Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Non-Typical Baitfish

Sometimes I daydream about different types of aquarium fish that would make excellent bait fish ( terrible ADD) and I've found a few fish that would make excellent schooling bait fish in Southern ponds.

Zebra Danio- max size 3", slender streamline body that is raised in outdoor ponds for Aquarium use.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+881+941&pcatid=941

Giant Danio- Max size 4", stocky streamlike body that also thrives in Florida commercial ponds before becoming an aquairum pet. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+881+945&pcatid=945

Australian Rainbow Fish- Max size 4" also very similar to the Giant Danio.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+886+3199&pcatid=3199

Also many Guppy, Mollie and Swordtail fish (same as Gambusia) will thrive in outdoor ponds in Southern climates.

One day when I finally get my own pond I will try introducing these fish into my pond, with their small, slender size they cannot over-run a pond. Hopefully anybody looking for a new non-typical bait fish will find this information helpful.

It'd be illegal to stock them in GA and all would not survive all but the mildest of winters.

Also keep in mind, most require very special spawning conditions, unlikely to be found in a typical American pond. They're native habitat involves giant swings in precipitation amounts and flooding.

Generally, if a species isn't already successfully introduced into Florida, it is likely not a likely candidate. There are many tropical fish farms in Florida that have flooded or aquarium releases. If any of these species could reproduce and compete in the wild, they'd already be found as exotics in Florida. Native gambusia are very aggressive and are actually a major cause of the decline of many native fish declines in Australia where they've been introduced.

There are many native alternate forage fish options out there. For example, research taillight shiner. And the US has native sailfin mollies and several killifish and topminnow species... These species are adapted to the southern US.