Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait FHM Spawning In Tank

Ok it appears that my fatheads I have in my 300 gal tank are now spawning.

Is there anything I can do to help them avoid being eaten by the adults?

I have some floating plants and other stuff to hide in but the adults can get there to.

Also how fast do they tend to grow, it looks like they are eating the algae on the side of the tank so I think they have a food source, but can add something else for them to eat if need be.

Just wanted to know.

Thanks

Drop in a couple of pellets and watch the fun.

Fatheads eat anything... If you are just looking to feed them, the cheapest goldfish flakes will work.

If it's just fatheads in your tank, they are less apt at eating their fry than shiners. But if you have GSH in your tank, you will have little chance of the fry making it.

I have been feeding the adults both goldfish food and GFC as that is what I have.

I think they may eat algae as ell as the sides seem to be getting clean and the water is clearing up.

I do have a few GSH and 1 Tilapia in the tank so I am sure the fry are just going to be food, but thought I would try to help them out if possible.

How long would it take the fry to get to about an inch or so?

They won't ever cause they are gonna be eaten.

Ok if I remvove everything but FHM how long will it take to get them to an inch, or larger.

I wish I could just catch the fry and feed them to my Pumpkin Seeds in the house.

1-2 months I'd guess...

Is it true most FHM die after spawning?

Also what is the life span of the FHM?

They are not Pacific salmon, they spawn more than once before dying.

This is another reason you do not believe everything you read. Just something I had run across.

Sounds good to me.

Maybe I can make some sort of net or breeding box and put the FHM in it to breed.

Just in case I can not get all the GSH out.

Thanks

I may just try to grow out the GSH since they are eating all the fry anyway.

So my question is if they are currently 3-4 inches now, how big do you think they would be 4-5 months from now?

If I can get them large enough I may be able to stock them in one of the ponds that do not have that many fish, or LMB in them to get them established.

Thanks

They might put on another 2" maybe 3 if you are lucky.

That may give them a fighting chance to make it once I release them to the pond.

If I can not find any Tilapia to put in the tank I may just get some more larger GSH and grow them out the best I can.

Wanted Tilapia but may be running out of time and having issues finding some.

Thanks

Ok I just put 2 small Feeder Gold Fish and 2 Chinese Algae Eaters in my tank, along with about 5-10 feeder guppies.

Do you see any problems with these fish being added in with the FHM, GSH, and possible Tilapia if I can source some?

Thanks

Are you serious?

Yes, why?

I thougt gold fish worked with everything, and algea eaters are always needed.

Am I missing something, if I need to get them out let me know.

Thanks

Please let me know if I have issues with what I have put in the tank so I can net out anything that should not be in there. I am not an expert on fish by any means so all help is welcomed.

If what I did was stupid with the fish I put in there then tell me what it was and what I should do to avoid this issue in the future, I would rather be called names and fix the problem rather than let something unravel that could have been avoided.

Thanks

Nothing is wrong, just sounds more like an aquarium than a spawning tank.

Well that makes me feel better, I thought maybe something was going to eat all my fry up. I put the algae eaters in to help clean some of it up and possibly food that is not eaten either.

Plus I just wanted to add some color for my girls it is easier for them to see them, I did not want to put them in but for less than a $1 it keeps them happy why I look for the fry.

The FHM fry are growing and it appears some may make it as they are staying up around the top, not sure where the adults are (GSH & FHM both), plus there should be a 5" Tilapia in there some where but can not see it either.

Nothing is coming up to feed for some reason, not sure if the are getting enough to eat from the algae or what.

I have put in both goldfish food and Game Fish Chow.

They were eating like crazy before the spawn.

Now if I get any tilapia to put in there that may be a different story, I am sure all the fry will be gone and the feedings will start up.

I need to find a net with mesh fine enough to dip some of the fry up, I want to feed some to my small sunfish.

If you're really serious about raising FHM, then the only way to do it is a monoculture. If you want to try and raise some FHM fry in an aquarium, keep at it. But, I suspect you won't have much success.

They seem to keep having them in the tank I have and a few are already big enough to dip up in a minnow net. This is nice since I wanted to put some in to feed my sunfish.

Plus they seem to be cleaning up the sides of the tank as you can see where they have pecked at it when they eat, plus some of the adults 3+ inches and about an inch or so tall.

Some of the largest FHM I have seen. I will just have to wait and see if any ever get large enough to fish with by this fall.

Either way I am enjoying messing with them and just happy to see they spawned at all.

Thanks

I thought something was wrong with my fish as they are not comming up to eat anymore.

So I waited and watched the food sink and about have way down where I could not see it any more the swarm of fish came out to attack the food.

So not sure why they will not feed on the top any more but that is the case.

Thanks

I've had that happen but it is usually temporary.

When it is bigger fish, I have occasionally found that I had trespassers/poachers.

I can just see it now, pull in from a 10 hour day at work and see a few guys with some nets going after the 1 Tilapia I have in there.

Even though it would not make me happy, it would be a sight to watch.

Again they prefer to hit the food as it sinks, I feed them GFC and Goldfish Flake and they act the same with both.

At either rate they hammer it once at least 6 inches under the water.

Or a heron perched on the side of the tank.