Easy breeding natives to add to pond/bog filter?

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Conner

Conner

Piranha
MFK Member
Dec 27, 2008
4,461
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Kentucky
Hey guys, I need some suggestions. I'm building a pond (will be 2,500-3,000g, size is getting larger as I go :D) that will be for native species only. It is currently 6'Wx15'Lx3.5'D. It will be taken down to at least 4'D, and I might widen it to 7-8'W as well. Here are the fish I currently have that will be moving into the pond when its done:

(6) Shortnose gar (currently 9-13 inches in length)
(2) Green-ear sunfish (currently 4 inches in length)
(1) Albino Channel Catfish (currently 10-11 inches in length)
(1) Bluegill (currently 4 inches in length)
(1) False Map Turtle (currently 6" carapace)

I plan on adding more bluegill/sunfish and possibly some bass if I can catch some once the pond's done. I will also be adding some more turtles, probably maps, RES' and maybe some mud turtles (maybe a softshell if I can find another one).

Oh, and if you have any other suggestions for added stock for the pond, feel free to toss those out as well.

This pond is going to have a 6'x2' or 8'x2' bog filter attached, with a waterfall putting the water back into the pond. The water level in the bog filter will be approximately 6" above the substrate. I was thinking it might be nice to stock the bog with a school of one or more smaller species that breed prolifically. That way, the adults mostly stay in the bog, but a lot of the offspring and extra's get swept into the pond and provide an additional natural source of food for my natives.

Obviously mosquito fish would be a good starter fish for that, but are there others that might work as well, or others that would just be good to toss in the bog period? I know I could probably put dace's and darter's in there, but what else?
 
Actually dace and most darters would be poor choices for the bog, as the bog is likely to have high temps and low DO in summer, a lethal combination for stream species. Better choices would be tadpole madtoms, pirate perch, fathead minnows, and various topminnows (not including studfish). Smaller sunfish such as orangespots, bantams, and Enneacanthus species might also work. Just be sure to add a few deeper holes so the fish have somewhere to escape to in the hottest periods.
 
Well, I am going to be having like 4,000gph running through the bog filter, so will that make any difference?

I'll look into your suggestions.
 
It will depend on what that translates into as far as actual flow through the bog. I think if you get enough current for those fish you will limit the effectiveness of the bog- the water needs to linger a while for the bog organisms to have time to absorb nutrients.
 
mosquito fish and IDK if they have them up there, but sailfin mollies..... they are native here.
 
I didn't think about the flow being to fast through the bog.

I will probably go with mosquito fish, fathead minnows, and maybe madtoms. Those seem like the better options available. I want to stay away from fish like the perch and sunfish, since they get a little larger and would be more maintenance intensive IMO. The minnows and mosquito fish should be able to subsist on native fauna with the occasional pinch or two of pellets tossed in.
 
Sure! But first, tell me more about the bog setup (substrate, sun/shade, etc). Also, do you have any plant height preferences?
 
Ok, I'm located in Louisville, Ky (in case you didn't read my location), so I'd prefer plants native to the region that will do well year round if possible.

The bog filter will be either 8ftx2ft or 6ftx2ft, with a substrate of 3/8"-3/4" pea gravel to a depth of 12". I plan on the water depth being 18-20" (6-8" above the surface of the pea gravel). There will be a top board running around the edge, overlapping the interior by 1-1.5". The bog will be positioned between the pond and a deck with a height of 24", so I'd prefer plants that don't get too tall, which would block the view of the pond.

The bog will be in the sun basically from 9:30am until about 8:00pm, so plants that can tolerate or thrive in full sun would be best. There is a pear tree that will throw shade on the pond (the reasoning for placing it where it is), and possibly a little shade on the bog, but not much.

Edit: I may also change the size/shape of the bog, depending on how much I widen the pond. I will let you know if anything above changes, but assume that's what I'll be working with.
 
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