While feeding my pond fish today I notice about 30 miniscule fry, maybe
2.5mm long. I would love to rear these and then reintroduce them back into
my pond. Can anyone give me advice on how to look after them, whether to
remove them from the pond, etc.

Thanks, a happy fish Daddy!

--
XBL : D0C RAY

We'll be Gunning for you

"KerplunKuK" [dot]uk wrote in message
...
While feeding my pond fish today I notice about 30 miniscule fry, maybe
2.5mm long. I would love to rear these and then reintroduce them back
into
my pond. Can anyone give me advice on how to look after them, whether to
remove them from the pond, etc.
==============================
You will raise a lot more if you remove them from the main pond. I use
kiddy pools that can be purchased anywhere this time of year for $8 to $10
each. They hold roughly 150 gallons of water. Add pond water, pond plants,
an aerator and feed them 4 to 6 times a day. They'll almost raise
themselves.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

On Fri, 1 Jul 2005 16:28:27 +0100, "KerplunKuK" wrote:

While feeding my pond fish today I notice about 30 miniscule fry, maybe
2.5mm long. I would love to rear these and then reintroduce them back into
my pond. Can anyone give me advice on how to look after them, whether to
remove them from the pond, etc.

Thanks, a happy fish Daddy!

Get a large utility tub and put some pond water in it, use a bucket to
catch some fry. Use a bubbler and/or air pump filter of some kind or make a
bucket filter with a small pump. Add plants. Instant mini water garden.
Keep tub where it doesn't get much direct sun.

I catch fry, and put in my containers holding plants, to eat mosquito
larvae. Always have 2 that grow up and have to find a home for at the end
of the season. ;o) ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

I have loads of fry in my pond -I think 2 different lots as the size is so variable and also noticed the very young fry on 2 different occasions. I have 2 female fish and one male so I guess they are from both females. I didn't do anything with the fry as everyone advised they would never survive, anyway I wasn't trying to increase stock. Now I'm worried that too many are surviving. The biggest are well over 1 inch long now and some starting to turn a bluey colour like their subumkin mum. Have they got too big to be food for parents now? And what at what size are they likely to become an over stocking problem? I reckon I have at least 100 - a couple of months old now!

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 10:07:18 +0000, Rak wrote:

I have loads of fry in my pond -I think 2 different lots as the size is
so variable and also noticed the very young fry on 2 different
occasions. I have 2 female fish and one male so I guess they are from
both females. I didn't do anything with the fry as everyone advised
they would never survive, anyway I wasn't trying to increase stock. Now
I'm worried that too many are surviving. The biggest are well over 1
inch long now and some starting to turn a bluey colour like their
subumkin mum. Have they got too big to be food for parents now? And
what at what size are they likely to become an over stocking problem? I
reckon I have at least 100 - a couple of months old now!

How many gallons is the pond and what's your filtration like? This will
give us some clues as your stocking rate. But the real proof will be in the
water quality. If your water is perfect now, clear, zeros on all the
appropriate tests, etc. and that starts to change, at that time you need to
start cleaning house before mother nature does it. Take the ones you don't
want to the local pet store and they just might give you store credit
towards other merchandise. ) ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"Rak" wrote in message
...

I have loads of fry in my pond -I think 2 different lots as the size is
so variable and also noticed the very young fry on 2 different
occasions. I have 2 female fish and one male so I guess they are from
both females. I didn't do anything with the fry as everyone advised
they would never survive, anyway I wasn't trying to increase stock.

** Why would they not survive if you water quality is good? Some will
manage to survive even in a pond with almost no plants to hide in.

Now
I'm worried that too many are surviving. The biggest are well over 1
inch long now and some starting to turn a bluey colour like their
subumkin mum. Have they got too big to be food for parents now?

** Once they come out of hiding and swim around my ponds they are too big to
be eaten. I think they sense this at some point.

And
what at what size are they likely to become an over stocking problem? I
reckon I have at least 100 - a couple of months old now!

** Not knowing anything about your pond and it's filtration system I don't
think anyone can say. If the water quality remains OK then you're probably
not overstocked - yet. Since we drain and clean our ponds at the least
every 2 years, we don't have much of an overstocking problem. I have always
found buyers for my excess fish plus a farmer who takes the culls for his
stock pond.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Everything I read about fry (once I realised I had them) suggested that Fry were nearly always eaten by the parents unless they were removed to a separate area -clearly not so!
I dont know how many gallons my pond is as I didn't make it - but it's about 14 feet by 8 feet by 3 feet depth. I have a bio and UV filter. The water quality is good -better now than it was when the fry hatched. The fish spawned after my pond had an over-haul and a filter fitted. As the filter has been going about 8-9 weeks the water has been getting better and better. Chrystal clear, zero readings and PH 8.5. So I guess I have to just keep testing the water and when it deteriorates do something with the fry?

"Rak" wrote in message
...

Reel Mckoi Wrote:
** Not knowing anything about your pond and it's filtration system I
don't
think anyone can say. If the water quality remains OK then you're
probably
not overstocked - yet. Since we drain and clean our ponds at the
least
every 2 years, we don't have much of an overstocking problem. I have
always
found buyers for my excess fish plus a farmer who takes the culls for
his
stock pond.
=========================================
Everything I read about fry (once I realised I had them) suggested that
Fry were nearly always eaten by the parents unless they were removed to
a separate area -clearly not so!

$$ It is untrue that they will all be eaten. When we cleaned out the 2000
gallon pond to repair the walls and berm we netted out a bunch of small 1 to
2" koi. But then my ponds have a lot of plants along the sides.

I dont know how many gallons my pond is as I didn't make it - but it's
about 14 feet by 8 feet by 3 feet depth. I have a bio and UV filter.

$$ But do you have plants? The babies hide in the plants and feed on very
tiny water creatures at first. These critters also hang around plants.

The water quality is good -better now than it was when the fry hatched.
The fish spawned after my pond had an over-haul and a filter fitted. As
the filter has been going about 8-9 weeks the water has been getting
better and better.

$$ Excellent! :-))

Chrystal clear, zero readings and PH 8.5. So I guess
I have to just keep testing the water and when it deteriorates do
something with the fry?

$$ Yes. You will know when there are too many. You can always drain the
pond to remove some or seine them out with a seine net. You're pond is a
nice size. The next time you fill it check your water meter to see how many
gallons it actually holds. It's important to know in case you ever have to
medicate the fish for any reason.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Yes I have plants around the shelving edge at the front. The back is deeper and slopes steeply. The fry mainly stay (or are more noticeable) around the shallower edge around the plants -but they do swim all around the pond now. even quite deeply. When the sun is shining I can see them right down near the pump-they dont seem to have got pumped up and filtered! As well as my 2 goldfish and shubunkin I also have 4 baby koi (about 3") So I dont suppose my stocking levels should be much over that.

I have never drained the pond and re-filled (except when I had the pond professionally overhauled) I just top it up occasionally if the level is dropping a bit. evaporation? I dont have a drain anyway, I'd have to pump it all out!

"Rak" wrote in message
...
Yes I have plants around the shelving edge at the front. The back is
deeper and slopes steeply. The fry mainly stay (or are more noticeable)
around the shallower edge around the plants -but they do swim all around
the pond now. even quite deeply.

** Yes, once they gain some confidence and size they're all over the place.

When the sun is shining I can see them
right down near the pump-they dont seem to have got pumped up and
filtered! As well as my 2 goldfish and shubunkin I also have 4 baby koi
(about 3") So I dont suppose my stocking levels should be much over
that.

** It sounds like your pond is doing fine. :-) Enjoy those fry.

I have never drained the pond and re-filled (except when I had the pond
professionally overhauled) I just top it up occasionally if the level is
dropping a bit. evaporation?

* On a dry windy day my ponds can lose an inch or more of water. :-( I
have no bottom drain so we clean the whole thing. That gives me a chance to
cull the fish and replant the overgrown plants etc. I don't mind it a bit.

I dont have a drain anyway, I'd have to
pump it all out!

** That's what we do. It makes the grass grow like crazy.......

--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o