Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait My Pondweed/Grass Shrimp Relationship

In all likelihood they should survive in OK waters. Some forum members have had luck getting them to take hold in already established ponds, so they would not be a waste trying.


I am not sure what you are asking in this question... Are you asking is it easy to build a solely forage pond for raising forage fish and grass shrimp?

yes that was what I was asking. Just curious the minimum size and depth to sustain forage.

thanks

So where exactly does a person go to get this grass, besides local fishing holes with unknown diseases? Will it spread an take over?

I would imagine collecting from a "wild" source wouldn't be too risky as long as you quarantine the plants correctly.

I would probably rinse them thoroughly with good old chlorinated water from the garden hose, then bathe them for 30-45 seconds in a solution of 100 ppm methyl blue. Then rinse again. Then put in a tank of dechlorinated tapwater and a tiny bit of fertilizer for about a week and repeat the methyl blue bath again. I'd probably do this about 4 times. I would think they'd be pretty darn safe at that point, but make sure to closely examine for snails, mollusks, eggs, etc.

Wow. Shrimp in colder climates. I didnt think that would work. Also, explain this grass you are all talking about. Wouldnt these shrimp live just fine around all the other weeds etc. growing around my pond. Just curious, this is a new one for me.

Grass shrimp have preferences in aquatic vegetation, but just about any species will work. They will also utilize sunken brush and even rocky areas to take cover and forage. They are very common in the backwaters formed by wing dams along the rocky rip rap. I catch them extensively in rocky jetty areas as well. The grass shrimp species TJ is speaking off is native all the way to southern Canada, so cold weather is not an issue with them...

I would like to purchase some of these in the future if at all possible. I will gladly pay shipping or whatever it takes. Just someone let me know. Thanks ya'll.

Hey airborne - I'm thinking of placing another forum order soon as my two forage ponds now have tons of pondweed and I want to stock them both. Of course you're welcome to go directly to Dale Fattig directly but I try to group orders to lower the price - it's contingent on the qty of orders. So, the more guys we get on board, the cheaper the price.

I'll make a post and see if anyone wants aboard. You can do a search for PK Shrimp and learn all you need to know about pricing, shipping, etc. Of course, I can fill you in there too if you want to PM me.

i need a supplier for grass shrimp. please let me know of any one

Welcome bluefin! Might have a better response if you introduce yourself here.

In the resources section of the Pond Boss Forum, there are many places listed for a myrad of things all pond related. Here's one that's right up your alley.

http://www.pondboss.com/resource_guide.asp?id=38&c=5

Have you tried pouring cocktail sauce in the water to induce the bass to feed on the shrimp?

This thread made me curious about the Fattig operation, but when I googled it I found Mr. Fattig's obituary and that the company website was down and replaced by a message from a hacker.

Does anyone -- especially the Nebraskans -- know what happened? Did the business survive the passing of its founder? Is there an alternative source of PK shrimp?

I just called Susan, Dale's daughter, and they confirmed they are still in business but also verified their website had been hacked. I'm going to work with them to get it back up and also update with some new copy. I will forward their contact information for everyone here in case you need to reach them.

If anyone wants to order, the window is narrowing. If we group orders we can receive qty discounts as pricing is contingent on order qty. I would be willing to help facilitate this as I've done in the past, just let me know what you need and I can add up all the orders. Pricing is $.25/ea if we get over 2,000 and shipping is $30 flat overnight.

TJ

Ah, that's great to hear, TJ. So glad this important part of our community is still in business.

I saw in the obit that Mr. Fattig was a WWII veteran and had a great life building a business, serving his community and raising a big family. For those who are curious, you can see his obituary here.

TJ, I'd make a new separate post to announce an upcoming order so others can get in on it... Grass shrimp should seriously be stocked like FHM, At the beginning of just about every pond's life. Not too late after a fishery is established either. They are a great addition to just about any pond, from the classic LMB/BG pond to just about any specialty pond IMO.

As Mentioned above by CJ: "Grass shrimp have preferences in aquatic vegetation, but just about any species will work. They will also utilize sunken brush and even rocky areas to take cover and forage. They are very common in the backwaters formed by wing dams along the rocky rip rap. I catch them extensively in rocky jetty areas as well. The grass shrimp species TJ is speaking off is native all the way to southern Canada, so cold weather is not an issue with them." Moral here is for good survival the grass shrimp need proper habitat. To get better survival from wildlife stockings one doesn't release them in plowed or barren fields and expect survival. The better and more extensive the habitat the better the survival. If you are not seeing long term survival something is probably seriously wrong with the habitat.

Question, I've got a half acre pond that has NO vegetation whatsoever in it. It also has no large fish as they all died in this years drought in Texas. Its filled to the brim now and has covered over lots of rye grass and weeds that started growing in the dirt pit that was once a pond. Would this be enough to get them going and keep them going? The pond does have a large algae bloom in the spring but for about 4 months and then it dies down.

Hard to say...I've had great luck with them in my ponds but there's ample submergent vegetation. I know some forum members who had shrimp stocked apparently did NOT have them take. I don't know how well they would do being stocked in a pond full of BG - if you stocked higher qtys you'd improve your chances for sure.

Well count me in on some shrimp and pond weed. I want to start a tank and see how it does.

So TJ, you doing a grass shrimp order this spring? Anyone else shown interest in them?

I have connected with Susan Fattig taking over for Dale. They had some malicious activity on their website and it took them down for a while - I offered to help them get back on their feet with some free help but they never ended up getting back to me. Been six months by now. I will reach out and see how things are going for them, but last time we spoke they said they were ready to roll and would honor Dale's pricing with the Pond Boss family. Basically we need to get orders exceeding 2000 and it's $.25/ea plus $30 flat overnight shipping. Not sure if shipping prices have increased since the last order or not.

If anyone wants to hop on I'm happy to help coordinate for another major order this year. If there is anyone near me in Lincoln I'm also happy to net a few dozen for you to get things started in your ponds. I'm happy to help in any manner possible - Fattigs are good people and I like helping both them and my forum family! If anyone is interested just PM me your questions or contact info and we can chat.

You the man TJ! If you are just starting your pond off, you can't go wrong with stocking a couple hundred of these. They are an excellent forage for just about anything in the pond. They turned waste into fish food... You can't go wrong! Well worth the initial investment.

And if you already have an established pond with a decent amount of aquatic vegetation, there is a good likelihood they will take hold. They prefer harder water, so those with softer water may not want to take a chance on them. But if you have more typical water, they should do fine just about anywhere in the country...

If you live close to me come help me split some wood, seine for SMB or RES/BG, catch some CSBG and help me polish off some diet pepsis and we'll net some for free, of course, for your troubles. I sure love these little critters - and watching them in action is really too cool. They are born survivors - you can throw a handful into open water, and although the BG swarm only a few end up being eaten. They are translucent and jet through the water super fast and disappear. I could watch that stuff all day....and sometimes find myself doing just so!