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Further question-
Has anyone attempted to raise any kind of fish for profit from a smallish pond? This would be for much farther out for me, but would love to read up on it!


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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Yes, this could be done. The key to making a profit is to raise desirable fish, invertebrates or plants where you have a specialty market (buyers) and use a specie or species that would be a niche market where few or no others are raising what you have. Members on this Forum are a niche market. Find the demand and then study how to do it and fill the demand. Many on this forum look for growers of the easy to raise grass shrimp. You could sell thousands of these. Be prepared to utilize good shipping and sell healthy product and at a reasonable or low price and you will definitely succeed. Learn to grow one or two species well then if successful you can expand to other species.

Fish that would sell well for what you could raise in a limited space small pond is a southern adapted yellow perch FL or GA strain, pumpkinseed sunfish, papershell crayfish. Since you are in GA learn how to raise some of the southern Cyprinella shiner species such as the fieryblack shiner, Alabama shiner, Satinfin or steelcolor and you can easily sell these shiners to specialty pond and aquarium people. If these species are reported to spawn in an aquarium one should be able to figure out how to get them to spawn in a pond even if you had to create current conditions using aeration. I will be your first customer.

Some good plants to raise for sale would be varieties of Louisiana iris, dwarf sagittaria and corkscrew eelgrass could be grown with grass shrimp. Ship plants in summer and critters in cooler months.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/08/20 02:18 PM.

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Good news,

Did a bunch of phone calls and it sounds like I shouldn't need any special dispensation since my pond wont be near any rivers/streams.

Hand of land development is going to drive by and give me an eyeball to confirm that.


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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Working through bank stuff- ANyone have an easy touse lender to buy land in Georgia?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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I can't speak to Georgia banks. But my personal experience with banks has been when I really needed money I could not get much of a bank loan, but when I did not need the money they would come out of the woodworks trying to loan me more than I might want or need.


Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.


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Confirmed! All i need is a $50 dirt disturbing permit


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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Bill- Thanks for the tips! Very interested in researching that more.

A quick search shows me... almost nowhere in the south east to find grass shrimp. Or am I looking in the wrong places?
Any good literature on these guys?

Also- Why aren't freshwater crabs discussed in the same vein as crawfish? Low reproduction rates?
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003191417.htm

How crazy would you call me if I tried growing grass shrimp in my back yard before i buy my farm/pond location? Hardest part would be selling my wife on the idea and keeping my dog out of it haha! (yes I know growing them would also be hard, but you havent met my wife!)

Last edited by CityDad; 08/13/20 11:39 AM.

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Evidently farming blue craps is being researched and tested. It is very new aquaculture animal and techniques are still being worked out. It looks promising. Winter survival is still a big question. I think these crabs will not reproduce so new ones need to be stocked each year. The plan has possibilities.

Another small aquaculture option is growing large edible shrimp (known as prawns) in a pond. The technique has been done and perfected for several years. This has been done in small outdoor ponds as far north as Ohio. You buy the tiny hatchling shrimp, feed and grow them all summer and harvest them in fall for market - friends, family or farmers market.

Lots of grass shrimp commonly occur all across the southern US . You are likely not looking in the right places. Many anglers use them for panfish bait. Check with some of your local bait shops for a beginning source. Grass shrimp are easy to raise and can be raised even in an aquarium. An outdoor pool would surely work if prepared correctly.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/13/20 08:20 PM.

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Starting my bank applications today, fingers crossed I can make an offer tonight.

More Qs-> My pond will be at the bottom of a hill. At the top of the hill I will be doing some very light farming (less than 1ksq ft of farm prob).
What should I do to lessen the effects of anything I do on the 'farm' on the pond? If I plant a bunch of bushes in between would they filter most anything out?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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Im my non expert mind it will depend on what you plant and put on the plants. If you just put in vegies and dont fertilizer I don't think you will have a problem. I would wait til some of them with more knowledge chime in tho.


The people who say I can't do it can just sit the @^#% down and watch me. Friends call me Rusto I also subscribe to pond boss mag. http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=504716#Post504716
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How silly of an idea would it be to but 5 or 6 bluegill in a large tank at my house here in Tampa so I can start growing them and then move them (10hr car drive) to the pond when it's built?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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I wouldn't think it would be worth the trouble. Thats a long way to try and keep them alive.


Bob


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Old banking idiom: Never lend money to anyone unless they don't need it.


"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
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@bing LoL. The reason Ican't pay cash is in the last two years family has had 20k+ in ramdom medical bills (8k alone for a bronken pinky[mine]) plus braces, wifes dental).

Gotta just win the damn lotto.

Banks should bend over backward for me, but they jerks :p

Random question that is probably answered in the book I just ordered from PB->
How do you 'start up' the pond for phytoplankton etc? Do I let a few wheelbarrows full of leaves die in the pond? Start a compost of some kind just for the pond? Just buy fertilzer like a lazy dude?
Do the branches/logs I'm going to use to build structure provide enough of a starting point? Leaves on or off?


Have any of yall been affected by USPS as far as shipping fish?

I'm pondering trying to get some blue crabs to breed in my backyard and then bring em up to Ga. Could be a fun project. Anyone have a good book to read on the subject?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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crap i got another question-

How worried do i need ot be about ruining the bottom of the pond? Assuming its well built if i wanted to bury a pvc pipe or something could i do that or just lay it on top?


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PVC pip 2" or less in diameter would soon be covered by dead organics and other wind blown in materials. I would just lay small diameter pipe on the bottom. If sealed it will want to float so some weight would be needed to hold it on the bottom. Hose 5/8" ID needs one half pound of weight per foot to hold it on the bottom.

I would not add organics to the pond to create a plankton bloom. Use fertilizer prepared for pond use. But first before fertilizer measure the alkalinity. Water alkalinity needs to be above 35 and better at 50 parts per million for good plankton growth. Otherwise fertilizer does not work. Before you start fertilizing a pond read through this found in our Common Pond Questions section (Q&A) .
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=96127#Post96127

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/16/20 05:00 PM.

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Ive been reading through those lots of them need updated links inside the threads because they are dead ends


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Originally Posted by CityDad
Ive been reading through those lots of them need updated links inside the threads because they are dead ends


Use Texas A&M for water testing:


http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/waterweb1.pdf

Select aquaculture

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Didn't know A&M did pond tests. I used both them and the Fort Worth water supply people for my well.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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I feel like there should be something closer in Ga....?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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Originally Posted by CityDad
I feel like there should be something closer in Ga....?


I don't know -- our pond is in MO and we used TAMU because the Univ. Missouri water testing is for ag purposes (irrigation) and didn't report on the right numbers for us.

Maybe try UGA?

http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/

http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/feeschedule/?

W34D Pond Water Quality (W1 + W18) and Algae Testing Kit
Each kit contains 3 plastic bottles with one bottle containing a Lugol solution.
Estimated turnaround: 5-7 business days upon receipt at the lab

110.00 SPW

Last edited by Bocomo; 08/17/20 12:41 PM.
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Just in case you want to give Greg Grimes ALL of your money:

https://lakework.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sdafs-trophy-lmb.pdf

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Interesting read.


Im preparing for the worst (not getting my target property)

However it may end up being a blessing as there are still properties I like and I think my wife will nearby. Some already have ponds, though not all are private.

Any success/horror storries about sharing a pond with 1-2 others?


Im going to ask a lot of questions, but only because I'm clueless


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More questions-

I've seen no mention of mussels as forage. Ponds too stagnant for them? Georgia has a few native species.


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I think results are mixed on sharing a pond. I personally wouldn't want to do it.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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