Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait South Carolina: can't use (PK) MS. grass shrimp

I've recently bought property with a pond that is just under an acre by shoreline, but I have some 12' to 15' pockets and my average depth is easily 7'. The pond is fed by two very healthy springs and pushes about 400 gallons an hour through the siphon. In the fall I used Arkansas Pondstockers to add 800 Bluegill (fingerlings), 200 Redear (fingerlings), 2 grass carp and 10lbs of minnows. I would like to add my large mouth population in the late Spring to early Summer.

I have been lurking on Pond Boss for sometime and ran across the idea of a self sustaining shrimp population. I'm curious if you guys think I have missed the shrimp stocking opportunity now that the bream have been introduced? Also, SCDNR will not allow the use of the PK shrimp, but mentioned I could use the native riverine grass shrimp P. paludosus for stocking. I have struck out everywhere I have turned looking for a supplier. I was hopeful some of you might have ideas. Also I'm curious of any other SC ponds on the Pond Boss Forum.

You should consider collecting your own P.paludosus as some brood stock. Since SCDNR does not allow PKShrimp check with them as to where natural populations live in SC. There are also some naturalist people in SC (biology teachers, professors) that will know where P.paludosus is common in SC. Then get yourself a net and go collecting by sweeping the net in submerged plant beds where P.paludosus lives. If you have kids or grandkids make it a family day trip adventure.

If I am not mistaken most pet stores (petsmart etc) carry P.paludosus or grass/glass shrimp....

IF they came to check your pond and sampled the shrimp in there, would they be able to tell the difference between PK and PP shrimp?

The problem would be sourcing the PK shrimp. If the PP shrimp tolerate the conditions in your area then harvesting them and going with them should be fine.

Found some really cool photomicrographs of shrimp here. Enjoy the beauty!!

Even ghost shrimp get tapeworms!!

PP shrimp should do just fine in SC as they are native to the area.

What benefit would you get using PK shrimp that are hard to source over using PP shrimp that are easy and cheap to source.

The main question unanswered is:

" I'm curious if you guys think I have missed the shrimp stocking opportunity now that the bream have been introduced?"

Assuming he can get legal shrimp will it work at this stage ?

"""Assuming he can get legal shrimp will it work at this stage ?""" Their survival will depend on the amount of cover and good habitat that is available. For best success with an existing pond one should have an attached wetland or weedy area of some type. You can't get game birds to survive in a plowed bare field.

These are great responses, thanks! After the dam was repaired about 15% of the pond is actually flooded grassland. In addition we have had some "normal" vegetation growth, the reason for adding the grass carp.

Since the PK shrimp are a non-native, illegal, species for SC ponds I want to stick to the native PP shrimp. It looks like I may have to source them myself. I am guessing they'll be found be closer to the coast which is a 2-3 hour drive. Looks like I need to spend more time talking to my DNR friends.

Again thanks for the input. I'll try and share some pictures at some point I am really proud of the pond. I've already had blue heron, wood ducks and mallards visit, in addition to the deer and turkey.

I got mine from pet smart. I have millions of them now. They are pretty cheap and grow and reproduce very good in a small tank or container outdoors if you wanted to let them breed a bit to build the numbers up. Just a bubbler and some aquatic plants of some sort.