I have five bluefin killis that I would like to move out a 35 gallon plastic patio pond I have. I kept a single male bluefin killifish outdoors in this pond once (a couple summers ago 2005) and I still have him. He was the only bluefin killi in there at the time and did great as when I collected him in the fall he was colored up and in great shape. Not sure how long bluefin killis live but he is in a 10 gallon right now and was throughout 2006. I take down the pond every winter due to ice and set it up every spring. I have only had it since 2004 though. Bought it at Home Depot.
I now want to just dedicate it to spawning bluefin killis.
How should I set it up for that?
Thanks
Setting up a patio pond for bluefin killis
Started by
Guest_Gambusia_*
, Feb 18 2007 02:34 PM
18 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Gambusia_*
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#3
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Posted 18 February 2007 - 09:08 PM
I had a few in a rubberlined pond last summer with some blackbanded sunfish and both reproduced quite well. I had many more of both by the end of the summer. I had some valsanaria and some water hyacinths in the pond for cover. I didn't even feed them, aparently there was plenty of insect larvae and plankton for food.
#5
Guest_ipchay61_*
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Posted 19 February 2007 - 01:07 PM
When we catch them in the wild, they're always in very heavy vegetation, usually hydrilla, cabomba, water hyacinth and several other species that I don't know the name of (Laura can chime in here). I've got mine currently in a 100 gallon stock tank full of java moss, bacopa and driftwood. Here in central SC, java moss and java fern actually overwinter outdoors in my garden ponds and stock tanks.
If you've got a lot of java moss in your tank, that should work fine.
If you've got a lot of java moss in your tank, that should work fine.
#6
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Posted 19 February 2007 - 07:41 PM
the surface of my pond was coverd completely with hyacinths by the end of the summer, so yes it was very heavily planted. I beleive they spawn on the vegetaion itself and I would think the fine roots of hyacinths would provide a good spawning substrate similarly I would think to java moss.
#8
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Posted 20 February 2007 - 06:10 PM
Chip,
How did using native frogbit as a fry-rearing plant work out as compared to water hycacinth (the nasty invasive beast)?
Laura,
I didn't seem to get the number of fry with FB as when using the WH. Root mass wasn't anywhere near the size so I'll guess that had something to do with my results.
#9
Guest_bearskookums_*
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Posted 04 April 2007 - 03:10 PM
Hi everyone I am thinking of getting one of the black tubs at home depot to setup in my bacony. I collected some blackstripe topminnows, do they need any aeration or water surface movement(like filtration)? Can they survive in just a plain still standing water like gambusia etc?
Also by leaving the tub out in the back in the open, do you guys experience any predation by animals such as birds and varmints etc? Anyone use a cover or netting?
Also what about water evaporation and water changes on these tubs?
I am also thinking of using this tub to propagate plants like java moss and riccia fluitans.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Also by leaving the tub out in the back in the open, do you guys experience any predation by animals such as birds and varmints etc? Anyone use a cover or netting?
Also what about water evaporation and water changes on these tubs?
I am also thinking of using this tub to propagate plants like java moss and riccia fluitans.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
#10
Guest_killier_*
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Posted 05 April 2007 - 11:11 AM
I use covers and do say 10% monthly water changes as far as blackstripe topminnows I would say you wouldnt need filtersHi everyone I am thinking of getting one of the black tubs at home depot to setup in my bacony. I collected some blackstripe topminnows, do they need any aeration or water surface movement(like filtration)? Can they survive in just a plain still standing water like gambusia etc?
Also by leaving the tub out in the back in the open, do you guys experience any predation by animals such as birds and varmints etc? Anyone use a cover or netting?
Also what about water evaporation and water changes on these tubs?
I am also thinking of using this tub to propagate plants like java moss and riccia fluitans.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
#12
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 05 April 2007 - 10:49 PM
I haven't got any fish in my stock tanks yet, so I don't have any predation, but the dog is already standing with her front feet on the edge of the stock tank and drinking the pond water...
Cats. Seriously.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#13
Guest_bearskookums_*
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Posted 06 April 2007 - 12:20 AM
My balcony is about 10 feet off the ground above my garage. I am just worried about birds and stuff that can fly in and snatch some fishies. What covers do you guys use? plexiglass? I want something that won't yellow or bow under the hot sun. Right now I have some hardware cloth, about 1/2 inch holes...so I might use that.
#14
Guest_keepnatives_*
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Posted 06 April 2007 - 08:38 AM
I had my turtles in a sunken washtub and my natives in an open garage when I first moved to Schenectady (in the city). My wife attempted the ruse "a raccoon is in your fish" to get me outside to do chores. Yeah, it wasn't a ruse @$#! raccoon was chomping on my longears. Had a real fight getting him out of there. Then something probably the raccoon, got my smaller turtles from one tub but got a bit(e) more then he expected, when he went to the next tub for seconds. I found my larger snapping turtle on the other side of the yard with a tiny tip of his tail missing. As I slipped him back in the tub I swear he said "you should see the other guy!"
I've had my little 125 gallon pond going 5 or 6 yrs and have seen predators galore: raccoons, cats, dogs, blue jays, great blue herons not to mention the "anti-christ". Okay he was just a real nasty kid. Actually got into tropical fish and changed his whole demeanor. Had to get rid of "Snickers" #1 as this dog would use my pond to get revenge every time I disciplined her. She'd immediately run to the pond jump in, look to the back window to ensure I was watching, then snag a sunny or a nice water lilly and shred it before my eyes. I tried just not looking out the window once and the dog left a sunny laying on the back porch by the back door! Hence "Snickers # 2" who only cools off in the pond.
I had two pairs of Florida Flag fish in the pond one summer with lot's of surface plants could see occassional streaks of color during the spawning but come October only found several juveniles. Lot's of bug type nasties too especially dragonfly larvae.
But despite all the attackers, always had interesting stuff going on around the pond. The toads my kids brought home from camping have colonized the whole neighborhood, the dragonflys are cool in the garden and I can spend hours watching the water striders. I always kept little nets by the pond so the neighbors and my kids could play around. Now the skunk who has burrowed under the pond is another matter!
I've been tempted to cover the pond many times but to be honest I think I'd miss the fun. I did pick up a tip at a garden show about herons. I guess they tend to be solitary so if you put a fake one in the pond it may keep the real ones away.
I've had my little 125 gallon pond going 5 or 6 yrs and have seen predators galore: raccoons, cats, dogs, blue jays, great blue herons not to mention the "anti-christ". Okay he was just a real nasty kid. Actually got into tropical fish and changed his whole demeanor. Had to get rid of "Snickers" #1 as this dog would use my pond to get revenge every time I disciplined her. She'd immediately run to the pond jump in, look to the back window to ensure I was watching, then snag a sunny or a nice water lilly and shred it before my eyes. I tried just not looking out the window once and the dog left a sunny laying on the back porch by the back door! Hence "Snickers # 2" who only cools off in the pond.
I had two pairs of Florida Flag fish in the pond one summer with lot's of surface plants could see occassional streaks of color during the spawning but come October only found several juveniles. Lot's of bug type nasties too especially dragonfly larvae.
But despite all the attackers, always had interesting stuff going on around the pond. The toads my kids brought home from camping have colonized the whole neighborhood, the dragonflys are cool in the garden and I can spend hours watching the water striders. I always kept little nets by the pond so the neighbors and my kids could play around. Now the skunk who has burrowed under the pond is another matter!
I've been tempted to cover the pond many times but to be honest I think I'd miss the fun. I did pick up a tip at a garden show about herons. I guess they tend to be solitary so if you put a fake one in the pond it may keep the real ones away.
#15
Guest_Gambusia_*
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Posted 17 April 2007 - 07:38 PM
I never have bothered with filitration in my 36 gallon free standing pond from the Home Depot in the two summers I've had it out.
It sits on my porch. No problems with predation either.
Go ahead and try one.
They're great for small fish like gambusia, bluefin killies and platies (what I have kept)
I plan on putting my flagfish pair out there this year and my bluefins.
It sits on my porch. No problems with predation either.
Go ahead and try one.
They're great for small fish like gambusia, bluefin killies and platies (what I have kept)
I plan on putting my flagfish pair out there this year and my bluefins.
#17
Guest_Gambusia_*
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Posted 19 April 2007 - 09:14 AM
No substrate.
Maybe a little gravel to anchor plants in.
Algae can definitely be a problem.
I've tried snails to keep algae down but that doesn't seem to work well.
Sand should work as a substrate
I also like to add a little duckweed to my container ponds if I can get it.
Provide some shade if it grows well.
Maybe a little gravel to anchor plants in.
Algae can definitely be a problem.
I've tried snails to keep algae down but that doesn't seem to work well.
Sand should work as a substrate
I also like to add a little duckweed to my container ponds if I can get it.
Provide some shade if it grows well.
#18
Guest_bearskookums_*
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Posted 14 May 2007 - 01:11 PM
My small tub in my balcony now has lots of algae in it. I just added some trumpet snails so I will wait to see if they can thin it down. But overall it got green...it has some greenish foamy bubbles on the surface...whats this? do you guys get this on your tubs? The I have hornworts in it and they are growing well, and I put them in my shrimp tank so they can clean off all the algae before I use them in my indoor tanks. Also do you guys use some kind of powerhead in the tubs for water movement? The fish in the tubs are gambusias and striped topminnows.
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