Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait My Pondweed/Grass Shrimp Relationship

Two days ago I posted questions on how to eradicate the explosion of Horned Pondweed/Widgeon Grass in my main pond. Yesterday I sampled the pond to see what might be hiding out in the pondweed if it's something I was going to have to live with. I was happily surprised at the sampling results.

Not only was the pondweed very easy to run a net through, but it yielded abundant GSH/FHM, Tadpoles, and PK Shrimp on every run. I averaged a dozen shrimp/net - amazed at the qty and variety of forage that utilize pondweed as habitat and apparently as a food source.

This is a classic scenario which underscores the importance of a pond manager collecting all the facts prior to committing to a management strategy. These new details will factor into my decision on whether or not to eradicate the pondweed, spot treat, or leave it alone.

Those shrimp are just about the coolest things ever.

You gotcha some dandy brim bait there.
I gotta have some PW and PK.

If anyone can dig a 10x10 4' deep pit I will mail you some of this pondweed. You can have a shrimp operation up and running in no time. This pondweed is amazing stuff. I imagine a seine would pull through it just as easily as my net. Crazy - certainly nothing like trying to seine through FA.

I noticed your shrimp are carrying eggs, so you're about to have a population explosion.

I have a ~10x10x3' fathead/shrimp pond, and my dip net gets ~5-15 shrimp per scoop. I guess that proves the FHM don't eat very many if any of them. The shrimp are skinny, so I need to add grass clippings or sinking feed. The shrimp in my big pond are maximum size and plentiful.

I wish i could get shrimp to put in my pond. I ask around and most of the time get a puzzled look for a responce. No one in my area seems to know anything about these, stock them, or have access to a regular supplier.

RCN

I just placed a bulk order for Pond Boss guys last week! If we get enough guys together we can do another order. I have two other forum members who contacted me last week after the shrimp had shipped. If I can help you out let me know. Dale Fattig is our contact and he's in the resource guide if you want to hit him up yourself. The pricing is contingent on quantity - thats why we try to get everyone together for bulk orders.

I've seen that before but never said anything since everyone that was in on it was out west and i'm in Florida. Didnt speak up since i was thought it was not something i could get in on due to my location being so far away from everyone else.

The fine leafed vegetation is ideal habitrat for grass shrimp. The PK shrimp don't do very well in artificial structure or no vegetation. Mentor Lusk and I keep stressing the importance of good habitat. Good habitat is not just pallets, pvc, brush and rocks.

Hey RC -

PB family is PB family, regardless of location! Next time give us a shout - it's $30 flat shipping nationwide. We've shipped as far East at NC and South as TN and AL and they made it with around 1-2% morts IIRC. If we can get enough guys together [we currently have four] we can probably pull off another order while they are gravid and ready to drop eggs.

I'd like to be #5 if at all possible.

RC, PK shrimp may not do as well for you as the native freshwater Florida grass shrimp would. Palaemonetes paludosus commonly known as the Eastern grass shrimp, Riverine grass shrimp or Florida ghost shrimp is the species of grass shrimp you most commonly see for sale as feeder food in the tropical fish trade. They are very common is most freshwater areas in Florida. Like PK shrimp, they can survive and thrive in freshwater through all life stages. They are less cold water tolerant than PK shrimp though, which is why they are not an option for us northerners. However, where you are they are native and would do quite well. I suspect you shouldn't have a hard time collecting them from the wild. Most ditches and ponds I have sampled in several different parts of Florida were loaded with them.

I am not trying to dissuade you from purchasing the PK shrimp. TJ and I were the first to find a supplier and I stocked them and believe they should be like fatheads, stocked in just about every pond. But, I think the native Florida grass shrimp would be a better option for you... Just my .02.

RC - Travis is right - go with species native to your area. Not trying to take any business from Dale, but if you could pull your sampling net through aquatic vegetation in local ditches or ponds and collect some that would make the most sense IMO. Free and native.

Travis - what do you think about those pics? Have you sampled your ponds yet?

I gotta get my butt in gear and sample them. I have been seeing a lot of fish in the shallows. I just got back from a week in PA turkey hunting and fishing. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day so I will run the net and post the results...

Travis, get 'r done quick. That cold front that's coming your way is a doozy!

My daughter and i will make another run at finding some locally, again. We made our own special net for this and its great fun but so far i have not seen a single grass shrimp. I like the free part and we have a great time doing it anyway. If i have not gotten any by the time everyone starts talking about another batch of pk shrimp i'll speak up. Thanks guys.

I usually found them in the thickest nasty vegetated ditches down in FL. Many of the neighborhood dug out ponds had them too. I just caught them to use for bait for catching BG and RES but there is not reason they couldn't be kept and transported to your pond for stocking.

I'll let you know if i get some.

So this would confirm a spawn from last years stocking from fattig?

I finally decided to check my two ponds to see if the pk grass shrimp I stocked in them last spring survive... NADA Not a single shrimp in the 50 swipes of my dip net. I caught piles of dragon fly nymphs, bull frog and leopard frog tadpoles, all kinds of other water beatles and a mix of bluntnose minnow and banded killifish YOY, but not a single shrimp...

Not sure, perhaps I just don't have many and they are just not coming up in the net. Or, what I think, the water chemistry around here just is not conducive to pk grass shrimp. I do have a zillion predacious diving beetles in both ponds. Hopefully the adult male BG I stocked will start to control them and next year I will give one more try to getting pk grass shrimp to take hold.

For me, yes, but I also stocked well over 2,000 shrimp. Sounds to me as though other results are varying...we need some more feedback from other Shrimp guys.

This is troubling Travis. I only sampled ONE earlier in the year, but since my pondweed explosion it far exceeded my expectations. If my shrimp keep it up I will mail you some - I just need a lesson in shipping shrimp 101, some bags, boxes and rubber bands. I have the 02 on hand though.

I am thinking the shrimp need alkaline water. I am going to sample more later in the week to see if it was just a fluke. I am also thinking my predacious diving beetles took their toll on them. I am hoping the male BG will really clean them up and help out. We'll see...

Travis - see my new post. Your beetle info gave rise to a question I have....

Ok I have not heard of these shrimp. Will these live in Oklahoma waters? Would it be a waste of time and money to add these to an established pond?

It seems like it may be pretty easie to get a pond started for these or minnows is this true?