Breeding feeders in outdoor pond

[Fish on Fire]

Here's the short of it. I want to create a pond setup that'll allow me to breed a large amount of cold water minnow type fish as feeders as well as crayfish for feeders.

The pond setup will likely be approx. 1000 gallons with a 10' diameter.

What cold water or more native fish to California will most likely populate the pond the fastest and provide me with a steady stream of feeders that are around 3" along with the cray fish? I'm planning to add plants, etc, to provide hiding places for the fish/fry.

Trying to provide my predatory fish with as natural a diet as possible.

 

[nosking]

50 or so mosquito fish will populate your pond very fast just feed them goldfish flake food. you will have like 1000 of them in a month or so

 

[Pharaoh]

Where would you find some of these fish?

 

[Dr Joe]

Everywhere ...Here .
They get about 1-2.5" long. (several months)

Check with your agricultural extention office, they are Gambusia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bend_Gambusia and are used by various counties for mosquito control. If not they can be ordered on line including ebay http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=gambusia&_sacat=See-All-Categories ) (these are a little pricey!)

Just make sure they are legal in your state. http://www.gambusia.net/

What is your "predatory fish"?

Can you just raise it's normal diet?

Dr Joe

.

 

[Fish on Fire]

So a live bearer would be my best option? I live in California btw. I'll have to try to get some free mosquito fish or catch some from ponds around the city.

The fish I'll be using them for would be the bass and some of the cichlids in my sig (jag, dovii, rtm). I've noticed that my fish tend to grow faster and look healthier when fed live fish on top of the pellets that I give them. I'd rather not go to the market every week to pick up frozen silversides or shrimp, etc.