Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Brook trout picture on the pond today

I heartily recommend hitting Yellowstone National Park - and heading North following the Yellowstone River drainage through Paradise Valley. Unbelievable scenery and good fishing. Livingston is a cool town - let me know if you ever go and I will shoot you some guide friends contact info who will float you for a case of beer. Can't beat that with a stick.

I'm a big fan of the northeast too. I lived in Massachusetts for a few years when my dad was in the military. If I would have stuck with getting my RN degree (I was one semester short) I would have relocated in northern Maine (still single) in a heartbeat. Nursing just didn't click for me even though academically it wasn't difficult. I could have had a job anywhere I wanted I guess.

Man that stream is awesome!

Maybe it's a good thing you didn't get your RN Cecil, we wouldn't want you treating your patients like dead fish.

Well ya know I was doing taxidermy at the same time. An LPN asked me if I liked what I did ( she wasn't very impressed with taxidermy). I asked her how she liked emptying bedpans. That ended that.

Maybe I already posted that here? Sorry if I did.

Cecil

Small Scale Aquaculture just arrived from Amazon - thank you for the suggestion - this looks indispensible.

I will keep in touch - maybe you can clarify if I get stuck.

TJ

Just to let you know there is a typo on page 70 that could mess you up. I talked to the author the other day and he cleared it up for me. You want to cut your cup rings from 3 inch PVC not 4 inch PVC. (But you still cut 4 diameter inch rings) Also the axle is 3 inch PVC not 4 inch PVC.

Also on the top of page 71 right hand column, it should say "Use the specification provided in Appendix C Diagram 4, " not Appendix C Diagram 4.

Any idea if you will go with option 1 or 2 to power the biodisk filter? I'm going with the all air option 2 vs. a water pump as if you go with the water pump you have to add some form of aeration. With option Option 2 the air powered filter rotation you can kill two birds with one stone and don't have to run two motors.

I must have missed the thread on that book. Is it about Recirculating Aquaculture Systems?

Argh, sorry Adirondack - I've hijacked this thread twice now. I need a lesson in posting manners. I am reply crazy when I see something that interests me.

Cecil, I will PM you.

Not sure if there was a thread but yes it's a homemade RAS where you can grow up to 100 lbs. of fish. Here's a link to the book. Shows you how to build the bio disk filter and all the plumbing. You can use about any size tank but they use a small 12 foot swimming pool with a liner in the book.

It would be a great way to overwinter talapia for pond algae maintenance, bait minnows, or any species, and you could easily produce your own talapia in the unit or an aquarium.

I think it would be cool to do presentation it at the next conference and even bring the components, but haven't heard back from Lusk yet if he would be interested. I have the blessings of the author Stephen VanGorder. I think it would be too involved for just an article.

http://www.altaqua.com/

Me too sorry!

I'm glad you mentioned the book, I think I'll order it, gotta grow those 10 inch Pumpkinseeds.

Copy Kitter!

Gorgeous stream! Looks like many of the brook trout streams in PA I fish. That waterfall is gorgeous. Does your pond support trout year round? If it is being fed by a cold water stream like that, I would think there were be a great chance it would...

Hello CJ, Yes my pond has brook,rainbow & tiger trout, also pumpkinseeds and GSH. I have 40 gpm piped 300ft.in from the stream and the trout do fine. Unfortunately the water pipes freeze in late Nov. or early Dec.
Last winter was the first winter for the trout but with no water flowing in, and no aeration they all died, my screw-up.
This year I have a small aerator pumping in shallow water so we'll see how they did when april rolls around.
I see your from northern VA., I use to live on Green Mt. lake near Stanardsville about 28 years ago, It's real pretty near the Blue Ridge Mts.

Here's a Tiger from my pond.

That is a pretty tiger trout! I have caught a couple wild ones, but never any others. There is a small native brook trout stream that seems to have a few in it. What a pretty fish!

My dad's friend lives in Nelson Co, VA at about 2600 ft in elevation. He has a trout pond as well. It is surface spring fed and they do quite well year round. How do the PS interact with your trout? My dad's friend has been wanting to add some variety to his pond but is afraid other fish will out compete the trout...

My father and I own 50 acres in Pennsylvania, one day I would like to damn up the small spring that comes to the surface on it, but I do not think it would hold trout. We do stock trout every year in the main creek behind out hunting cabin. In mild summers a few of the brown trout will hold over, but that is maybe once every 3 years and only if the water flow holds up. Sounds like you have quite a beautiful piece of property though!

CJ, The trout grow very well and so do the PS's, each time I put trout in this past year they would eat the trout feed vigorously for a day or two, then not as much, they seem to prefer all the minnows, frogs, and insects.

The trout growth rates averaged 1 to 1 1/2 inches per month and I believe that the 2 floating Islands that are on the pond really help increase the natural food available.
In addition to putting in a small aerator on a soaker hose, I put in 1 pound of "Flush It" powdered bacteria which seems to have a very high bacteria count to dollar ratio.
Tiger trout are available in PA., and I would highly recommend them, they are very aggressive and easy to catch.

What area of PA. are your 50 acres?

no i dont. property rates are just plain stupid out here. fortunately DIED and DWIED bought land and house back in early 90's before prices exponentiated....(dont bother looking in dictionary, i just made that word up..) proposition 13 is our saving grace that keeps taxes at the same level at which you bought the property.

i really enjoyed this thread. AP, you have a great place. i have fond memories of eastern woods, small streams, and old rock outcroppings in the MD/Great Falls/Potomac River area.

here is another pic of the majestic CA golden trout, the prettiest fish on planet earth IMHO...



in the 80's, i used to backpack into the golden trout wilderness every summer. these incredible fish can only be caught at very high elevations (>8,000 feet) w/ barbless artificials (flys) by the regs. in the glacial melt streams and brooks they are typically 6 to 8-inches. 10 to 12-inch goldens are large for the species. occassionally they grow to larger sizes in the lakes, but are very difficult to catch.

Wow that is one beautiful fish. The best part is it would be a piece of cake to paint one with an airbrush.

How do I get some black market Cal. golden trout. If some hatchery could breed them and sell them legally they could clean up.
Put me on the list.

you probably couldnt keep them alive unless you could simulate DO saturated glacial melt water flowing along a granite free stone stream.....

they are hard to get to, somewhat difficult to catch once you get there, and extremely fragile,

BTW did i mention that fragile rare endangered species taste really good .....a meal to remember for a lifetime....of course all were caught and consumed within the legal regs

My stream is cold with plenty of D.O., but the acid water would probably kill them, PH 5.5 .

I've enjoyed this post all the way round and about -

YES its been a trying winter and still 2 months of who knows what in NY. An "old fashioned" winter no doubt.

There's no shoveling our snow this year - not 2 miles in - and 20 miles from home -



The "outlet" in the foreground is actually the water coming up over the bank (dug pond - no pipe-outlet) - next year we'll have a 6" outlet -we didn't figure the water would ever come up and over!

Love the "waterfall" picture - I've got several CNY streams that I monitor for native brookies - looks a lot like you stream! I'm ready for winter to be over!!

FH

Our property is in southern Bedford Co no more than a couple miles from the MD line. No native trout in the general area. You have to go about 20 miles north. There are several great native brook trout streams and some fine limestone brown trout streams there.

The place we buy our trout from doesn't hatch tiger trout or I would definitely consider some. The spring that surfaces on our 50 acres and runs down through the hollow doesn't have a big enough flow to keep the pond we'd like to form out of it cold enough to support trout. I am hoping in the next couple years to build a pond on the 50 acres though. I think I have a good site. I will probably post on here later this year for some ideas.

CJ, just a little info if you are interested, the closest trout farm near your property with tiger trout is Green spring trout farm
,Newville, PA. 717-776-3214.
I dont know anything about them, but you can see the list of fish farms if you look up the "Pennsylvania sports fish directory".

CJ,

How much flow do you think the spring produces year around? It may not take as much flow as you think. Additionally smaller is better with trout ponds as not only do trout not need a lot of room it's easier to cool a small pond. You could have a small pond and have it overflow into a large pond like I do.