Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Low Maintenance Fish

As I said earlier, I know very little about the prepper lifestyle. However I do think there is probably a big difference between being a prepper, and embracing a more natural, self-sufficient means of existence. Many of you know or have probably gathered by now, that I come from a family where knowledge of the outdoors, and what it offers, was common and expected. It wasn't because my family were preppers, it was because they were poor.

Right now, we're coming into the prime growing season. I might be able to provide for my family, should the need arise. But what happens if the SHTF event occurs in January? That's why, to me at least, all the talk of planning and knowledge should take a back seat to action.....actually taking steps NOW, to prepare for those lean times. Like what Travis is doing. Knowing how to grow a garden is great, but that takes time...going to get pretty hungry waiting for those tomatoes and green beans to mature. A lifestyle like what we're discussing shouldn't be one you adopt one day, and proclaim yourself "ready" the very next day. I think it takes years of implementation to truly be "ready".

My buddy who calls himself a prepper couldn't hold a candle to the folks in the Amish settlements down the road a couple miles. The difference as I see it, is they haven't adopted a mindset, so much as they're living a lifestyle...full time, all day, every day. And have been for years. I would wager that they're far more ready than most, and they probably aren't even aware of it, or at least never looked at it that way.

Have you prepared and stored any of those animals and fish? That's where I see a potential problem for so many, they may have the knowledge and the skills, but they rely on the forage to always be there, and be obtainable.

Sparkie, some storage, but I gets hit from time to time and has to be replaced at different times of the yr. So, should it heppen when storage is up, were good. but if SHTF when storage is lower, then it OH CARP !!

Tracy

I was referring to your comment on economics rather than ponds when I made that comment (having to do with how what we call money is created and maintained), and it is discussion material for a different forum, not being related to ponds.

We try to keep a couple months food supply on hand. A lot of canned goods that we usually don't eat (don't really like some of the canned soup and products that well - my wife is a much better cook than what we can get out of a can). Along in the Thanksgiving to Christmas season, we give it to a local food bank and replenish the stock for the next year.

Some needy people get some food each year, and we have a fresh supply should we or some of our family members need it.

I'm not a prepper by any means, but I do believe it is wise for a person to maintain a position that they are not dependent on modern living that they can't last a week without modern conveniences. We might be inconvenienced but I think we could make it a couple months, winter or summer, without too much undue hardship. Beyond that, it would get more difficult, but likely we are in a lot better shape than someone living in a highrise in a city. Being on a farm and in a rural setting helps a lot. Just the regular inventory of fuel, generators, pumps, chainsaws, tools, land, etc. gives us a lot of resources that the average person might not have access to. By keeping a pantry stocked in addition to our other on hand resources, we might not be equipped for an end of the world disaster but we should be able to get through a natural disaster caused shortage or something of a similar duration man made disaster.

Kind of like buying liability insurance for my car. I don't plan on using it, but it is nice to know it is there if I need it.

I have heard that the best bartering item is TP during such times...

Gotta' be truth in that, especially since printed catalogs are becoming scarce.....

Back when I sold a lot of emergency food packages I was amazed at the number of people that never thought about water or put that at the top of there list. The saying that 1 gallon per person, per day is fine and dandy, but after a week or two you better be getting worried. All the food in the world wont keep you alive without drinking water.

Stocking up on bleach is the ticket to safe drinking water. Not sure why I know so much about this. I must be a closet prepper...

You guys remember way back when a game called "Oregon Trail"? I really liked that game. To me, my buddies and I are experiencing a small part of the real world version. A goal of self reliance and sustainability. A little like our fore fathers and pioneers. Except with small advantages like I-Phones and Charmin

I would think true prepping by a prepper would be not letting anyone know you are prepping

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Keyboards and laptops would be kind of brutal, eh?

There's always corncobs....

Ouch! Cringe at the thought

My Dad always said, "Bucket of red cobs and a bucket of white ones. Use a few reds then a white to see if ya need to use more reds!"

How about goldfish? I hear they can live through a nuclear winter, reproduce avidly and would provide a source of protein not far off from common carp. In a clean pond why would their flesh not be suitable for consumption?

and, as an aside, it seems every time we have a sunny day and the fish are feeding at the top I count more of them, and they seem bigger. Help! What started out to be about 5 brilliant red seems to be about 50 mostly brown, some slightly brown/orange and a fwe brilliant orange ones. They don't seem to go in minnow traps, I can't seine them, going to have to think about other ways to trap them. They probably are bigger than any predator that I would put in could handle. I can only hope the resident kingfisher comes back. I think they stay in just deep enough water that the GBH cannot reach them.

I guess as a food source as a prepper you also have to figure out how to get the carp/goldfish/crappie or whatever onto the dinner plate at will too.

At one time Mormons always kept a 6 month supply of canned goods. They rotated everything to the front as it was replaced at the back. I assume that some of them still do.

I once read, in Mother Earth News, that the 2 highest value items in a barter economy were ammo and whiskey. I'm pretty well prepped on this stuff.

Ammo I have, the whiskey keeps getting drank up. 😮
Cmm

I have wondered if alfalfa pellets would work to trap carp, goldfish, tilipia, etc.

Don't know, just asking. Those fish like plants. I wonder if a person could start feeding a few alfalfa pellets (created for dairy, rabbits, maybe horses) getting them used to it, then using it as trap bait.

Might be worth an experiment.

To replace toilet paper, most people wouldn't have corncobs and Sears and Roebuck catalogs, but the Romans used a sponge on the end of a stick and rinsed it to use over and over. When we have had our electric go out for a week from an ice storm the pond came in real handy in that I got water from the pond and kept the toilets flushing. We heated the house with a Franklin wood stove and cooked our food on it. I had two decorative but working oil lamps mounted on the walls we used for light.
So when you think of being a prepper think of no electricity. Turn your electric off for a couple of weeks and that will tell you how prepared you are. Think of having no gas for your vehicles, chain saws or automobiles. Do you know how to build a root cellar to store you food. I have plans from a guy in Scotland that serviced rural people's 12 volt systems in there home using a home built windmill and generator. I've made my own wine which could be used for trading and use. For years I read the original Mother Earth News before the couple that started it sold out and it wasn't anything like it used to be. I think where the prepper's fall short is they think there are going to be food in tin cans to be stored away in a real crisis. The cans are made in a factory and the food is grown in field and harvested by laborers and process again in factories. You can see the chain of events that will collapse in a real crisis. I'm not a prepper but a realist.

New battery that's interesting for self sustained electric.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/291...m-for-3500.html

Tilapia easily and voraciously take to regular fish pellets, and others have stated the grass carp become feed hogs too. I would imagine traps that incorporated feed would work on both of those.


I have had no luck in using a cast net while the tilapia feed. They are just way to skittish. Keep in mind this is in my pond with my abilities. I know others can catch them just fine, probably without feed.

Could alfalfa pellets be made in a crisis situation? And then you have to weigh the trouble of making them, versus just letting the pond be self sufficient with LMB and BG. I would think with tilapia, you could just throw in freshly cut plant matter and they would devour it, if their regular food source was gone.

Edit-- at the very least, throwing in plant matter/nitrogen would create algae problems and then feed the tilapia....

John M- The battery is cool. I saw that beforehand. In my area constant/reliable sun is problematic. That's why they built the arsenal near me during WWII. That battery might be something to consider with aerators, which has always been a limiting factor for me. They are saying it will be ok to mount outside. Definitely a game changer.

I don't see why anyone would want to go with this new battery for home use. It's cost is way to high. I went with a generac generator and propane as the fuel to be off the grid. Propane is not expensive and the generator will power up a 3,000 sq. foot home with air conditioner. And a small generator supplied with propane will service all the air to a pond u would need. it might not be perfect system but when I look at this battery system along with solor panels the cost to supply energy to a 3,000 sq. foot home would be way to costly.

Tracy

I think it's about more than costs. Who provides the propane, vs. who provides the sunlight? Propane is still a fossil fuel, and relies upon infrastructure to get it to you. Sunlight beams down on its own accord...

fish n chips, thanks for the good idea. I think my family members have chinchilla food and rabbit food available so i don't have to buy a whole bag and find it doesn't work. At least those are grass/plant based pellets and I can give it a try.

Others suggested baiting with corn, one family members thought corn flakes might be better

I was thinking about how we have bags of lucky charms where the kids picked out the marshmellows and then won't eat the rest of the bag. Maybe I'll get lucky with lucky charms, or chocolate Cocoa puffs might act like a good floating, self expanding, round, brown fish pellet

I have had luck catching tilapia on anything I try..... ONCE!... Seems they are fast learners. Other than pellets, the best repeated bait for me has been frozen peas or worms.