Bill, MI does allow tilapia! I added them 2 seasons when I had a supplier who grew them in his aquaponics setup and had leftovers for me. They loved my pond but I couldn't tell they did anything to the algae. Probably because I didn't get to the 40 pound mark and even more because my adults didn't have a long enough growing season before cold weather hit to have babies. The babies I'm told are the ones that truly have enough mouths to eat the algae. I think my adults probably found plenty of bugs and other things to eat.
I may ask someone to truck tilapia from another state as part of a fish delivery in the future. I keep hoping to check in with another local aquaponics hobbyist or someone who has a setup in their heated garage or barn and can raise some for me. I don't have know how on how to keep them over the winter. Some pondboss folks in SE MI were doing this and I have not heard them post in a while (John Kelsey I think? and Coach Bryan?)
Thanks for the info on Walleye. It was truly an experiment mainly to do what the local fish farm and local fish biologists said could not be done in MI.
Yes, my lack of vegetation is a problem. I first blamed too many crayfish but I can't see or trap a single crayfish so don't think that is to blame. I think the soilfloc may be to blame. When I try to push a stake in it is like pounding through concrete for 2" and then you hit soft soil. I think plants just don't start easily in that stuff. I do get more plants on the extreme edge of shoreline that is partially wet and partially dry as the levels go up and down. The buttercup really are spreading easily around the edge. I see a few other weeds starting, even 2 bulrush type sprouts that came out of nowhere. I'm going to try to get some duck potato or water pickerel or similar to get started soon. But without disturbing my pond 'seal' I don't think the bowl bottom will ever have weeds.
I did hand feed optimal till I ran out in July. I didn't purchase more as I was managing algae more than enjoying my fish.
Another thing I did was at ice out this year... I had a literal solid coating of fluorescent green algae on the under side of the ice most of the way around the pond to about 4-5' out. Chiseled out the ice to install my duckbox stake and the underside had algae adhered to it! Never had that before. Usually at ice out the water is very clear and nothing growing anywhere. Figuring I was in for bad algae issues I put pond dye in. I had not done that before. It kept things basically a bit under control till pond dye disappeared mid summer. I didn't put more dye in as it is no fun not being able to see any of the creatures in the shallows with the dye. I like watching the critters, minnows, tadpoles and all so I figured let off on dye and be ready to rake more instead.
I will consider building plant islands, good idea. I also have worked much harder this year when fertilizing my lawn to be sure that none of it goes around or in the pond. I think that and some big runoff events that happened right after I fertilized last summer and fall put a ton of nitrogen in the pond that could have been avoided.
Too many projects. I have what I need at home to make my own bug light and zapper but no time to assemble it all, test and mount it. So it goes...
As an update, I did catch an adult LCS in a seine net a few years back but never saw a spawn (not enough vegetation)
RES are present in some lakes about an hour south of me and closer to Indiana border but none of the lakes by me have RES. I think we are just a bit too far north for them. Anyone in northern OH or IN who can tell us if their lakes have RES that survive year after year?
No pumpkinseed reproduction so no hybrids.
RES were stocked small (3") and in small numbers. I did see one spawning circle the next year but apparently adults and young never made it through the subsequent winter.
Last edited by canyoncreek; 09/02/22 11:52 AM.
