EW reply

sprkplug

If BG and LMB are frequently stocked together at a 10:1 ratio (new info suggests 20+ to 1 in the south) , is there a ratio of BG to HSB that would approximate the same results? IMO no. Because over time the BG will reproduce and the HSB will not. One successful spawn by the BG will put you out of balance. Would the number of HSB required to eliminate manually removing BG be feasible for a small BOW where optimal growth of the BG was the goal? A good question to which I don't have a good answer. Feeding is also a wild card as it would be needed for both to meet that goal. Or is it a case of the HSB never being able to control a southern population of native BG? "Never" is a word I try to avoid. Certainly very high #s of HSB could control BG probably but at what cost. I don't like to have stressed fish (to many HSB to the point of skin and bones just to control another species) I prefer other approaches HSB and HBG with some minnows/small forage. Single sex populations or alternative predators. BTW I think you woud have the same results (BG stunting) in Northern ponds but have no experience actually doing that.



djstauder

What is the lower limit on alkalinity for HSB?
IMO 20 ppm but higher is much better as it reduces stress. They can do ok a little lower (16 ppm) but stress from combined high water temps and low alkalinity is not good. Add ag lime.

N8ly

even with low alkalinity I would still throw 50 hsb in there as an experiment just to see and know for sure for myself that they wont make it.... I don't assume they won't make it I just add ag lime to have better less stressed HSB and to avoid the risk of loss.

Lsutgrfan You have CNBG , GSF , HBG and way to many fish and not enough food. Go get some out. If you want a pure HSB/BG pond you will likely need to start over and do so in the top pond. May need ag lime.

Last edited by ewest; 01/17/13 04:01 PM.