best cold water fish, for a pond, to eat :)

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theemon

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Jun 14, 2009
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just hypothetically, but whats the best fish to grow in a pond to eat? i live in ohio so cold water only.
 

finsNfur

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I guess it depends on how big your pond is and what your favorite fish is to eat. You'll need a really big pond for largemouth/black bass, or catfish. Do you plan to fish for them? Interesting question. :grinyes:
 

SMinNC

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Feb 23, 2009
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Northern Pike and Bluegill.

Pike eats Bluegill

You eats Pike.

Edit: P.S.
Start a worm farm next to the pond.
Feed worms your veggie scraps.
toss worms into pond, to feed Bluegill.
 

tanker

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I would try Catfish or Tilapia. Goldfish are really carp, so maybe some carp.
 

SubRosa

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Define "cold". If you can maintain water temps under 65 you can probably keep Brown Trout, which imo will taste better than any of the previously mentioned species. Otherwise I would say Yellow Perch.
 

jm1212

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er...i'm not so sure you can do that. there will probably be restrictions in your area about keeping wild native fish, and not only that, there WILL be some regulating growing them for human consumption. plus, it will be expensive. you are probably better off just going out to a lake and catching the fish that you want to eat.
 

RisiganL.

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Channel Catfish by far. If you raise them indoors for a short while and get them used to eating pellets, raising outside will be a walk in the park. Instead of having to set up an ecosystem for them (predator-prey type situation) you can have just catfish that are fed something like koi or trout pellets.
 

Sploke

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Tilapia are generally considered the most efficient food fish as far as turning food mass into body mass in a short period of time....start with some small ones in the spring, power feed them all summer, and have a fall fish fry.

Keep in mind that most commercial aquarium fish foods are labeled as "not for food fish". I'm not sure why this is, but it would be worth looking into if you were planning on eating them.
 

SubRosa

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er...i'm not so sure you can do that. there will probably be restrictions in your area about keeping wild native fish, and not only that, there WILL be some regulating growing them for human consumption. plus, it will be expensive. you are probably better off just going out to a lake and catching the fish that you want to eat.
There are no regulations for raising your own fish for your own consumption. Regulation becomes an issue when your fish enter commerce. Unless the IRS gets involved.
 

oo7genie

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Keep in mind that most commercial aquarium fish foods are labeled as "not for food fish". I'm not sure why this is, but it would be worth looking into if you were planning on eating them.
My guess (and it is just that), is that there are things in the fish food that humans should not be eating. If the fish eat it, their bodies contain it, and the fish then becomes something that humans should not eat.
 
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