10 replies to this topic

[Michael Wolfe]

As it is certainly fall down here in Georgia, it was time for me to clean up the stock tanks and see what nature has been able to accomplish in the backyard (can't really take much credit for 'breeding' fish when I am just putting them in water with plants and sunshine, and letting the local insect population feed them). I have done this for a couple of years with mixed results... seems like sometimes I get a few fish and sometimes more. I need to figure out what is the best time to sample/harvest fish... I am worried about trying to dip net in there too early (don't want to disturb the breeders or collect young when they are too small and difficult to feed)... but think that sometimes I wait to long and end up with few or no young and only teenagers from earlier in the spring, summer. I also think that I may have had a few losses from the combination of heavy rain, creating flooded tanks, top minnows going exploring over the top, and a basset hound that will eat anything.

Anyway, here is what I found cleaning out the tanks...
Inverts... not sure about all of these although that last guy is an unmistakable bloodsucker.
 PB050007.JPG   73.34KB   2 downloads
 PB050013.JPG   169.38KB   0 downloads
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 PB060048.JPG   223.44KB   4 downloads
Found a dozen or more of these at three different size classes
 flagfish1.jpg   341.99KB   3 downloads
And the star of the show...
 big sexy.JPG   414.21KB   4 downloads
 big sexy 2.jpg   489.77KB   3 downloads

[Michael Wolfe]

Michael, your first four photos look to be dragonfly (odonate) larvae, common to healthy waters (we could probably do genus-level ID's if we had to). And the fish are beautiful, you at least have quality if not quantity.

Thanks, I was pretty sure that some of them were dragonfly larva (pic 2 & 3)... we always have lots of adults around the ponds... we also get a really interesting metallic blue fly or wasp of some sort, thought maybe one of them might be some of those. And thanks for comments on the fish. I really want to figure out how to capture more offspring... I'm thinking next year to do a mid-summer tank cleanout.

[Michael Wolfe]

That is a really nice topminnow. Glad to see he survived the rains! Did you get any fry this year?

-Alejandro

Yes, but just a few... I think I may have enough to continue my breeding program... but am thinking that we should have a trip to eastern GA or SC to some locations, this spring, where there are known to be some in the wild and hunt up some additional female brood stock. I think that Dustin has a location or two, and I think there are some places in GA that should have some as well.

[Michael Wolfe]

Very nice pics you have there, Mr. Michael. I may call upon you this spring for advice. Now that I am in GA and have some room, I am going to try to move my flagfish into some sort of outdoor tub to get some numbers. That chrysotus is indeed a beauty! Congrats.

Your welcome at any time... I even have quite a bit of hornwort that came back from the dead and is now invading at least three of the tanks in the basement... and I am hoping to be able to move it outside in the spring.

[Michael Wolfe]

Just adding to an old thread so as to not hi-jack anyone else's... it is spring time so this week I moved a handful of these guys outside ... have been pretty successful with them the past couple of years... as long as I leave them outside... seems like I loose all of the smaller ones (size of my little fingernail) that I try to bring inside. Also seem to be getting too many males and not enough females..