Perch feeding and more

I have heard that it is not good to feed mammal flesh to fish (something to do with the fats being incompatible somehow).

It seems to me that beef heart is a common fish food or ingredient in fish food.

Yeah, I know, beefheart has always been a staple. This is a very low fat cut of meat. It seems to me (and it has been 10+ years since I heard about this) that it was the discus fanatics that first voiced this concern. Beefheart was always considered a fantastic conditioning food by discus breeders, but then they started to notice early mortality in their stock. Like I said, it has been a long time since I heard this, and my memory ain't what it used to be.

Okay guys, today I discovered that the perch had moved to another side of the pond. I think that's a good sign. Maybe they're starting to get hungry. I did notice that the shrimp had been moved considerably, and I'm cautiously optimistic that this means it was being eaten. Also, I just put in 2 dozen feeder guppies. drewish mentioned that I should try to get rosy reds instead, but I forgot this when I was in the fish store, so I'll try to find some next time. I've never heard of them, though. Is there another name for them?

If the shrimp is still in there from yesterday, take it out, it is already bad. Rosy reds are often used as feeder fish. I usually get them 10 for $1 around here. They will eat the guppies, but those are usually smaller therefore require more to fill them up.

Okay, I'll take out the shrimp. Should I put a new one in?

If I ask my lfs for Rosy Reds, do you think they'll have 'em?

I'm pretty sure they will. Most LFS's I've heard of have them.

Don't put any more shrimp in. Wait until the guppies are gone. Cut the shrimp into slivers and drop them in. If they don't eat it, trash the shrimp and try the next day. Try this for 3 days and if they don't take it, get more feeders. Repeat, but add a day every attempt. They will eventually eat.

I'm pretty sure they will. Most LFS's I've heard of have them.

Don't put any more shrimp in. Wait until the guppies are gone. Cut the shrimp into slivers and drop them in. If they don't eat it, trash the shrimp and try the next day. Try this for 3 days and if they don't take it, get more feeders. Repeat, but add a day every attempt. They will eventually eat.

Okay, thanks for the advice!

Wow, it has been a while. My Grandpa had some medical issues, and that's one of the reasons I haven't posted in a while (but he's fine now).

So, updates...

(This is going to be pretty long since I have a lot to share.)

The main reason I chose today to update is because I have some good news! I put some new fish in the pond: a larger perch and two medium sized rock bass. They are all doing great, and they are much more vivacious than the smaller perch were when I put them in (and any time after). So the total is 3 perch and 2 rock bass; that's five natives, all caught from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Well, and a few other animals -- around four feeder goldfish that don't seem to be getting eaten any time soon, a very large crayfish that's big enough to be a freshwater lobster, from Florida, and a very small pleco (plecostomus, or sucker fish). I got the crayfish to help clean up all the algae and plant waste, and because he's awesome. I got the pleco to help with the algae as well. My pond is 233 gallons.

The rest of the good news is that I finally got the perch to eat the shrimp! After not feeding them for a few weeks (because we were out of town due to the medical issues) I came home today and put a whole bunch of shrimp in (I felt guilty), and all three perch (the new one included) ate heartily. This is a great development. The bass didn't eat while I was there but I'm pretty optimistic about them (the reason I got the bass in the first place was because I figured they'd be livelier than the perch, and so far they're pretty lively). So, everything is going great.

A few questions:

1. I felt horrible about not feeding the perch, although starving them did seem to do the trick. I didn't intend to make them wait quite that long, though. My question is, is it even possible for those small perch to live that long (2+ weeks) without eating? Did they probably resort to eating vegetation? I'm worried they may have attacked the crayfish, since I didn't see him (I didn't look very extensively though, I will do so tomorrow).

2. Is it okay to have a pleco in there with them? The only thing I can think of is the problem of disease and such, although I already have goldfish in there, so that may be a lost cause. I don't plan to return the fish to the wild if they get too big, so I'm not worried about screwing up an ecosystem. In fact I'm not quite sure what I'll do when they get too big... I guess I might eat them, although that might feel weird, since they're pets. It's not quite the same as eating your pet dog or anything, but I still might get pretty attached. Anyways, I'm also worried that they may try to eat the pleco, since he's maybe small enough. I am concerned that they have not evolved in an ecosystem with anything like a pleco, which has sharp spines, that could puncture them when threatened. What do you guys think?

3. How many fish can I have in my 233 pond? Am I already pushing it? If I could, I would love to have one bluegill or crappie, but if the system can't support it, I understand. If I can, I want to purchase a 5 inch long albino channel cat tomorrow. (I would also like to have a certain other fish, which I'll mention in my last question...) Also, in the winter I may put them in my fish room (which is a work in progress, hopefully it will get more on the progress side than the work side this summer as we renovate our basement) and the biggest tank I can realistically get for them may be just a 55. Again, would that be pushing it? I may be able to get a 75 for my birthday, but probably not.

4. Will rock bass even eat shrimp? What will they eat? By the way, are rock bass even technically bass? I'm curious.

5. I've been trying to catch these two big bass for sport recently (I still have never caught a fish bigger than pan size -- I love fishing but I'm not that professional at it yet). They both seem to hang out around our pier. Are bass territorial? What's weird to me is that one of them is black in appearance, and one of them is whitish. Any thoughts?

6. I had my bait bucket in the water for a while, and a few minutes after I took it out and set it on the pier, I discovered a whole bunch of orange spots on the back side of it. I'm pretty sure they were eggs. Again, any thoughts, comments? It's too bad I didn't realize right away, I'm sure they died once they were out of water and in the sun.

7. Okay, last question. I'm getting so into aquabiology, and I've known for a few years now that one of my dream professions would be aqua or marine biologist. Recently, I've been observing the wildlife at Lake Geneva, which is a glacial lake, in lower Wisconsin. I saw something recently that both intrigued and scared me at the same time: either a bowfin (aka dogfish) or a snakehead, in my beloved lake. If it is a snakehead, then obviously I should report it, and I want to -- the species is a serious threat to our water systems around here. But I think it was most likely a bowfin (I've gotten pretty good at taking mental snapshots of mystery fish in order to identify them later, and this coming from somebody who is horrible at remembering faces). I think it was a bowfin because I distinctly remember the spot on its rear, which is unique to the bowfin. Funny story, at first I thought it was an african knifefish (aka clown knifefish or black ghost knifefish, the tropical fish that have a wavy anal fin that they use to propel themselves) which doesn't make any sense because they would die quickly in our lake, too cold. Anyways, should I report this, even though it's most likely a false alarm? Lastly, I mentioned that there was another native fish that I wanted to have in my aquarium, and it definitely isn't a bowfin or snakehead (not to knock 'em, but I just can't accommodate anything like that, it's not because they're "trash fish"). It's a killifish. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it this morning at dawn in L Geneva. I'm relatively sure it is a killi, and if it isn't then it's even more exciting because I can't think of any other native fish that looks the way it did. Man, fish are so interesting. I keep discovering more and more oddities in my lake that I had no idea existed there. One day I may even start to believe my Grandpa when he says there are sturgeon in the lake...

-John

OK, my opinions:
1) The perch are probably OK. Fish can live a long time without a meal, especially if the water was cool. The crayfish is probably well disgested by now. Both perch and rock bass find them tasty. In fact, crayfish make good bait. I doubt that these fish ate vegetation, but possibly bugs, etc.
2) The pleco is probably OK with natives as well, as long as he is big enough to not be considered a food item. I would worry more about him during cold snaps.
3) You are not limited by the 233 gallons, but by the 55 during winter. The channel cat will outgrow the 233 even. AND he will make meals of your other fish eventually (within a year).
4) The rock bass should eat shrimp, and lots of other stuff as well. Maybe add a few small minnows for the bass and perch to nosh on? Rock bass are sunfish technically (as are largemouth and smallmouth, too).
5) You will see largemouth bass cruising around in the shallows on most calm mornings. I do not think that they are "territorial" per se (at least during non-breeding season), but they do seem to have a home range and sometimes even a home spot (under a pier, in a nice brush pile, etc.). Approach quietly and try live bait. I do not know about the whitish one.
6) By "backside", do you mean the bottom? Some minnow-type fish attach their eggs to the underside of rocks, sunken tree limbs, etc. You should get a seine and a partner to see what's swimming about.
7) Sounds like a bowfin, especially with the spot. The dorsal (top) fin on a bowfin is long and unbroken, it is 2 separated fins on a snakehead. There are native killis, how 'bout a description? A seine may be able to catch it. Sturgeon exist in a number of Wisconsin lakes, including Geneva Lake. There is even an ice fishing spearing season. (For the extremely patient!)

Also, glad to hear your grandfather is doing better.

OK, my opinions:
1) The perch are probably OK. Fish can live a long time without a meal, especially if the water was cool. The crayfish is probably well disgested by now. Both perch and rock bass find them tasty. In fact, crayfish make good bait. I doubt that these fish ate vegetation, but possibly bugs, etc.
2) The pleco is probably OK with natives as well, as long as he is big enough to not be considered a food item. I would worry more about him during cold snaps.
3) You are not limited by the 233 gallons, but by the 55 during winter. The channel cat will outgrow the 233 even. AND he will make meals of your other fish eventually (within a year).
4) The rock bass should eat shrimp, and lots of other stuff as well. Maybe add a few small minnows for the bass and perch to nosh on? Rock bass are sunfish technically (as are largemouth and smallmouth, too).
5) You will see largemouth bass cruising around in the shallows on most calm mornings. I do not think that they are "territorial" per se (at least during non-breeding season), but they do seem to have a home range and sometimes even a home spot (under a pier, in a nice brush pile, etc.). Approach quietly and try live bait. I do not know about the whitish one.
6) By "backside", do you mean the bottom? Some minnow-type fish attach their eggs to the underside of rocks, sunken tree limbs, etc. You should get a seine and a partner to see what's swimming about.
7) Sounds like a bowfin, especially with the spot. The dorsal (top) fin on a bowfin is long and unbroken, it is 2 separated fins on a snakehead. There are native killis, how 'bout a description? A seine may be able to catch it. Sturgeon exist in a number of Wisconsin lakes, including Geneva Lake. There is even an ice fishing spearing season. (For the extremely patient!)

Also, glad to hear your grandfather is doing better.

Thanks!

That sucks about my crayfish... I have no idea what I was thinking when I put him in there. I dropped the ball.

The pleco will come inside for the winter, of course, and I'm sure he'll be fine during the summer. We don't get many cold snaps this time of year. Where in WI is Woodworth?

When my channel cat becomes a tank buster, I'll trade him in at one of our local pet shops. Aquatics Unlimited has some humongous tanks. So does Hoffers. Will an albino channel be worth something when he gets to be a footlong?

I did not know that the sunfish family was so large and encompassing. That's interesting. I will get the bass the food they need. Should I just dump the minnows in there? Will they eat from my hand?

As far as the largemouths, I had the black one on a line a few weeks ago, but unfortunately it was a panfish pole, and he broke the line. Now that I've had my first experience with larger fish, I have my heavier test poles down with me too. Is it weird that the fish in question took a small perch? My uncle thought it was a little weird, I think.

I'm not sure if it was the bottom. What I meant at first was one of the sides, but then I realized that while it's in the water, it usually lays on its side, so it probably was the bottom. Should I take a picture of the eggs? They're dried out now, but you can still tell what they looked like. We're sure they were eggs though, right?

Yeah, I'm about 90% sure it was a bowfin now, after looking at videos of them on youtube, so I won't report it. So there definitely are sturgeon in Geneva? I've never been able to verify it online. None of the lists I've found mentions them (of course, they don't mention the bowfins, cats, carp, or killis either). My mom has this story about how there are underground rivers that run from lake michigan to lake geneva. Is that true, or just legend? I also thought that sturgeon like the shallow waters, at least during breeding, from the small amount of info I've gained about their exploits in Winnebago. Lake Geneva is the second deepest lake in Wisconsin, I think. Enlighten me about sturgeon.

What exactly would seining involve? It sounds like fun.

Update: my crayfish is alive! I don't know why the perch didn't eat him, maybe he's too big (?), he seems to be close to full grown, then again I don't know too much about crays. I looked at the pond earlier and didn't see him, so I concluded that he was lost, but I looked again a few hours ago and it turns out he was just hiding in the clay pot that the bass like to chill in. I've decided that now that I've found out that he's alive, it's like I just got another chance to keep him alive, so I'm going to put a glass bottle in the pond for him to hide in. I got the idea from a youtube video, which can be found right here.

Also, I just put some feeder guppies in, and the big perch and both bass went for them and ate 'em. I'm going to have to get more soon (I got 24 for 3 bucks). Should I get rosy reds, as someone here suggested? Or would they be too big? I think 2 of my perch are around 3-4 inches and 1 of my perch is around 5-6 inches. My bass are around 4-6 inches.

There are two potential purchases that I need to ask about. I would like to get a small walley (4-5 inches long) for 13 bucks. I would also like to get the aforementioned albino channel catfish for around 6 bucks. I just need to know if the walley is okay. I know he will get much larger than my perch will, and I know that I am prepared to cook him for the family, or sell him if I can't bare to cook him. About the channel, I need to know if there are any special considerations for albinos that I should know about. Specifically I'm thinking about how white koi can get sunburned. Anything like that? Finally, I'm curious as to whether it is possible to breed channels, because I would assume that these albino channels came from the same brood (is brood the right word?). They were all around the same size. So they must have been captive-bred, right?

Thanks,

John

I thought someone already said you haven't enough water space for the channal. If I were you I'd skip over the albino and probably the walleye too. In lakes where I've fished a staple food for big walleye is perch. I know the walleye you plan on getting won't be very large and you can eat it or MAYBE get rid of it. But I wouldn't chance it... what if it grows on you and no one wants it then what? stick with fish you can keep forever I think you should could maybe get larger madtoms or a bullhead or two. pickerel are good sized for your pond, and you've totally skipped over other sunfish. Albeit the pickerel will probably be bullied to death by a good sized rockbass.


P.S. Get a crappie I hear they are friendly

I thought someone already said you haven't enough water space for the channal. If I were you I'd skip over the albino and probably the walleye too. In lakes where I've fished a staple food for big walleye is perch. I know the walleye you plan on getting won't be very large and you can eat it or MAYBE get rid of it. But I wouldn't chance it... what if it grows on you and no one wants it then what? stick with fish you can keep forever I think you should could maybe get larger madtoms or a bullhead or two. pickerel are good sized for your pond, and you've totally skipped over other sunfish. Albeit the pickerel will probably be bullied to death by a good sized rockbass.
P.S. Get a crappie I hear they are friendly

I took half of your advice -- I skipped on the walley, but bought the channel. I decided to go with my own feelings. I hope you can respect me for that. I am starting to think that there is a good chance that I will be getting a 75 for my birthday, and while I know this can't hold a channel forever, it will help. (The 75 would be for all my natives. Well, at least the larger ones. I may end up having a smaller tank for any of my smaller perch or sunfish.) I am going to have 10+ tanks in the finished rec. room this fall and winter, based off the tanks I already have, including at least two or three 55s, three 30s, and about ten 10 gallons (I probably won't be using all of the 10s though) And, like I said, I may be getting a 75. I have a question, does anybody know how much more expensive a 90 is than a 75? I think 90s are just taller 75s, and since we're going to be getting a big tank, we might as well get the largest we can for the buck. Although it would be better if the tank was wider, rather than taller. I don't need more height, I need more width. The reason I ask about tanks rather than look it up myself is that I have trouble finding accurate info online and my All-Glass catalog doesn't have prices. Also, I want first-hand insight.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have a pickerel! I have always wanted a pike. My mom caught a northern when I was 4, and it's one of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen. If you could tell me where I could get one, that would be awesome. I don't think there are any in my lake. Then again, what do I know, with all these fish I'm finding out about being in the lake lately. If it helps, I do know that there are northern in the lake, but no muskies. Could I buy a pickerel from the fish store? The two that I have been frequenting recently did not have any (I'm 90% sure of that), however there is a very large regionally known fish store called Aquatics Unlimited that may have them. Maybe I could order one?

I caught a large crappie during my last outing at Lake Geneva, and almost immediately after I threw it back, I regretted doing so. If I catch one this week, I'll definitely keep it. Will they eat shrimp? I sense some possible sarcasm, so are they friendly enough for my fish? Are they schoolers? On that note, should I get more perch for my school (which currently consists of two small ones and one big one)?

Also, will these natives be able to stay in my pond over winter (even though I'd rather have them in aquariums so I can appreciate them more)? If I remember correctly my pond is 3-4 feet deep.

Finally, an update on how my current natives are doing: the other day I put in about 2 dozen feeder guppies, and the perch and rock bass just went to town. It was an awesome sight, in some ways even more interesting than watching the koi eat with their big sucker mouths (remember, I usually have koi in the pond, but this year I decided to go with natives to save money and have a change, and I'm definitely not sorry... I can't wait to see the look on my relatives faces when they see the fish and it slowly sets in that I really was able to keep them alive, something nobody thought I could do). I'm going to get more feeders today. They're pretty small though, about a centimeter long. I'm a little worried that my guys aren't able to get them, although I'm pretty sure they can. They seemed to be getting them, little by little. I wish they had rosy reds... the next size up is feeder goldfish, which are a little two big for my guys. Is it OK for me to feed them during the day? I get the feeling that they only eat at dawn and dusk in the wild, since those are the best times to fish, or is that wrong? And if it's right does it even matter? They can adapt, right?

Thanks,

John

So many questions!

I may be wrong about sturgeon in Geneva Lake, although a small population may exist. There certainly is no open season, for fishing or for spearing. Spearing through the ice is a big thing on Lake Winnebago.

If your pond is 4 feet deep, it will not freeze solid during the winter. Milwaukee winters are not too bad (usually). If your fish load is heavy, you may get winter kill from lack of oxygen. If it is an exposed container on top of the ground, like a horse trough or such, you need to worry.

Pickeral are of questionable legality in Wisconsin. They are a WI native game fish with no open season. They also do not mix well with other fish species. We have had this discussion on other threads. I am not sure whether purchasing (or catching) from out of state is legal.

Crappies do not mix well with other species either. They tend to get dominated/outcompeted. There is a current thread on this under sunfish (I think).

This site: www.glasscages.com lists all of the standard aquarium sizes.

You can feed your fish at any time, they adapt. Also, it does not matter with live feeders, since they will live until eaten.

So many questions!

I may be wrong about sturgeon in Geneva Lake, although a small population may exist. There certainly is no open season, for fishing or for spearing. Spearing through the ice is a big thing on Lake Winnebago.

If your pond is 4 feet deep, it will not freeze solid during the winter. Milwaukee winters are not too bad (usually). If your fish load is heavy, you may get winter kill from lack of oxygen. If it is an exposed container on top of the ground, like a horse trough or such, you need to worry.

Pickeral are of questionable legality in Wisconsin. They are a WI native game fish with no open season. They also do not mix well with other fish species. We have had this discussion on other threads. I am not sure whether purchasing (or catching) from out of state is legal.

Crappies do not mix well with other species either. They tend to get dominated/outcompeted. There is a current thread on this under sunfish (I think).

This site: www.glasscages.com lists all of the standard aquarium sizes.

You can feed your fish at any time, they adapt. Also, it does not matter with live feeders, since they will live until eaten.

Do sturgeon do well in deep lakes? Lake Geneva is well over 100 feet deep in places.

My pond is 4 feet deep, and 3 of those feet are below the surface. It's a marble pond, very ornamental, not natural looking at all (to my annoyance). Could I have an aerator going during the winter? Would a heater be a good idea?

That's too bad about Pickerel. From what you're saying, it sounds like it wouldn't be very easy for me to acquire one. That sucks, because I really want one.

If I got a large crappie, might that make up for their tendency to get dominated?

Is that site a good vendor, or is it just good for its list of tank sizes? Either way, which tank should I get for my natives?

Using glasscages.com, My possibilities are:

75 Tall
90 Long
70 Wide

and maybe

75 Long
100 Long
90 Tall
95 Wide

So far, if my mom will let me get it, I'm liking the 95 Wide. It's the only one in my price range that doesn't compromise length, width, or height for any of the other dimensions. It's 48 x 24 x 17 and $240.

I think that sturgeon like deep lakes, Lake Michigan is certainly deep. They do go up rivers and streams to spawn, and I do not know what, if anything, feeds into Geneva Lake.

I am not good at pond-a-culture. I have often seen aerated ponds, I think that is to keep open water in winter. I do not know about heaters. I know that there are stock tank heaters available at Farm&Fleet.

Try a crappie, if food and cover is abundant, he should do well.

I have no personal experience with glasscages.com. Their website is good, and their prices are too. I have seen them recommended a couple of times on this forum. They are in Tennessee, so I do not know how purchase/delivery works.

I think that sturgeon like deep lakes, Lake Michigan is certainly deep. They do go up rivers and streams to spawn, and I do not know what, if anything, feeds into Geneva Lake.

I am not good at pond-a-culture. I have often seen aerated ponds, I think that is to keep open water in winter. I do not know about heaters. I know that there are stock tank heaters available at Farm&Fleet.

Try a crappie, if food and cover is abundant, he should do well.

I have no personal experience with glasscages.com. Their website is good, and their prices are too. I have seen them recommended a couple of times on this forum. They are in Tennessee, so I do not know how purchase/delivery works.

Thanks!

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get a crappie this weekend, but I'll only keep him if he's big and burly. Should I get more perch too? What about bluegills and other fish?

About the sturgeon, my mom said that there are underground rivers that feed Lake Geneva and other lakes. Are there really underground rivers, and can fish really swim in them/get to them? I know there are a lot of bodies of water that feed Lake Geneva, according to the maps I've seen.

Question (I know I ask a lot of them, I'm a very inquisitive lad) -- Is it okay to feed my rock bass ants? They eat them like popcorn! I discovered this today. I started putting ants in and they just munched 'em down in seconds. It's a much easier food for them to get to than the feeders (I got more today though), because the ants are helpless in the water, whereas the feeders can swim. I'm sure it is okay, I'm just slightly worried that the ants might be alive in their stomachs (irrational, I guess). Reassure me. Hey, do bass chew? A related question: could I teach my rock bass to eat from my hand? I tried it once and I realized he was watching me because as soon as I let the ant go he snatched it.

glasscages.com sure does have good prices. I'm going to look further into it.

In other news, my crayfish is missing. I see debris that looks suspiciously crayfish-like in the pond, however it is white so I think it's just the shrimp, who look very similar. I guess conceivably the crayfish could have gotten out, or more likely could have crawled up the access tube that houses the line for the pond light. I hope neither is true, and I just missed him, although I think I searched rather thoroughly. Oh well. It seems he didn't like his glass bottle.

Okay, just adding something here... this is probably an odd thing to inquire about at a native fish forum, but I'm hearing this really creepy animal outside my house. It sounds like a shrieking little girl, in fact at first that's what I thought it was. More descriptively, it sounds like a mix between a little girl, a monkey, and a bat. Pretty weird. Is it a raccoon? Anybody got a guess?

Also, just want to put this on here, because this forum is also like a journal for my fish escapades, and I forgot to mention this before... I saw a giant carp during my last outing at LG. Very cool site to see. What was weird about it was that I also saw a smaller one that came right into the shore, where it was only a foot deep, while I was catching perch and rock bass, then it turned around and left really quickly like it was embarrassed, possibly about its weight (lol). Maybe I'm ascribing human emotions to it because it had such a human-like face. Big, expressionistic eyes. Cool fish.

[The questions in the above post still apply.]

OK, I am not a professional geologist, but there are NO underground cave-like rivers flowing into/from Geneva Lake. Caves of any sort are rare in Wisconsin and tend to be pretty short. There ARE aquifers. An aquifer is water in sand/gravel/soil. Aquifers can flow like a river, moving water from the surface to a spring somewhere. Geneva Lake is 30+ miles from Lake Michigan with a 285 foot elevation difference. Some lake water may feed aquifers that flow away towards Lake Michigan, and may even reach it, but not in cave rivers.

Ants? I do not know. They are probably OK as a treat, but not as a major food group. Your fish seem to have suffered no ill effects so far. I would suspect that wild fish eat ants quite often, but probably not as any great percentage of their diet. Ants have pincers which may cause some discomfort if they get ahold while inside the stomach.

I would speculate fox or coyote for your weird dog/girl/bat sound. (Some in this forum might suggest a dog/girl/bat hybrid.) Are you in an urban, suburban, or rural area? If it is coyotes, keep an eye on your own dogs and cats.

As for fish to add, you are the fish pond owner! Just remember, do not overstock! Also remember, spring/summer may support more fish than winter. Also, bigger fish create much more bioload (e.g., a 12 inch bass probably has 10 times the bioload of a 6 inch perch).

Crayfish are good fish food! But, you may be seeing remnants of a molting, where the crayfish shed its exoskeleton to grow. You may even see what looks like a whole dead crayfish, but really is just the molted shell. I have heard to leave the molted shell in so that the crayfish can eat it for vital minerals and nutrients for the new shell. They also get very soft and very shy right after molting, so it may be hiding.

What time of day did you hear the creepy sound? I have something near my house that makes a fantastically spine-tingling shreik from the swamp in the middle of the night sometimes. I think it may be the pileated woodpeckers being disturbed by something, but it sure get's the heart racing when it happens!