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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 238 Likes: 1
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OP
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 238 Likes: 1 |
Quick question i was wondering if anyone's used mosquitofish before. I'd think they'd be good BG forage and no-one likes mosquitos. I bring it up because i saw them in the hachery's catalog. Any knowledge?
0.7 acre pond stocked 2020, LMB, PS, YP.
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Joined: Oct 2014
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Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Joined: Jan 2012
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I added some to my small pond a few months back...haven't noticed any since then, but I really haven't looked much either.
Based on my reading they'd be filling a specific niche in the food chain. They don't get very large (like GSH or similar) so the food value stays smaller. And they inhabit fairly shallow water based on my reading so the predators that would be able to feed on them would be somewhat limited to shallow water feeders.
But I like to experiment so I added them. My reading indicated that they aren't really much better than many other options from a mosquito control standpoint...but I guess every little bit helps there.
Dale "When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water." - anonymous
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Joined: Aug 2015
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I might add some but the FHM and GSH do the same thing and the mosquitofish aren't cheap.
0.7 acre pond stocked 2020, LMB, PS, YP.
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Joined: Aug 2014
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Joined: Aug 2014
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I have and have had them and it doesn't take many to get them started. The bass work them over in the shallows
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Here they are in every little seasonal stream every year. The streams can dry completely up, but when the water comes back (maybe in a fairly large rain event??) they are there. They are lousy thick in the small stream that runs between my main pond and old pond.
Now I see them in my pre-sediment and sediment pond. They got there somehow. Don't know how.
If you have an extra large puddle that will hold water for a couple months, throw a few in and soon you will have thousands.
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Joined: Mar 2015
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Joined: Mar 2015
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We added them to our pond in early spring ,, raked them upout of ditches and relocated them to the pond less than a 100 and now we have millions but we only have cnb and cc to eat them
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Joined: Aug 2014
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Joined: Aug 2014
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I have added Mosquito fish (Gambusia's) in addition to my original stocking of FHM. Pat W. had a great place to catch some, so I bucket stocked them. The big females are very prolific and always gravid. They had really exploded population-wise in the pond before the predators arrived. I'm seeing only adults and fry now. The medium sized ones are being consumed by the LMB. I'm sure as the predators grow, the adults will disappear as well. What amazes me, is the Gambusia's ability to live in 98 degree shallow water during these hot summer months.
...when in doubt...set the hook...
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Joined: Jan 2012
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What amazes me, is the Gambusia's ability to live in 98 degree shallow water during these hot summer months. were nothing can get to them to eat them. I wish I did not have them in my pond, they offer little food source and are very agressive egg and fry eaters. if it was my pond I would not add them...thats just my opinion though one thing I dont know will they survive a WI winter under the ice. I do not think they are native to WI are they?
Last edited by BobbyRice; 08/20/15 07:54 AM.
Goofing off is a slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected........... Wikipedia
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Thanks for the advise but i can't imagine them eating fry i thought they only were 2 inches long?
0.7 acre pond stocked 2020, LMB, PS, YP.
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Joined: Jan 2012
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yep 2 inches long seems about right.
fry are the perfect sise to fit right in there mouth, they are very agressive at it too.
any fish you have that do not protect the eggs as lots of other forage base fish such as GSH tend to will have lots of eggs eaten, at least thats my experience with them.
This is only my opinion, but I would rather have the GSH hatch and grow into a sizable meal for something than have the GAM that ate the egg.
Goofing off is a slang term for engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected........... Wikipedia
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