Zep Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 02/21/16 03:36 PM
Originally Posted By: Snakebite
What's the reasoning behind making them so shallow?


I believe he said part of the reasoning is walking
with a seine net in 4 foot water is more practical.
SB,

Mark is mostly right, a four foot depth is easy to work with. I have learned a lot about solar and will have both AC and DC power available out at the Topias so I can move water far more easily. This give me advantages in seining and setup. I currently use more time than I would like to get things done because of the current depths. But now at only four feet, I can use my seine far more practically and if need be, I can seine solo. I am also setting the Topias up to be a little narrower and longer. This should make it easier to work them.

About plants, I ha not thought about potted plants. They might be something to look into. I like using nature to get things done, so I am intrigued. I do not plan on loading the Topias as high as I have in the past. I would like to see if I can find the right balance.

Finally, I intend to install drain pipes to allow extra water to drain into the big pond. They do not need to be big pipes, but just having them should protect the newer ponds from rains and fills.
Well it began,
This past week we got the excavator out and started the process of clearing the area for the Topia expansion. First thing that came out was all of the old useless fence, posts and all. What would have been a week long project turned into a half a day. I got to go fishing that afternoon!!

Then we removed a few scrub trees that would allow us to start setting the boundaries.

When finished, we should have six brood ponds. As we get going, I'll post more.

And yes, they all have names. smile


Keeping them around the same size?
Originally Posted By: highflyer
...And yes, they all have names. smile

???

I think Larry, Curly, and Moetopia have a very pleasant ring to them, but what do I know?
Posted By: TGW1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/23/16 12:04 PM
Brian, I see that you have pictured your new Toy smile Boy O Boy, I would like to have one of those. My whole property would be different ponds with different fishes lol

Tracy
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/23/16 03:29 PM
Don't leave out the 4th Stooge - Shemp.

Now that is a name - Shemptopia ! laugh
Originally Posted By: ewest
Don't leave out the 4th Stooge - Shemp.

Now that is a name - Shemptopia ! laugh


I did drop the ball on Shemp. Brian, you need to add 4 more ponds, not 3.

Feel free to skip the 2 Joes. They didn't have enough tenure to get a Topia anyway.
Eric wins!

The last Topia will hence forth be formally known as Shemptopia.

So here are the names.

Georgetopia, Moretopia, Extratopia, Quatratopia, Megatopia, and Shemptopia.

Georgetopia and Moretopia will be for OTS CNBG.

Extratopia and Quatratopia are for Tilapia production.

Megatopia is for LMB (Legacy).

And Shemptopia will be for knucklehead ideas.

Tracy, the new toy does great work! Get yourself one.

SB, the pond sizes are going to be 40 feet wide, 110 feet long, and 4 feet deep. That makes seining easy and simple. It also gives me the ability to "cut" one in half with a blocking net if need be for special projects.
If you ever get another tilapia growout pond, Tilapatopia has a catchy ring to it too smile
CC,

Tilapitopia is the overwinter setup I use for the Tilapia in the barn. I am about to update that thread if you want to read up on it, version 3 is the current version.

Here is the link to that thread:

Tilapitopia 3.0
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/24/16 01:11 AM
Shemptopia is an apt name for knucklehead ideas. I am expecting great things !
Eric,
I'll be happy for good things. Please don't set the bar too high smile
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 03/25/16 02:28 AM
Just looking for creative ideas - no results . Go for it - no regrets !
Okay we have a plan.

Here is a pic of the plan.



I hope to start moving dirt and brush this weekend, weather permitting.
Brian. Not showing anything in your link for me.
SB,

I'll see what I can do to make it work.

G+ is not working the way it worked in the past and I don't know why.
After a good sleep, I fixed it. smile

Sorry for the wait.
So what is the red line indicating below your new proposed ponds?
You know Bad Brian, a good businessman would sell naming rights to those ponds.
SB,

Yes the red lines are approximately where I want the new Topias. I have to see the lay of the land to be sure where to properly place them.

Al,

If I had been a better businessman, I would have. I am glad they have the names they have, they are all special to me.

It looks like I am going to have to wait for all this rain to stop and let the area dry out a little before I can get in there with the dozer and start shaping the area. With over four inches Friday night, everything was soaked to the core. The good news is that the syphons are running well.
Alrighty then, I can respect that. I was thinking of sponsoring one of your ponds, but I'm not sure I would pick a name you would be familiar with.

Ozarka pond water, blue clay similar to Boise State's ball field, sun dried mealy worms, basically all the amenities. Kind of like a Jerry World of brood ponds. I'm sure your fish won't miss the Bellagio fountain I was gonna put in. Just don't tell them about it, and all will be fine.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/01/16 06:30 PM
I guess we will be looking at the collective utopia of topias' !
Allen,
They say if you were going to put in an O2 bar, a grass shrimp buffet, and soft spawning matts that they are in! Oh and they want the fountain. That is their final offer.

Eric,
We are working on it! I sure hope it turns out that way.
Who's they? I was planning on bringing some slow moving XXL CNBG baby makers to the new digs.

Of course 6 is such a pedestrian number. Maybe you need 7 new ponds. It's just dirt and diesel.
If you are bringing XXL's over, I'll see if I have room for seven.... Its the least I can do. smile
Okay, its bee a while so I thought I would bring everyone up to speed on the brood ponds.

Well the new extra topias are built. We have the original three and now there are four new ones. There is room for one more after we burn the brush pile.

All in all, this is going to be a great summer. Now I need to fill the new four as we burn the brush. It is going to take a little while to get all of the brush burned off, it is a rather large pile!

I'll post pictures as soon as I can.

Also, tilapitopia is going strong. We have spawned several groups of fry and the fry are doing great! This summer, we should be building the permanent tilapitpoia in the barn and setting up our new solar setup. work work work!
Posted By: TGW1 Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/07/18 11:27 AM
It all sounds great Brian. If memory serves me, the lay of the land in that area gives you the ability to lay some pipe where turning a valve would empty each one into the lake. I think I read where your plans included the piping. it sounds like it all will be fun. I know you have plans for each little pond so when u do the next dig, I like the ghost shrimp mentioned here that grow in Mo. or how bout those big ole shrimp grown out in S.Tex. smile Perla Ranch or whatever the name is. Hay! this is fun, just making suggestions lol
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/07/18 06:10 PM
Have you tried a redeartopia ?
Redears can be on the list! I do have a good selection in the big pond to choose from.
Posted By: ewest Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/08/18 03:24 PM
We don't have a lot of solid info on Redears in a closed observable environment. Things like growth rates , spawning numbers , male/female id , pellet rearing and more. We have Shorty's thread and some other info but could use some good observation and analysis.
I’ve stocked them several times but don’t recall catching but one
Posted By: snrub Re: the beach clean-up and Lake Georgetopia - 05/09/18 02:18 PM
Sounds like you are having fun Brian. Way to go with the small ponds.
Eric,
Sounds like a good project for some one like me.

John,
Seven and counting, number ocho will be in the works after all the brush plies are cleared.

Oh what to do next!!
© Pond Boss Forum