Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,058
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,407
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
16 members (emactxag, jpsdad, Dave Davidson1, Saratznj, Donatello, Layne, Freg, Sunil, tws3, rjackson, jludwig, Shorthose, DenaTroyer, Theo Gallus, Tinylake, catscratch), 652 guests, and 185 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 7
D
DADx4 Offline OP
OP Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 7
Hi fellas,
In the past few days, I've lost 4 large grass carp. Pond is 3/4 acre.
Today there was also a catfish.
Each of the fish had been eaten pretty good by the pond turtles by the time I pull them out, but I'm wondering if a snapper or other predator is the cause for the kills. Every heard of a snapper attacking large carp?
We have a dozen or so pond turtles, but I haven't seen any snappers.
There is a typically dry creek channel that connects to other upstream ponds, which fills with water and runs thru the pond during heavy rains like we have had here in Texas the last couple of weeks. So there is always other life making its way into the pond from time to time in this periodic stream.
The grass carp are large, they have been in the pond since construction and stocking ~25 years ago (as long as they stocked sterile). Old age seems odd for them all to go at the same time and doesn't explain the catfish.

Pond has aeration but even so, carp are known to be resilient in low DO environments.
Any thoughts on the cause on the kills?

Thanks,
Jeremy

Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 215
Likes: 2
V
Offline
V
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 215
Likes: 2
My guess is the turtles are not guilty. But I don't have another perpetrator. Snappers will usually suck in prey, not unlike an LMB. So they grab bite sized critters. Red ears etc won't cause any trouble.

All of your turtles will help clean up carrion though.

Do you have bluegill, bass etc in the pond? If so I would expect them to be earlier indicators of a water quality issue. Both carp and catfish are relatively bulletproof. So water quality is unlikely.

No new predators? River otters or even cormorants seen lurking in the shadows?


4 acre pond 32 ft deep within East Texas (Livingston) timber ranch. Filled (to the top of an almost finished dam) by Hurricane Harvey 9/17. Stocked with FHM, CNBG, RES 10/17. Added 35lbs RSC 3/18. 400 N LMB fingerlings 6/18
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,596
Likes: 36
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,596
Likes: 36
Could be old age in conjunction with some sort of environmental stressor, any really strong cold fronts the week before?



Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 7
D
DADx4 Offline OP
OP Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 7
I wasn't sure if an alligator snapper would go after ~15lbs carp...but ya never know.

There were some strong storms recently but nothing the fish haven't experienced before, especially not to wipe out 4 of those guys that have survived a long time... seems too coincidental.

I had a big kill of around 60 or so BG when starting up aeration a long time ago due to so much toxic sediment disruption. Didn't loss any carp though, those guys just beached up on the edge of the water till everything stabilized....they are super strong fish.

Vortex, I do have a heron that visits each day for some snacks but he has been coming for years and never gets anything too big. He's too lazy, lol.

It almost has to be some type of new predator going after them but I can't figure out what it is.

Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 186
Likes: 3
S
Offline
S
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 186
Likes: 3
Congratulations. Wish I could get rid of mine.


Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/28/24 07:52 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by jpsdad - 03/28/24 07:40 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by Freg - 03/28/24 07:28 AM
Reducing fish biomass
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:17 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:05 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:02 PM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by Bill Cody - 03/27/24 10:18 AM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by esshup - 03/26/24 10:00 PM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5