Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain FHMs in a cage?

I can't say I have heard of anyone using corrugated pipe and I would lean towards smooth pipe or strictly flat surfaces like plastic or wood sheet. Plastic would be lighter and better for your application. I'm not saying the corrugated pipe would not work, but the corrugations may not be the best since they lay the eggs on the "ceiling" of their nesting area and the corrugations may be harder to stick the eggs to in mass.

Rumor has it the parent likes to guard about a 12-18" area. That leads me to believe that two would share a larger space. I have seen several guarding crevices in rock piles that could not have had more than a 4x4" ceiling available for the eggs. Nesting areas may have been at a premium when the FHM population was maxed out in my pond and small crevices were all that was left for the less dominant fish. The individual would run off anything that got within 10 inches of the crevice. They will use just about any hole or ledge that's available. So, I think sections of pipe no less than 6" long would work, but I'd prefer 12 to 18" pieces if you have to use pipe.

If it were me, I'd would use the corrugated cardboard-like plastic that cheap signs are made of along with 1/4" all-thread and nuts/washers to create a tower of 18" square platforms with about 3 inch spacing. Not that I have attempted what your are doing..it's just my thoughts. I used stacked pallets that had close fitting slates with bricks between each pallet for added ceilings and they worked incredible well in my pond.





My final thought would be that any pipe from 3" up would work well, but you are trying to maximize a small space and flats would lend themselves to that goal. You'll produce minnows anyway you go and the advantages of one way over another may be marginal. These FHM, like rabbits, just want to fill the pond with their kind and will find the way to do so given the lack of predators.