Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Golden Shiners Pros/Cons

One thing to consider ... BG are nest raiders of BG. So, I am not sure if that nest raiding is a con that will make much difference.

It seems to be difficult for GSH to maintain high standing weights in the presence of LMB. Even so, per the references using GSH as the primary forage species there is substantial consumption of GSH by LMB that is reflected in the standing weights of LMB supported by them. They seem to have a high P/B ratio (production over biomass ratio) ... higher than BG. They are of high energy density and reproduce enough that they can build populous standing weights of consumable prey that support a remarkable standing weight of LMB for a limited period of time. Usually, within 2 or 3 years they are insufficient to maintain the elevated standing weights of LMB achieved. The LMB tend to overconsume them.

My approach to GSH will be to use them as a source of YOY sized prey that my pond(s) did not produce in sufficient number. IOWs, as a species for forage supplementation. By forage supplement, what I expressly mean is a supplement of consumable forage that I have no intention of reproducing. What I want the forage supplement to do ... is feed my predators ... grow before they are all consumed ...and produce a significantly greater weight of consumption than the weight of the supplement. Some will undoubtedly escape predation and reproduce. But whether that reproduction results in high numbers of GSH forage recruits of the size supplemented ... I think that is doubtful.

GSH have some advantages for forage supplementation (forage stocked for the strict purpose of consumption). They can be bought by the pound instead of individually. They don't croak in warm or cold water like RBT and TP do. If you have representation of LMB >20", it is unlikely that any GSH will grow large enough to prohibit their ultimate consumption. Even when they are a challenge to subdue when healthy, old age and sickness will render them consumable. They have a broader palette and can consume foods that are not of much if any use for BG. This can help with nutrient recycling and with the maintenance of higher weights of prey in consumable sizes. Additional niche is advantageous to increasing forage potential.

When I recommended GSH to you, in your other thread, I was specifically focused on boosting consumable prey for consumption over winter. Essentially increasing your Y/C ratio (consumable prey biomass over LMB biomass). If the LMB were to consume at satiation over winter, you may not have many left come May. But your LMB should be significantly larger if they were to have consumed them all. Eventually, the GSH standing weight of the forage supplement would decline to levels that they are not significantly contributing to consumption. They won't be a big factor then, but hopefully you have managed your BG to increase their consumed/consumable production within the limits of your pond's potential so as to lessen dependence on forage supplementation. Managing the LMB population to balance with this consumed/consumable production is also necessary.

How much the recommended supplement would provide and how long it will last would in part depend on how fast the individual GSH grow. The better they grow, the more weight of them can be consumed. Stocking them at the lower end of the optimum window of consumption allows for growth to improve them as more optimum prey. Ideally, growth proportionate (by weight) to the growth of LMB is the ideal growth once they reach optimum sizes. To ensure they grow, you do not want your water with excessively high weights of forage. They will grow faster if there remains potential above the standing weight maintained. The lower the standing weight relative to the potential, the faster the growth will be (as evidenced by new ponds which in the first year have much lower standing weights of forage than the potential). This is why I recommend removing BG larger than 1/3 the length of the largest LMB to balance the weight of the GSH supplemented. You are just swapping non-consumable forage with consumable forage. So, you haven't increased the standing weight of forage and the supplement has more potential to grow and supply more consumption to your LMB.