creek idea

[SpiritualSniper]

i just came up with an idea for making a creek in my backyard, what do you all think?
ok, it would be a circle i'm guessing about 50' in circumference. it'd be 3'-4' wide and 1.5'-2' deep on average. the circle would be blocked off at one spot where you could walk across, and that's where the pump would be, sucking in water from one side of the bridge and pumping it out on the other side, thus creating a current. (and yes i know it'll be expensive for a pump big enough to circulate enough gph, like around $500+). occasionally around the creek it would bulge out, creating a calm area where fish can rest. there would also be shelter in those areas to protect them from predators and make them feel secure. throughout the creek would also be some big rocks fish could hide by or under.
so how does it sound? i was thinking mainly goldfish, channel cats, and/or maybe crayfish, but what else could go in there? thanks for any help.

[ChilDawg]

Well, with the species that you have there, you should be advised that you will probably wind up with only channel cats...

I'd do bullheads as they can withstand lower water quality (should you have to leave for a week in the middle of a drought or something of that nature) and may be found in creeks in the wild.

[SpiritualSniper]

those species i listed i meant individually. like just goldfish, or just channel cats, or just crayfish, or maybe some combination if it was possible.
bullheads sound like a good idea....

[SpiritualSniper]

bullheads are my only other option?
and no one has any comments about my idea? like whether it's good? bad? anyone else ever try it?

[Matt W]

Well, I think it would be awesome, I wish I had room to do something of the sort...

Check this out:

http://www.ecotoneinc.com/stream%20page.htm

[blitzen25bm]

why dont you just make a huge round pond

[SpiritualSniper]

blitzen.... umm.... that would kinda defeat the purpose and idea behind it.... i like creeks more than ponds; i like flowing water, i like being able to see the fish most of the time, whereas in a pond they could be out in the middle or down deep.

[blitzen25bm]

i thought you just wanted something that would some sort of swirling motion and i figured a pond with the filters output pointed in one direction would would do that. but yea channel cats would eat anything, they have eaten kois which are a lot bigger than goldfish. i would do like native fish you can get some bluegill and sunfish the catfish might work with those but im not sure.

[demon_surfer]

sounds like a neat idea man. Personally i would stock it with frontosa! you could get a neat colony going in there. ALthough im not sure how much they like moving water.

[ChilDawg]

I don't think lacustrine fish like Fronts would do well in a creek...

However I would do something like Steatocranus casuarius (spelling check?), the Buffalo Head Cichlid, which is lacustrine.

[SpiritualSniper]

you spelt it right Childawg.;) thanks for more ideas :D

[ChilDawg]

Yeah, I spelled it right, but I also said they were lacustrine. They're actually riverine...

[demon_surfer]

bleh I should have though of that! lake fish in fast moving water hmm yah im good :D

[125gJoe]

I hope you have success in this project! It sounds interesting and should look good too. Please get some pics --- maybe some 'before and after' type pictures?!

:cool:

[SpiritualSniper]

thanks Joe! i'll definetly do pics, but the thing is i like to plan way in advance.... lol, i don't plan on doing this until i get my own house and all, which won't be for like at least 6 years. i still have college to complete. so by that time, you probably will all have forgotten about the idea, and i'll bring it up again and no one will recall it, lol.

[VoodooChild]

Ho man! All you need to do is get a natives permit and go collecting! You should try and locate a legal dealer for different darters. That'd be cool, though it would depend on where in California you live. If it's cooler some sculpin would be awsome. The type of sunfish that would survive, or at least thrive would be cyanellus, and they'd all move to the pool. Otherwise, yes, channels would work, as would flatheads. The bullheads aren't much for moving water, but you could do madtoms, such as N. flavus. They get big enough to see and that'd be quite cool. If you can provide food, all sorts of suckers would work. I'm not familiar with the cyprinids of California, but a large school of Notropis rubellus or another Notropis would really look nice. I'd look into catails, elodea, and other aquatic plants for filtration. The pool would work nicely for that. The possibilities...

[Oscar_Wild]

I would try hemichromis elongatus. they are a riverine.