Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Fat Heads and Gams co exist?

I have always used Gams and the man I purchased them from has passed on. I have a gentleman that has offered to bring me a few thousand Fatheads next week. The question I was wondering is have any of you had any personal experience with what happens when the 2 species are mixed in a smaller pond?


Thanks
Tums

I have gams and 0 fatheads due to bass predation. I understand that gams will steal a few eggs but they are half the size of FHMs. I like having gams in my pond cause the bass can't get all of them as much as they would like to

I would prefer not to have them. They are small and stay in les than one inch of water out of reach. By the time something eats them it is a zero sum gain. Plus they eat lots of newly hatched fry IMO.
Try sail fin mollies instead. They can fill the same Niche in the pond and offer more size and are less aggressive. The bigger ones tend to venture to open water more too allowing for a nice meal for something.

They are livebearers just like the gams but a much better option from my experience with both.

They should be easy to collect locally for you in just about any ditch. Look in freshwater ,saltwater or brackish water ditches you will them.

I had FHM's and Gam's in the same pond for a year before I stocked any predators. All they did that year for the most part, was propagate...I noticed after the predators were added that there were less FHM's as they are slower than the Gam's. Most of the FHM's are gone now after 10 mos. of predators in the pond, but they did their job. The FHM's and Gam's allowed my BG's to propagate and build a nice forage base in the pond. I don't suspect the Gam's will make it through the summer, but they may.

Thanks All,
I already have gams in every pond that have survived predators for years.

I will put the Fat heads in their own little 1/10th acre hole to reproduce and move to the other ponds for forage.