Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations gambusia minnows, pros/cons

What exactly are the pros and cons of having gambusia minnows in a pond? I know they are known to eat mosquito larvae. However, do they serve a function in the food chain of bream/bass? Also, are they a minute predator of fry of other species? Some have said they will ultimately get into a pond whether stocked or not. I have seen none to date in my pond.

FAW,

Yes, the gambusia will eventually pop up in your pond.

On the positive side, they are live bearers, and very prolific. They survive predation better than probably any other small forage critter. They eat mosquito larvae like crazy, but so does any small fish. In my experience, they don't seem to be real tasty when used for bait. Bluegill and crappie seem to prefer other minnows, shiners, or grass shrimp to gambusia.

I have heard they peck on eggs, but have never observed them in deeper water near beds.

Just a side note, my favorite forage by far is grass shrimp. They're simply amazing.

Faw,

I only have "pros" to say about Gambusia and have observed no "cons" in my experience.

The "pros":
1) They appear naturally in my area, no stocking required
2) They are very resilient. I have a couple of ponds of an estimated age of between 50 and 75 years which have always had Gambusia. You can not say that about fatheads. Stock fatheads and they will be gone within a year, normally.
3) They are prolific. A recent post commented about a Gambusia spawn, or hatch if you prefer Theo, this late in the year. My ponds are simply crawling with very tiny Gambusia now that have been recently born.
4) They appear to be excellent forage, although small, for both small LMB and BG. I tie a small fly imitating a Gambusia and it is very effective, indicating to me the fish love the Gambusia.

I have found it interesting that the only professional on this board that I have ever seen reommend them in their program is Deb who recently joined representing Ken's Fish Farm and the GG's.

I have posted in the past herein about the value these fish provide as forage, but was basically dismissed by the then resident professionals who said "the Gambusia are too small to make a difference". I disagree. True, they are small, but a lot of small meals for your young predators translates into big predators. In my opinion, they make a great forage for your very young LMB and small to medium BG.

ML,
Why do you have to make statements like this: And evidently you've changed your mind since the post below:

Did you change your mind just so you could chastise the "resident professionals" or hopefully this was just an honest mistake.

ouch Gambusia will eat small fry, but they accomplish several things for me. First, they reproduce rapidly, you will not wipe them out if you have even a small amount of grass or cover. Second, they provide good forage for the up and coming little predators. Third, they prey upon anything pinhead size...very nice in a pond that contains a variety of fish (i.e. crappie) since they seem to "reproduce" first. ~like that Theo, I didn't say spawn !

I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' no Gambusia. :p

Who has an idea what numbers of Gambusia would be required to stock a self-sustaining population in an established LMB-BG pond?

Right now I do not have the weed cover to let them make it; this could change as my GC age and/or are reduced. If so I might consider stocking Gambusia; that "forage for BG" part caught my eye.

Well I'm back to 3 stars! :rolleyes:
ML, I didn't think you could vote but once!
How many times have you registered?

Ric,

Actually, both statements are what I meant and I can see how they could be viewed as inconsistent. However, they are not in my mind.

I believe, as seen from observation and stomach sampling, that Gambusia form a large part of the diet of the small LMB, about 8 inches and under, in my ponds. They are not used much if at all, that I can observe, by larger bass and other predators, in my ponds. Hence they are not a significant part of the overall food chain, but are important, in my ponds, to the very low end part of the food chain.

I hope that answers your question. If it doesn't, I'm sorry I didn't explain my thoughts better, both initially and this time.

Also, I certainly did not mean to "chastise" the resident pros. I simply wanted to say that I disagree with those who do not believe that Gambusia makes any difference in the food chain. On the low end, I believe they do make a difference. If my choice of words offended any resident pros, then I apologize to those resident pros. Disagreeing does not mean "chastize" in my book, two very different things.

Thank you for your careful reading and researching of my posts.

Theo, I'm not sure that the question should be about numbers or about cover. Please let me try to explain, carefully. Without cover, I'm not sure that any amout of stocking of Gambusia would self-sustain. In fact, my guess is one would be wasting their time and money trying to establish them without adequate cover.

With adequate cover, it does not take much to get them started. If someone could tell me how to FedEx fish, I would be most happy to send them to anyone on the Forum who wanted them. Heck, I'll pay the shipping. They are a fun fish to have.

What is adequate cover for Gambusia? I can only describe what they like about my ponds. They love grassy, weedy shorelines where the vegetation line meets and overhangs the waterline. They simply explode in numbers when a pond rise happens to cover existing grass such as recently happened on my ponds because of Hurricane Rita. I now have thousands and thousands of them that were just recently "born".

Tell me how to ship, Theo, and I will gladly send you some.

Thanks for the info and the offer, ML. Right now Gambusia would be toast in my pond.

I can get a dozen for $5. We put them in watering troughs in 2003 for mosquito control and they are indeed very prolific. If I decide to stock them in the future when the pond looks like it has sufficient cover, I think I can put a dozen in each of three troughs and move the surplus to the pond all Summer long. That oughta do it.