Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Ok, how about a FH/RES pond?

GW - If we assume your theory is correct that RES will be able to forage and adequately grow on a high percentage diet of small FHM then stocking 125 to 150 in 1/4 acre is not an unreasonable number.

I assume that you want to utilize the RES as some sort of harvest plan. If you only stock 30-32 juvenile, or young adults or adults then you will have to wait a few extra years until their first spawn has grown to harvestable size for you to get a decent return or crop of RES. This ASSUMES the spawn of the adults survives. Considering the reproductive capacity of the FHM and the food consumption rate of each adult RES, one should be able to stock a lot more RES or WM than 30. Stocking of 30-32 adult RES could result in an overpopulation of FHM from the begining. An early overpopulation of FHM could cause uncecessary early management problems of having to harvest FHM, unless that is a goal.

I suggest that you initially stock two or three year classes. This will set the pond up as a somewhat established population where three size groups will begin growing right away by foraging on the plethora of various sizes of minnows.

If you or someone does this, for me, it will be interesting to see, if the adult fatheads will have any significiant predatory pressure on the fry of the RES. If one sees very little recruitment of RES in the presence of high numbers of FHM, then one can assume that the FHM are feeding heavily on the RES fry as they leave the nest.

The literature indicates that FHM will NOT significantly impact RES survival due to predation of RES fry. Most of the literature indicates FHM will at times consume lots of small insect larvae including mosquito larva (up to 90% of diet). The literature that I have, does not indicate that FHM consume fish fry. But I think if FHM eat insect larvae, then when FHM numbers are high in a small pond, collectively as oppurtinustic feeders, they could eat large numbers of fish fry when fish fry are readily available. Thus, RES survival could be impacted by loss of some or high numbers of fry to FHM AND by high numbers of FHM overgrazing the rotifer and crustacean, nauplii, zooplankton thus limiting RES fry survival. Fish fry traditionally feed heavily on rotifers and nauplii as first foods.

I initially think that recruitment of FHM would outpace the ability of RES to eat FHM. This would be an interesting project. If I had an extra 0.1-0.2 ac pond it would be an interesting short term project.