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Trivia from NEW SCIENTIST, April 22-28, 2006 page 45.
Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) have been recruited by US army researchers to detect chemical attacks on drinking water. The fish respond to toxins in water by breathing faster and deeper, coughing more often and moving in a characteristic way. These movements generate electrical signals that are picked up by electrodes and sent to a computer. When the number of fish showing signs of stress passes a certain threshold, the computer sounds an alarm. The system is in use at a New York City reservoir.
Norm Kopecky
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Sorry I missed the thread. The entire article was about using wasps and bees to smell different things. Apparently the ability to smell (air borne) by insects exceeds all other animals by far.
Norm Kopecky
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I talked to the soil analysis rep from Cornell yesterday and inquired about pond water testing. In addition to the Health Dept and the NYSDEC she suggested I call one of the local testing labs. She stated her office did not offer pond water analysis.
Upon inspection of the water sample, I noticed that a very, very light film of sediment has settled on the bottom of the jar. Its light enough to lead me to believe that the decrease in the secchi disk readings is not the result of aggressive mixing with the new compressor however the only true indication would be to have a water anaylsis done.
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Russ :
FWIW I think what has decreased your visibility is increased plankton growth/bloom. That would be normal in a pond in summer especially where you have had no major rain events and water level is dropping. Aeration could be adding some small amount of visibility reduction. If you do the jar test and use water from the top 3 feet of water in the pond it probably will have some amount of plankton in it. If you take it out of the sunlight for a day or two the plankton will dye and settle to the jar bottom. It will appear as a fine film in the bottom. I hope this helps.
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More ramblings:
This morning I had an opportunity to grab a pole and try my luck. About an hour later, I had landed (and released) 4 nice BG. I hooked one LMB but he never saw land. Three of the BG measured just shy of 7" while the fourth reached the 6.5" mark. Last fall the BG we stocked were 3-4". In July we caught a couple of BG about 5-6" and now they are approaching 7". Are these numbers in line with what I should expect from this little puddle?
FH minnows are still present but the snail population has dwindled from what it was a month ago. Walking the shoreline at night, I still find a few crayfish out for a stroll. On a few occasions, I've noticed coon and heron tracks.
A small stone dam project was been completed and the resulting increase in water level gives the puddle a nice full look.
This week I'm going to collect some water samples for analysis.
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Russ - I think the growth of your BG is in line with good growth rates for northern BG. I think you are feeding TSC fish food. If you were feeding a pellet with a little higher protein your BG could be a litter larger. Fish will put on a little more growth in Sept and early Oct. Expect to see some 8"-8.5" BG next year.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Bill,
The BG are not taking the pellets. At one point, golden shiners were taking them but now that the LMB are 10", I think the bass took care of GS. I just read your reply to Cecil's post on feeding LMB, can I use the same technique with BG. I would like to get the BG on pellets. 8-8.5" BG by next year would be great.
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Russ, The BG not eating pellets explaines your somewhat slower growth rates.
You can use the same pellet training method for BG. In fact BG will be able to be trained faster to eat pellets than LMB. I can usually get BG and YP to eating soft pellets in 3-4 days. One important point that significantly affects training is having the fish confined to a cage or similar confinement. Trying to train feed roaming fish in a pond with other fish is difficult with this method. Catch the fish you want to feed train, confine them, then train them.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Yesterday I received the water sample lab results for the pond. The sample was taken at 8:00 a.m. on 9-7-06, air temp 57 degrees, surface water temp 67 degrees, pH 8, cloudy skies and a secchi disc reading of > 5'. Interesting note about the secchi disc reading. Last month the reading was around 22". A week prior to the sample, our area received a couple of rainstorms. In another thread, http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=000084;p=1#000010 I talked about taking a water sample after a rainstorm figuring the turbidity would be affected. I was very surprised by the reading. Test results are : Alkalinity 114 mg/l Calcium Hardness 140 mg/l D.O. 9.0 mg/l Turbidity 1.6 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units.) Next summer I will take another sample for comparison. Costs for all 4 tests, $70. I took the sample and delivered it to the lab. Onsite sampling by the lab would of added $30 to the cost.
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Hey Russ,
That's a pretty good PH for the northeast! As you probably know some places have dangerously low PH's!
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Cecil,
The pH is in line with what the soil sample results showed.
Some more stuff to add to the previous post. With a pH=8 and the readings for alkalinity and hardness I guess the pond doesn't need any lime. (Even the soil sample recommendations stated no lime needed.)
The DO reading leads me to believe the diffusers are doing the job. In a month or so, they will go silent for the winter.
Turbidity is the one parameter I'd like to get more control over, if possible. I say this as it effects algae growth. It seems after every rainstorm, the turbidity of the pond changes. A similar event occured this past spring. The pond had a nice blue-green tint to the water but after a spring rain, the water turned a dark color yet was very clear. I think the secchi disc reading was around 39". With the water this clear, algae growth benefits. Today in the shallow areas of the pond I noticed large masses growing. It has the appearance of green cotton candy. Hopefully the pending drop in water temps will help control the growth leading into winter.
On the brighter side of things, the small stone dam is finished. The additional water it holds back gives the pond a nice full look. A side benefit is the trickling sound you get as water rolls off into the rip rap lined outlet. Nice place to set the lounge chair.
The rip rap shoreline is a crayfish magnet. Last night I counted 18, 1-2", mud bugs hunkered down in between the crevices in the rocks.
The muskrat problem I had during the summer has been addressed. I'm sure in time others will move in.
I've managed to get a few of the BGs and a good number of FH minnows to take pellets. I'll continue to feed till surface water temps hit about 50 degrees which I suspect will be in October. Some 8" BG by next summer would be nice.
Now if that isn't enough, the BG pond has tossed me a curve. The other day, I noticed a number of 1" BG and 2.5" bass swimming around. No doubt the BG I stocked contained some females but the bass have me stumped. There are six 10" bass in the pond that I know of but I don't think they are of spawning size/age. Can someone correct me on this. Because an intermittent stream feeds this pond, its difficult to regulate what critters flow in and out. I found a 5" golden shiner flopping around in the rip rap lined outlet the other day. Not sure if he was inbound or on a departing flight.
Based on the presence of baby BG and bass what actions, if any, should I take now to keep the goal of a pond filled with big BG on target?
Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks for reading.
Russ
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A note to inform the forum that this outstanding thread was moved from Questions and Observations to Types of Fish to Choose as requested by Russ.
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Thank you Eric for moving the post! More pond ponderings and a question about structure. After the initial construction of this puddle, one of the first structure items to be added were artificial christmas trees to serve as bait fish attractors/refuge areas. It was an experiment. Having been submerged for almost one full year, the trees look like one big algae mass. (For those that remember the Addams family, the trees look like Cousin It). I'm not very optimistic they offer any benefit to the pond but this comes from surface observation only. I may attempt to pluck them out using a boom pole and grapple. With the pond goal of big BG, I need to address the young BG and bass that have taken up residency. If I remove the christmas trees, the only structure left in the pond would be three 20' long 8-10" diameter trees, submerged horizontally in 3-4' of water and a very small brush pile. I'd like to hear opinions on what type of structure to add that would serve to (1) attract the baby BG/LMB, (2) offer the existing 10" LMB a point from which to launch an attack and (3) not turn into an ineffective algae mass. The earliest post I found touching on PVC structures dates back to 2003 where Bob Lusk mentions them. http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000013 I also recall Chip Rowland's post about sinking some PVC structures earlier this spring. http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000161 Bob or Chip, if you read this, can you offer any experience on the track record of these structures as far as algae growth over time?
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With Fall in full swing here in the northeast, the BG puddle is showing the signs of change. Yesterday's surface water temps were 55 degrees. A handfull of pellets produced zero hits from the BG(at least during the time period I stood by). The annual accumulation of fall foliage has stained the water color to charcoal black yet a secchi disk reading produced 36" visibility. Aerator has been shutdown.
A neighbor stopped by yesterday and confessed to hauling in some slab crappie from a river in the next town over. My BG are not yet dinner plate ready so we'll shift into kickback mode here and go raid someone else's frig.
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Russ try this -- in a day or two assuming your weather holds ( BG given time to adjust to the temp. change) then throw in a few pellets and see if there is a difference from yesterday's feeding level. Let us know what your results are.
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Russ - Did you get any of the big snow fall that fell in and around Buffalo?.
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Eric,
Daytime temps are predicted to remain in the upper 50's for the next few days so I will try some pellets and report back. One question I've often thought about, concerning feeding, is what time of day is best, especially now with surface temps dropping.
Bill,
Our area did not receive any of the snowfall that hit Buffalo. Traveling the NYS Thruway, I'm about 7 hours (my travel time) southeast of Buffalo. I see in Bob's log book, he was to fly into upstate this past Friday. I'm wondering if he flew over/into Buffalo?
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Update for Ewest,
Since my last post, I've been tossing a small handful of pellets into the pond on a daily basis. This usually has taken place in the late morning...10:00-10:30. With the sun sinking on the horizon, the majority of the pond does not see sunlight till late a.m.. No BG action (feeding) has been observed. Todays surface water temperature was 50 degrees.
My neighbors were down this past weekend and we tried to entice the BG with worms.....nothing. I suspect they found the Nyquil and have powered down for a winter snooze.
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Russ, just for comparison's sake, i was watching surface of my pond this a.m. and saw more GSF feeding action between about 7 and 7:15 than i saw just about all summer. we've been in a mild air temp range of 50 at night and 75 in the day for the last couple weeks......i actually think the GSF have finally found the Gams as suitable forage.....i've tried to be patient like Eric......i have not fished it all summer, but almost broke down with some ultralight tackle this morning........am forcing myself to hold off.
GSF are people too!
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Dave,
During the summer months, I would feed around that same timeframe, 7-7:30 a.m.. At this time, only a very small portion of the pond was in the shade. The BG were active then and would take the pellets.
With the water now charcoal black, yet visibility is >2', I thought perhaps waiting till the sun hit the pond (late a.m.) may affect feeding but this does not appear to be the case. I've suspended feeding till next year.
As you have read, Eric's patience has put him on track to achieving a very successful fishing hole. You are on the next train which will be arriving soon. Good luck Dave!
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Back on 9/15/06 I made a post asking for advice on what actions should be taken to address the YOY BG and bass that are now part of this pond. Some management options were discussed in this thread: http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000393 The plan now is to transfer some small bass from my other pond to this one. The target will be 25 bass total in the 8-12" range. I'll build to this number gradually as opposed to stocking all at once.
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Russ :
I posted this before but I should have mentioned it in your link on controlling small BG. Several studies have stated and one measured what is the largest source of prey on yoy BG from the egg stage to 2-3 inches. It was far and away larger BG from 4in. up. Yep real cannibals those BG.
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Is that why I seined my bluegill pond the other day and got 1100 fish instead of 2400?
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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What happened to those pics Bruce ? How do you know how many were there ? I think you probably ate about 1000 of the missing ! :p
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