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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Just a quick note to say the siphon apparently stopped some time yesterday. There were some fish in a pool where the pipe ended. They were mainly bullheads and greensunfish. A few were channel cats and one bass.
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Was that planned or did something stop it? Is the water down enough for your plans ?
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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Quit between checks - can confirm that levels do drop more quickly as pond lowers on my pond anyway! Probably a good thing it stopped when it did. I'm a little concerned that may have taken more water out than ideal. Lots of remaining areas are pretty shallow. Still has some areas that are probably at least 7 or 8 feet though (couldn't touch bottom with long paddle and arm over edge of boat pushing down). I took some pictures, but don't have software on currently accessible computer to upload.
Also concerned about finding some fish that went through the siphon (found: two dead bass & maybe 6 channel cats). I don't feel bad about the 4 or so green sunfish or the dozens of bullheads that are in a little pool below the dam. Last night, my sister was fishing with earthworms and catching bullheads each cast within seconds of it hitting the water. I wasn't having near as much success catching bass or green sunfish on a lure as prior to draining. Prior to draining, I caught one on almost every cast. Last night, it was maybe once in 30 casts. I figured they would be concentrated and I'd catch them like crazy...
I put out 5 wooden catfish traps. Forgot that they float until they soak up. Still floating this morning... May have to stick some bricks in them so they'll sink. Thinking about setting a couple trotlines out. Figure I'll stay busy taking off bullheads if I do.
Also, killed 4 more snakes and saw even more last night. Plan to remove fence from near the pond in morning so that can bushhog around it before long. Maybe that will help. Can't figure out why so many snakes and skunks at the site.
Also, talked with a biologist who mentioned that he has received green sunfish and other undesirables with fathead minnows. He suggested that may be where mine came from. Afer he said that, I remembered receiving some rosey reds that had several strange looking fish in with them (virtually all the fish arrived dead so none lived). I think I'll closely examine any fish that I stock in my ponds from now on.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by Rangersedge: Also, talked with a biologist who mentioned that he has received green sunfish and other undesirables with fathead minnows. He suggested that may be where mine came from. Afer he said that, I remembered receiving some rosey reds that had several strange looking fish in with them (virtually all the fish arrived dead so none lived). I think I'll closely examine any fish that I stock in my ponds from now on. I'll confirm this theory with personal experience.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Readers - look at this,even PB moderators are discussing fish order containation under the topic of Pond Construction - Building a Dam - Siphon Specifics.
When you buy large quanities of fish (all varieties) from hatcheries often they are not hand counted due to time constraints. They seperate the quantity by weight. One has to assume that no cross contamination has occurred at teh hatchery. I have been to several hatcheries where owners kids or relatives kids have been allowed to "play" in the hatchery tanks with dip nets. This is only one example of a possible source of cross contamination that could occur at the hatchery.
Another source of cross contamination at the hatchery level is when fish are pond raised. Any foreign fish in the pond can spawn and provide extra fish in the final seine hauls. Often these fish are not real closely hand sorted due to time constraints.
Some fish at hatcheries are raised in poly culture where two or more species are raised together to capitalize on increased production for a given water body.
I've watched hatchery workers hand sorting fish and they make mistakes either due to pure error or a fish in a sorting net accidently jumps at the right or wrong time and makes it into the wrong tank.
Lots of ways fish can contaminate your order.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I don't get angry very often, but I am absolutely livid at the idea that carelessness on the part of hatchery personel could ruin all of my hard planning when it comes to stocking and managing my ponds.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Bruce that is why you should always check each fish that goes into your pond if a pure culture is needed.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I made that mistake when I allowed a well known local fish culturist to stock fathead minnows in my pond while I was away in 2001. Magically, I had bullheads by the next year. Won't ever make that mistake again.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Moderator Lunker
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Whatever happened to that local fish culturist? Did they ever find the body?
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Sorry about getting into fish management under building a dam. I'm the site admin at another site and have been seriously thinking about revamping the layout because many of the threads cross areas so much. I was thinking this morning that it might be interesting to have some areas where could follow ponds all the way through. What worked and what didn't. The siphon worked extremely well. I caught 2 bass, 1 bluegill, and maybe 8 green sunfish last night in about 45 minutes. The biggest bass was hooked in the gill of course. I was using jig with barbless hook and released it quickly, but it was bleeding... As to the pond, I'm really not sure what to do now. I'm again considering a fyke net to try to remove as many green sunfish and bullheads as possible. Wondering if it wouldn't have been better for it to have siphoned dry and started over. Discouraged.
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The reason for the drawdown/pond construction was to do some work on the pond and try to fix the fish population. It is natural in the progression of the topic that this happens but it makes it hard to find Bill's outstanding posts again later. I wish I had a good suggestion on this but I don't. I am getting better at using the search function. Ranger don't get discouraged its all part of the journey. Keep taking out the BH and GSF and add BG when you can. There are more tricks in the bag if needed.
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Lunker
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Lunker
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If I understand the procedure right the pipe in the pond goes to the depth plus about 4 foot lower. At the top elbow there is not anything installed? Or is there a tee to prime the lines and balls covering both ends? My pond is running higher than I desire since I connected the house gutters. I may try this syphon to correct my water level, I would use 4 inch pvc. I have read these posts many times to get the method and for protection.
paul weatherholt
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Lunker
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Lunker
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I could also very easily dig out on the spillway and install an over flow with a pipe and only dig down about one foot. if I did that what should I do around the pipe to prevent wash out?
paul weatherholt
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Paul: For my original siphon, we just ran the pipe over the dam. For the permanent one, I buried it about three feet (below freeze level) in the top of the dam and between 3 and 9 feet the rest of the way except starting at about 15 feet below normal water level, it is just on top of the pond bottom. For something permanent without worrying about freezing, I'd seriously look at doing it more like on the pond dam piping website here http://www.ponddampiping.com/syphon1.html. the ice sometimes gets pretty thick where I am located so I'm not comfortable trying that way. Mine is more designed so that I can pull water from the pond bottom as desired vs. it automatically maintaining a certain level as might be better for your situation. Hope this helps. Jeff
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Joined: May 2003
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Missed the second part... Digging out the spillway and installing a pipe with an antiseep collar would likely be faster and cheaper. That might be a good option. In essence I did that on some of my sediment dams. I'll try to hunt up and take some pictures this weekend.
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