Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Transport of HSB

I'm getting about 300 HSB later this week that will weigh between 1 and 1 1/2 pound each to stock in my bigger 17 acre pond. We will need to transport them about 35 miles. Planned to use a flatbed trailer, cattle tanks, and oxygen bottle with diffusers. We have cattle tanks that we could take up to about 300 gallon each. I read in another thread about adding .8% salt. Recent temps are highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.

He's been feeding them so they are feed trained. I plan to continue feeding them some. I realize this also adds to the biomass in the lake. Probably have 800 - 900 channel cats between 4 and 10 pounds in there right now. Plan to start harvesting those this year.

Seeking transport and any other recommendations. Should I pump lake water into the tanks before transport? Should I add ice to water at any time to cool it? Should I add salt? How much water do we need for 300 to 450 pounds of HSB?

I don't think you need to fill the tanks with the pond's water first, but either way, you need to acclimate the HSB to the different waters.

My old fish guy used clove oil to knock out the HSB before putting them into my pond, and took time to introduce, slowly, the pond water into the transport tanks.

More info. to follow, I'm sure...

HSB are far more sensitive to poor handling than almost any other pond species. I would highly agree with 0.8% salt. HSB are part striped bass and have been shown to survive and do well in pure sea water, so the salt won't hurt and with almost certainly help...

Are the stock tanks galvanized?

Make sure that it's non-iodized salt, and it might help the transport if you had some sort of cover for the tanks to keep the water and possibly fish from sloshing out. No matter how careful of a driver you are, all it takes is one person pulling out in front of you and not get going.

Look at this for good advice from SRAC. They also have a series on HSB.


http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=18

HSB http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=12

I read through the links. Thanks!

A little nervous about putting new fish in the lake; but... Hopefully low risk.

I think those HSB, at that size, will be safe from predation

We used clove oil to knock them out, double checked pond and tank temps, added salt, and kept the tanks well aerated using O2 tanks with diffuser hoses. Everything seems to have gone very well. Fish were very vigorous when removed from tanks and put in the lake. Cross your fingers.

Yeah? And where are the pictures?

One of my sisters took some as we were stocking. She is going to email them to me. I'll try to post some of them here.

Sorry I haven't posted pictures. Forgot. Thought they had all made it but found a dead one on the bank today. Now I wonder if any made it. Going to be big time relieved when I catch one...

I noticed you already did the transport AFTER I typed this... but perhaps someone else might find it useful.

Use fresh tapwater or well water for transport, NOT pond/lake water. Treat with a water conditioner that removes chloramines (not just chlorine)... even if the water source is chloramine free. If the conditioner removes chloramines, it also is able to stabilize ammonia during transport, which is the main killer of fish in these situations. Also grab a box of zeolite, which can be applied as needed if ammonia gets really out of hand, and it is impossible to overdose using it, so no worries. A sedative is not usually needed, but can be used if you want. Pure O2 is great insurance, but probably overkill. A good air compressor and decent airstones should get you by just fine for a trip less than an hour.