This past summer my thrifty wife scored our family one of those large-ish, above ground, soft-sided, metal frame supported, filtered pools for less than five bucks. A tremendous windfall of luck resulted in a family vacation that left the pool unchlorinated for a long time and rendered the pool water something akin to pea soup. In the name of skeeter control I was allowed to turn the pool into a gambusia pond. Well, now it's fall, and the wife wants the pool down and cleaned up for next summer. For swimming, of all ridiculous things.
I did manage to secure a plastic kiddie pool of the standard plastic variety. The gambusia are being relocated to it in shifts.
While not without their merits, I have no desire for a pool full o' gambusia next year. As such, I am looking for suggestions for a gambusia-nator that would do well in a shallow kiddie pool in a region with hot summers and winters that see lows in the 20s. Pool is not circulated with a pump, but will be planted with aquatics and emergents in the spring.
And most importantly, is fall be a good time to add my gambusia regulator, or would spring be better?
When is a good time to add a kiddie-pool carnivore?
Started by
mattknepley
, Nov 11 2013 02:15 PM
11 replies to this topic
#1
mattknepley
-
- NANFA Member
- Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.
Posted 11 November 2013 - 02:15 PM
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#2
Guest_Erica Lyons_*
Guest_Erica Lyons_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 02:32 PM
I am not sure what the question is. Are the gambusia likely to survive the winter in that shallow kiddie pool? My stuff always got eaten out of those by local raccoons and storks. And with lows in the 20's it'd probably freeze solid and kill them anyway. They won't be here next year if you overwinter them outside in a kiddie pool.
Are you asking what to do with all the extra gambusia?
You could sell them. They aren't the world's most profitable fish, but they'd bring in a small amount of loose change on aquabid or a similar website. I'm not sure what the legality is of selling them; they're found in your state so they're considered native. You might want to call your department of wildlife and ask them if you're allowed to sell them.
Or you could eat them. There are some pretty delicious dishes that call for stir fried anchovies. You could substitute gambusia. I've got some dried out anchovies in my fridge right now waiting to be tossed in a wok with a bit of soy sauce and some sesame seeds. nom nom nom. Dry your gambusia and they'd make a tasty snack. *shrugs* No judging. Fish are food. Especially ugly mean fish like gambusia that it might not be legal to ship outside of the state or sell and who are just going to die anyway at first freeze.
I'm not sure how likely you are to convince your wife of this, but I would just love to set up a pool to breed fish. I'd put something that'd make some money in there, a species with some popular demand, and in the fall I'd bring them in and portion them off and ship them away via ebay and aquabid auctions. Shipping fish is not difficult. This seems like a good time to go update my shipping instructions. I'll go do that now.
Are you asking what to do with all the extra gambusia?
You could sell them. They aren't the world's most profitable fish, but they'd bring in a small amount of loose change on aquabid or a similar website. I'm not sure what the legality is of selling them; they're found in your state so they're considered native. You might want to call your department of wildlife and ask them if you're allowed to sell them.
Or you could eat them. There are some pretty delicious dishes that call for stir fried anchovies. You could substitute gambusia. I've got some dried out anchovies in my fridge right now waiting to be tossed in a wok with a bit of soy sauce and some sesame seeds. nom nom nom. Dry your gambusia and they'd make a tasty snack. *shrugs* No judging. Fish are food. Especially ugly mean fish like gambusia that it might not be legal to ship outside of the state or sell and who are just going to die anyway at first freeze.
I'm not sure how likely you are to convince your wife of this, but I would just love to set up a pool to breed fish. I'd put something that'd make some money in there, a species with some popular demand, and in the fall I'd bring them in and portion them off and ship them away via ebay and aquabid auctions. Shipping fish is not difficult. This seems like a good time to go update my shipping instructions. I'll go do that now.
#3
Guest_gerald_*
Guest_gerald_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 02:32 PM
I'd wait and see if the Gambusia make it through the winter; they may not if it's your standard 10" deep pool.
#4
mattknepley
-
- NANFA Member
- Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.
Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:26 PM
Thanks, guys. Erica, I have noooo desire to ship fish, but I have thought that perhaps the lfs's might take them in trade as feeders. Haven't ever asked, though. My question, lost perhaps in my love of adding non-essential info, is "who would best survive in that kiddie pool, and when is the best time to add them?"
It is the standard ~10" pool, and the thought of the temps do concern me a tad. That said, in the worst of winters in the 13 or so years I've been associated with this chunk of South Carolina, it has never gotten cold enough to freeze standing water over more than maybe 1/2". And it didn't stay frozen long. I had concerns about the air temps chilling them through too much, not only from the surface, but underneath and from the sides. But seeing how well Michael Wolfe's stock barrel fish do, I'm curious. He's right, a thin walled "pond" develops a thermocline in the summer that protects the fish from excessive heat. I would have thought they would have heated through too much from the sides for the thermocline to develop, but there that nice cool temperature zone is. My kiddie pool has much greater surface area, but much less depth, obviously enough. Am I misunderstanding the thermal principals of water to think there is a decent chance for survival of the gambusia, especially since there is some soil for snuggling down to? That said, Gerald, your advice does seem pragmatic.
And if the neighborhood racoons, cats, and whatever else wants 'em, they can haves 'em. Maybe I'll leave a little wok and sesame oil out there for 'em... (big smile with chef's hat)
It is the standard ~10" pool, and the thought of the temps do concern me a tad. That said, in the worst of winters in the 13 or so years I've been associated with this chunk of South Carolina, it has never gotten cold enough to freeze standing water over more than maybe 1/2". And it didn't stay frozen long. I had concerns about the air temps chilling them through too much, not only from the surface, but underneath and from the sides. But seeing how well Michael Wolfe's stock barrel fish do, I'm curious. He's right, a thin walled "pond" develops a thermocline in the summer that protects the fish from excessive heat. I would have thought they would have heated through too much from the sides for the thermocline to develop, but there that nice cool temperature zone is. My kiddie pool has much greater surface area, but much less depth, obviously enough. Am I misunderstanding the thermal principals of water to think there is a decent chance for survival of the gambusia, especially since there is some soil for snuggling down to? That said, Gerald, your advice does seem pragmatic.
And if the neighborhood racoons, cats, and whatever else wants 'em, they can haves 'em. Maybe I'll leave a little wok and sesame oil out there for 'em... (big smile with chef's hat)
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#5
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:27 PM
Y'all are missing the point. I think Matt is looking for an excuse to add Georgia Dollar Sunfish to his fish collection. Or a warmouth.
And it might not freeze through but a smallish sunfish would survive best in my estimation.
And it might not freeze through but a smallish sunfish would survive best in my estimation.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#6
mattknepley
-
- NANFA Member
- Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.
Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:32 PM
Dang, Michael. In the time it took me to type my magnum opus response you beat me to the punch. A dollar sunnie, huh?
Did you see my questions regarding your stock tanks and their thermoclimes up above?
Did you see my questions regarding your stock tanks and their thermoclimes up above?
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#7
Michael Wolfe
-
- Board of Directors
-
- North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage
Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:36 PM
Some of it is thermocline and the depth certainly helps. Some of it is being in contact with the soil. Some of it is the plant coverage creating shade during the summer and then dying back in the winter to take advantage of the extra sunlight.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#8
Guest_daveneely_*
Guest_daveneely_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 04:51 PM
Alligator gars. Any time there's a kiddie in it.
Oh, wait, you're trying to get rid of Gambusia.
Never mind.
Oh, wait, you're trying to get rid of Gambusia.
Never mind.
#9
Guest_Skipjack_*
Guest_Skipjack_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 05:48 PM
Central mudminnows would probably do very well on a diet of gambusia fry.
#10
Guest_gerald_*
Guest_gerald_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 08:09 PM
Mudminnows (eastern) DID survive in my wading pool through last winter (mild); we'll see if they make it through another winter. I never see them, but I know they're there because mosquito larvae aren't. The little ones I sent for the 2013 conference auction came from that pool. I tried mosquitofish one year and they did not survive, though I can't say for sure that cold temp was the main factor that killed them. Your climate in western SC might be a tiny bit warmer than mine, 15 mi north of Raleigh.
#11
Guest_Skipjack_*
Guest_Skipjack_*
-
- Guests
Posted 11 November 2013 - 08:40 PM
I suspect that they will die. The local Gambusia(introduced) that I collect from large reservoirs and river systems, breed like crazy in my 1/4 acre pond, but the winters take a toll on them. I am not sure what it is that causes them to fail during the winter in my small pond, lack of over wintering habitat? They thrive in the large reservoirs. I seem to need to re-stock them annually. I really only put them in there as a forage fish, but I do kind of like seeing them at the surface when I stroll around the pond. Maybe this year, after three years of stocking them, enough will survive to be a viable population.
A stock tank heater will probably keep them and any other fish alive in your plastic pond.
A stock tank heater will probably keep them and any other fish alive in your plastic pond.
#12
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
-
- Guests
Posted 12 November 2013 - 01:26 AM
Alligator gars. Any time there's a kiddie in it.
Oh, wait, you're trying to get rid of Gambusia.
Never mind.
You only suggest gars as it is too small a pool for a bull shark.
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
NANFA Youtube Channel 
