Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Gambusia

Ive had about 20 of these in a 75 gal tube for about 3 mo now and they wont spawn.I put in some artificial xmas tree branches for cover and feed them dailey.any ideas?

Stop staring at them. They just want some privacy.

We have had 15 or so in a 100 gallon watering trough for a couple of months. Fish Wife says there are little baby Gambusia in the trough now. IIRC Gams also spawned in a trough the last time we had them (2003?). There isn't really any cover in the trough.

P.S. We never stare.

I wasnt staring,I was peeking.There IS a difference,you know.

Are you feeding them enough Tom?? Maybe they are eating the young they produce, they are pretty cannibalistic of their own kind I understand. Just a thought. I'd like to try some up here some summer, but they are not a cheap fish to have for forage, about a buck a piece, where I can can get a lot of fatheads for a dollar.

Buy 12 for 12 dollars and stick them in a 20 gallon or bigger tank. Feed them and provide cover for the young. They will make millions in a few months time. I put around 30 in my 2 acre pond in April. I now have so many I could never count them. There is a lot of cover for them as in pond weeds and they stay close to shore anyways, so now I have millions and I never had any till I put them there in April. I walked the bank all the way around the pond and saw school after school of these little mosquito eaters. Anyways keep them warm feed them and you will be suprized. You will have to keep moving the babies to another tank if your original is pretty small or they will eat them if they get to crowded and hungry. Good Luck

Sorry Tom that was to JoeG. I am kinda new at talking on other peoples post's and I just realized this was your thread.

Never thought of it that way, that sounds like a perfect plan for my new forage pond idea.

John,no need to apologize.I have good news,they have spawned at my place.Its always late in the day when I feed them and the little ones have gone unnoticed till I went out Saterday in midafternoon and had sunlight to see better.
As an on the side,Jeff,I told you I was only peeking

Last Saturday I found a colony of gams in a tractor tire rut. There were ~6 adults and 400 babies. The rut was drying up, so I rescued most of them with a dip net.

You can make some "breeding chutes" in your pond by shoveling a few shallow 2'x2' "L" shaped inlets. The chutes will be black with babies, and you'll see fish hanging around them.

Bobad, you're on a roll. Good idea, as well as the pvc suggestion on another thread. I have a question for you about shrimp - I'll start a new thread.