Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Disposable Pond

Since I am kind of new I have no idea if this has been discussed before but I am in the planning stages and would take any input.

I can plant numerous fire ponds or drawdowns. These are anywhere from 1/2 to several acres. Over eight feet deep. All precipitation fed. All going to be bone dry in the Fall. No cover, no aquatic plants. In a sense disposable.

Hazards, raccoons and egrets, herons.

Feasibility study: What could I do that could utilize this type pond temporarily?

I'm thinking frogs for growth, baitfish for breeding. Maybe try some aquatic cover, that could hopefully be self sustaining but also allowed me to net when low.

Maybe crawdads as they can live down until the end.

I'm open to anything here. Except Tiger Muskies.

You mean a vernal pond? I think they were discussed not to long ago around here and think there are some species of frogs that prefer vernal ponds. Have to wait for someone else to chime in.

Salamanders need vernal ponds/waterholes. They seek out vernal ponds for reproduction as there are no preditors allowing much higher recruitment.

For some reason I always envisioned vernal pools as shallow depressions that went dry fast. These are deep fire ponds that will have water for 9 months. I have no native newts or salamanders in the area, none. But they would be perfect. In these ponds there are no fairy shrimp, no daphnia, no plant life. They are not teaming with life. They are dead zones. Maybe a better way to put it would be man made embankments.

You might want to consider stocking some FHM or some other small fish that will eat the mosquito larva that will infest those ponds. Something cheap, because it'll have to be added every year. I don't know if Vector Control is still furnishing free Gambusia or not.

Dang and I was going to suggest a fairy shrimp/tiger muskie stocking plan.

Lets try this approach. What are your needs ? Forage pond , fish to sell or trade , temp feeding location for predator fish growout(fattening pool i.e. feed lot).

I think #1 would be forage fish raising and or breeding. I'm set with gambusia, have 1000's. Maybe bullfrogs and fatheads. That could be one pond. I'd have to supply some type of breeding area for FHM egg deposit. Maybe an old perf pipe. What about mixing gambusia and fhm?

The gams will attack the FH's like a 7 yr old does ice cream. They are very aggresive toward other small fish.

Hmmm...disposable pond, what to put in a disposable pond......

Sometimes the best way to answer a complex question is from the simplest angle. The only fish that I know of which I would consider disposable is the justly maligned green sunfish. Therefore, I would stock disposable green sunfish in my disposable pond.

Actually, in thinking about it, this would help smooth out some of the yings and yangs of pondmeistering in a dry climate. For example, one's usual rejoicing at the lifegiving moisture provided by the heavens would be tempered by the knowledge that it was sustaining the lives of the GSF. And the worrying and gnashing of teeth caused by serious dry spells would be mitigated by the assurance that the GSF were finally meeting their dessicated end.

Whether you love them or hate them, GSF posts are always good for a laugh.

No greenies. I can get them dwarfed and stunted anywhere. Gambusia are the undisputed pound for pound terrors. No gambusia either. I went to Petsmart to look at thier Rosy Red Minnows, which were light fatheads but now are just plain fatheads and over half the tank was gambusia. I made the guy just net out fatheads. In pond #1 so far, only fatheads, crawdads and bullforgs. I'll take photos and post of course. I have other ponds, I hope to try some water lilies also. I'll drop some perf pipe down for just in case egg laying.

A plus to stocking Greenies is that they will be ready-to-eat fish chips when dropped on the wildfires! (I think some of these ponds would be used for a water source when the fires started and the forest service needed water for their flying bucket brigade.)

I raise greenies and drop them in Eldorado Jeff's pond since he is so fond of them. Winning hearts and minds.

That is like taking an Oath! We want all greenies in one location so we can send in the big guns! CA General, any appeal? Mind you, should you accept these duties and fail, GSF will haunt you. And we never go back to make recoveries, that is it!

"I'm open to anything here. Except Tiger Muskies."

OK, what about Tiger Woods?

pallets would be good for the fatheads' spawning area.

As far as greenies, "If you build it, they will come."

Interesting Ewest, I don't recall ever reading that.


As for the rest of you knuckle heads it comes down to this. It is your inability to property raise GSF to a respectable size that causes you to dislike this magnificent species. Every fish will have the potential of stunting. Fill a pond with the the harlot-like Bluegill and without any intervention this rabbit-like mongrel will breed itself into oblivion. Yet you don't despise BG, you don't mock lovers of BG, you even create websites praising BG. Yet what does a BG do so well? It breeds and it breeds and it breeds. Place too many LMB into a pond and what will happen, it will stunt. Yet you unspoken spend hours an untold dollars to groom this pond pig to enormous proportions. You create fishing tournaments to catch the "green carp", you watch TV for tips on how to land this glutenous pond predator, you buy books on how to raise this voracious vacuum.

We fear what we don't understand. And you my sheep like masses have come to fear the GSF. You've been told scary bed time stories about how horrible this fish is. One mention of GSF and the hate mongering mantra such as this begins: "Oh my, you have GSF in your pond? You poor miserable sole, all is lost, you are doomed."

Rise above the petty jealousy. Dare to embrace what you have come to fear. See the GSF for what it is, an aggressive survivor, that has a mouth like a LMB, an attitude like a great white shark all packaged in a beautifully colored skin that looks as though a hand from heaven personally painted each and every fish.

Do not fall prey to the heretical blasphemers that spew their hatred. Come into the light. Come feel the love. Recognize the superiority of the GSF. Do not fall pray to the mindless dribble that is spewed by the detractors of this glorious fish. The have not raised 1+ pound GSF, they have not felt the fight that a this herculean species shall give, they have not experienced the explosion-like strike that a GSF can provide. They cover their inadequacy to grow this fish to a respectable proportion by reciting their hate filled mantras.

When I got to the end of this post, I was expecting to hear "....but wait, they also slice, dice, and make Julienne fries! Yours now for just $19.95!"

Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Ron Popeil of the sunfish world, to me you and your dangerously deluded cadre will always remain

"Reckless Enthusiasts of Cyanallus Trying to Utilize Murderous Sunfish"

Do you see my good people, Do you see what these haters must resort to? High school-esque word play to make to make you believe in their cause.

I call to you now to rise above the hate, rise above the ignorance, embrace the down trodden. Set aside your prejudice and hear the truth.

And know this all ye haters of the almighty GSF...

Wouldn't that be mindless drivel? Speaking of mindless drivel, for every drawdown adapted water lily purchased,
(10 free) already stunted high desirable green sunfish. A pack of Sham Wow's and a lifetime supply of Oxy Clean. Billy Mays RIP.

Cinder blocks, perf pipe, water lilies, fhm, frogs and crawdads.

Wow!! PREstunted GSF! Why put yourself through the suspense and effort of trying to manage your pond in the presence of GSF, just purchase them prestunted.

It's amazing what these fisheries professionals can come up with!

Next up: Non-feedtrained bass.

Upon furthur study I'm cancelling crawdads, and going with pallets with perfs pipes. No cinder blocks. Frogs and FHM. Off to fish hatcheries.

I like the thought of trying bass, quite a gamble though. I could try smaller numbers in a larger pond. How big are we talking here? Breeders? Just below?

Pond Frog how about Mudminnows, do you have them in Calif., they are suppose to be real tough.

No mud minnows out here that I know of. I did drop in 40 FHM today, no photos but let them equalize and away they went. Big pond filling amazingly fast. 6 feet in last two weeks. I made an isolated pond for an eventually bg kiddie pond, but stocked fhm in there also. Just made a mini dam and a diversion channel. Interesting on the backhoe cut two feet wide and about 4 feet deep, exposed a few aquifers. I'll probably go with 40-50 a week, then drop in pallet perf pipe rig.