Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Show off your (free swimming) fish

I really just wanted to share some photos I took today. I was motivated by ewest's advice to get some filters for my point-and-shoot Kodak and I'm very happy with the results.

We already have some photo threads, but if there's any interest this one could be for free swimming fish photos.

This is a fingerling RES that was stocked into my pond this spring at about 1 1/4 inches in length. Nowadays he's trying to be 4 inches long and apparently he thinks he's getting some spawning action.





Handsome isn't he?

He has to constantly defend himself from giants.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Very cool.

At one of those needs to go on http://www.bigbluegill.com

GW those are some great pics. Are those 2 fish representative of the new stocker fish and the ones from the other pond ( yoy and adults)? How big are they?

Thanks ewest. Yes, those are they.

The stockers I bought are between 3 and 4 inches now. The adults we moved have been spawning for weeks and look very healthy. The adults ranged between 5 - 7 inches when I transferred them, and it looks like I've got some 8 - 9 inchers now. They've had access to large numbers of FH in all sizes since they were stocked in late April.

Some of the larger RES have been eating a few dozen maggots every day for a while too.

I'm betting on the little dude.



Very cool pictures.

Did you add any hay or plant material for the snails to feed on ? It will be interesting to see if FH and snails plus natural plankton and bugs will support all those RES.

I didn't add any plant material. I also didn't add snails and I haven't seen one yet. I did stock a few crawdads from Mr H's pond, but I only see one occasionally.

Thanks sullpond, I like the torpedo.

I think this is my favorite:

What is the water depth in these photos? It looks like a matter of inches.

The small RES is in 4 -5 inches of water. I'm surprised by how shallow all of the beds are. It looks like almost every large male RES that I stocked is in this one spot and the deepest beds are maybe a little deeper than 12 inches and most of them are in less.



Here's a shot that shows one of the fingerlings next to a quarter:

Shallow like their cousins over here.

Check out this school of fish. Having trouble identifying the big white one???

I'd kill for this kind of water clarity, no fun going to the pond to look at water, and not see anything. Very cool pictures all!

sullpond, I doubt that I have 2 feet of visibility in my pond, it's just that the water is so shallow in these pics.

Even in my shallows, it's still cloudy. I'm holding off doing anything until after I finish digging around at the top of the pond. Until then, it's "Is that a fish?" "no it's a leaf"

Mine is the same way. The fact that is rains almost every day is not helping at all either. I can see shadows a foot down but its not quite the same

Guys,

My big pond is as clear as a swimming pool. Can see the bottom at 12 feet easily. Downside is the weeds are gong bonkers. Most of the pond has Chara up to three feet thick. Actually the Chara is part of the reason for the clarity.

You can get an idea of my water clarity in this video. I don't think you can see much detail at all a foot down.

Cool video!
I think mine is a bit cloudier, but close. I think I've stirred up a lot of sediment mucking about (literally) at the top of the pond.

cool video. Feeding time is always one of my favorite times at my pond. I bet I would enjoy it more if I were feeding an inexpensive high protien fly larvea instead of my fairly expensive store bought food.

Thanks Brett. I love turning waste into fish food, but I still want to train these guys to take pellets. Sometimes I can trick them into taking one while I'm feeding them the black soldier fly larvae, but they have always just spit the pellet out.

I started something yesterday that might utilize BSF larvae to pellet train my fish. I made a fish pellet mash with a little water and covered the larvae with it. When the larvae hit the water it creates a little cloud of pellet mash and the fish gets a good taste when it hits it. I figure if they associate the taste of pellets with a favorite food they may decide to eat the plain pellets. I've even considered raising some larvae on the pellets to increase the effect.