Finally caught the spawn!
- Thread starter johnnymax
- Start date
Large birds that walk through the grass in the shallows eating fish have fish eggs cling to their feet and legs. When they fly to another pond the eggs get brushed off in the grass, or wahed off in the water. I have cranes and herons in my pond all the time and the occasional ducks and geese. I had the pond dug and there is no water source higher than my pond. Only source of water is rain. I stocked the pond with channel cats, bluegill, grass shrimp and mosquito fish. The only fish that showed up on their own are fish born from eggs.
Duckweed clings to bird feet as well as scuds and other micro life and snails. They are in the mud or on grass, moss, etc. I was surprided and upset, as I wanted to control what was in my pond. This is nature. Now I also have lily pads and hair grass, uhhhh!
Last edited:
I am trying to combat the hair grass with tilapia. I have had them in aquariums for years. This year I released about 15 large tilapia into the pond 4 weeks ago. They have already noticeably reduced the filament algae and hair grass. The tilapia also started showing up when I feed the catfish. The tilapia will die over the winter as they are tropical. I am going to buy one of those electric fish stunning systems to see if I can get them out and eat, or put in the tanks in my shop to over winter. I calculate that those tilapia could reproduce about 36,000 fry by winter. I wonder if I could stun and float of bowfin! Hummmm...
My pond may be kinda big, being 1/3 acre and 28' deep, but to me, it is my monster fish tank and I am now actively starting to stock it with cool fish. Black mollys and sailfin mollys are next on my list as sailfin mollys are native locally. I can catch them with a dipnet. They have not shown up over the 11 year life of my pond as they are live bearing, not egg layers.
My pond may be kinda big, being 1/3 acre and 28' deep, but to me, it is my monster fish tank and I am now actively starting to stock it with cool fish. Black mollys and sailfin mollys are next on my list as sailfin mollys are native locally. I can catch them with a dipnet. They have not shown up over the 11 year life of my pond as they are live bearing, not egg layers.
I am sure that is not the common way fish get into ponds. I have never seen a swan on my pond....
And I’m sure nobody said this was the common way it happens...... but it does/can happen...... geez now I see why this forum is dead
LOL, that was posted with tongue in cheek. ? That is why I said no swans on my pond ?
Had no idea. This finally solves the mystery of how duckweed got into my pond
