You probably want to drain the containers first so they only have a tiny amount of water remaining.
Kiddie Pools and Stock Tanks
- Thread starter henningc
- Start date
UPDATE:
Well the weather is going to cut my season short, it started that way and looks like it will end that way as well. From day time temps in the 70s-100 and night from the high 80s-50s. The fish are confused, for that matter so am I! I will harvest next weekend and will see exactly what we got going. Maybe I'll actually fish some small crayfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vat #1
Fish are growing fast reproduction is slow. 125 fish 2/3 Endlers the rest Least Killies. No crayfish again. Leapord Frogs still here no eggs so I am not sure what to think.
Pool #1
Same as above growth fast breeding slow. Added hearters nd everyone seems to find them each evening. 160-170 Endlers and 70 Least Killies. I have spotted what I think are blond Endlers and maybe an albino or two. We will know more next week.
Vat #2
Gambusia going strong, water too green to see much. For all you non-chilid egg layer fans, I did read that you could freeze green water and use it to feed fry later. I made ice cubes. I'll thaw it in a jar and put it under the lights for a week and shamzam green water food! Don't drink the lime Kool-Aid at my house trust me on this one!
Pool #2
Pool #2 had some hair algea, but when it got really hot the stuff grew like crazy and now is choking the surface. There is more than enough surface for gas exchange, but seeing is not easy. 100-125 2/3 Least Killies 1/3 Endlers. No crays! The algea should complicate harvest.
I am setting up, well set up, inside for the move next week. If you are anywhere near St. Louis and interested in any fish just drop me a line. I'll have some very nice Orchard, Black Bar and Flame Endlers.
Well the weather is going to cut my season short, it started that way and looks like it will end that way as well. From day time temps in the 70s-100 and night from the high 80s-50s. The fish are confused, for that matter so am I! I will harvest next weekend and will see exactly what we got going. Maybe I'll actually fish some small crayfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vat #1
Fish are growing fast reproduction is slow. 125 fish 2/3 Endlers the rest Least Killies. No crayfish again. Leapord Frogs still here no eggs so I am not sure what to think.
Pool #1
Same as above growth fast breeding slow. Added hearters nd everyone seems to find them each evening. 160-170 Endlers and 70 Least Killies. I have spotted what I think are blond Endlers and maybe an albino or two. We will know more next week.
Vat #2
Gambusia going strong, water too green to see much. For all you non-chilid egg layer fans, I did read that you could freeze green water and use it to feed fry later. I made ice cubes. I'll thaw it in a jar and put it under the lights for a week and shamzam green water food! Don't drink the lime Kool-Aid at my house trust me on this one!
Pool #2
Pool #2 had some hair algea, but when it got really hot the stuff grew like crazy and now is choking the surface. There is more than enough surface for gas exchange, but seeing is not easy. 100-125 2/3 Least Killies 1/3 Endlers. No crays! The algea should complicate harvest.
I am setting up, well set up, inside for the move next week. If you are anywhere near St. Louis and interested in any fish just drop me a line. I'll have some very nice Orchard, Black Bar and Flame Endlers.
UPDATE:
Well the weather has continued to throw twists and turns into the project. Once again we have swung from the 90s to the low 70s in the day time. Tonight it is going into the 40s. By my calculations, and they ain't good calculations, the water temps will drop into the high 60s tonight. I am running 2 x 200W submersible heaters about 24" apart in each pool or vat and amazingly the fish congrigate around them in the evening. The fish saved me on this one not the other way around. I started Thursday with a full scale harvest, but it takes time. Tomorrow, I'm planning to take out the majority if not all the stock and call it a year. One thing I am only learning now is I suck at population estimates. I've already got nearly 100 Endlers from Pool #1 and you almost can't tell I removed any. I'm thinking, for what that is worth, that 160 Endlers may turn into a mid-two hundred count. Also, the Least Killies were a lot more productive than my estimates. I suppose I got nothing to complain about or at least yet.
My set up for harvest is simple, evolving, and seems to be working. First, I halfway fill a 5gal bucket with fishroom temp water and place it outside for at least four hours. Water cools faster than heats so a little warm won't hurt. I use a different bucket for each Vat or Pool. I come back later when the waters temped and net as many fish as I can before they get too spooked and scatter. I have found feeding them, getting them in a feeding frenzy, buys me time and congrigates them better. Once I have as many as I can get, I bring the buckets in my fishroom. I add a double dose on Cure Ich and two tbs of solar salt. I then place an airline with an air stone on it in each bucket. I typically give them one hour and feed them some live bbs, approximately three large eye droppers full. The bbs seem to make them relax and begin to act normally. Once the water is the same temp as the fishroom, into the tanks they go. Again, each Pool or Vat has a designated tank with nothing else in it besides water and air. So far I have not had one fish with any disease or parasites. Just to be safe, I have added 1/2 tbs solar salt per gallon in the tanks. At this point, every single fish is acting normally as if it was born and raised in a tank. Tomorrow I'll attempt to fish out the Jacks. Keep in mind the water is so green you can see anything. If necessary I may just have to crank up the siphanes and take them by force. The only issue is once I drain over 1/2 the water I have to go the rest of the way or become unable to control the water temp in the evening. We will see what tomorrow bring--Wish me luck. Maybe I'll actually fish some baby crayfish!
Well the weather has continued to throw twists and turns into the project. Once again we have swung from the 90s to the low 70s in the day time. Tonight it is going into the 40s. By my calculations, and they ain't good calculations, the water temps will drop into the high 60s tonight. I am running 2 x 200W submersible heaters about 24" apart in each pool or vat and amazingly the fish congrigate around them in the evening. The fish saved me on this one not the other way around. I started Thursday with a full scale harvest, but it takes time. Tomorrow, I'm planning to take out the majority if not all the stock and call it a year. One thing I am only learning now is I suck at population estimates. I've already got nearly 100 Endlers from Pool #1 and you almost can't tell I removed any. I'm thinking, for what that is worth, that 160 Endlers may turn into a mid-two hundred count. Also, the Least Killies were a lot more productive than my estimates. I suppose I got nothing to complain about or at least yet.
My set up for harvest is simple, evolving, and seems to be working. First, I halfway fill a 5gal bucket with fishroom temp water and place it outside for at least four hours. Water cools faster than heats so a little warm won't hurt. I use a different bucket for each Vat or Pool. I come back later when the waters temped and net as many fish as I can before they get too spooked and scatter. I have found feeding them, getting them in a feeding frenzy, buys me time and congrigates them better. Once I have as many as I can get, I bring the buckets in my fishroom. I add a double dose on Cure Ich and two tbs of solar salt. I then place an airline with an air stone on it in each bucket. I typically give them one hour and feed them some live bbs, approximately three large eye droppers full. The bbs seem to make them relax and begin to act normally. Once the water is the same temp as the fishroom, into the tanks they go. Again, each Pool or Vat has a designated tank with nothing else in it besides water and air. So far I have not had one fish with any disease or parasites. Just to be safe, I have added 1/2 tbs solar salt per gallon in the tanks. At this point, every single fish is acting normally as if it was born and raised in a tank. Tomorrow I'll attempt to fish out the Jacks. Keep in mind the water is so green you can see anything. If necessary I may just have to crank up the siphanes and take them by force. The only issue is once I drain over 1/2 the water I have to go the rest of the way or become unable to control the water temp in the evening. We will see what tomorrow bring--Wish me luck. Maybe I'll actually fish some baby crayfish!
Let me know what you find in your pools & vats. Maybe you will find a few crayfish hiding about. 
Even though i didnt post on this thread i was always obsevant and looked at every update as time went on. It makes me want to try this next year with a few different species of fish. Any advice from what your learned through this experience?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SGH-T989 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
My advise would be to add ground cover inside the pools so the fish have something to congrigate around. They seem to feel more secure that way. Take a plastic lid, say a coffee can lid, cut out the center and use fishing line and wieghts to keep it in place. Alway feed in the clear water in the center of the lid. You get a better count, can observe much more closely and the fish become relaxed with you being there. I did not have any problems with disease or parasites, but if I had I am confident I would have spotted it during feedings. If you go with livebearers, don't over stock in the beginning. If I had stocked more Endlers and Least Killies and had another 3 weeks or so the population would have hit a point of instability and been unstitainable. Additionally, the fish tend to reproduce faster with the extra space and the fry grow large fast due to the natural foods in the water. Make a decision early on if you are going to just use an air driven filter system or something else. Mine worked fine with air and sponges, but next year I'll be putting together a triangulor stand to hang a whisper power filter on to improve water clarity. Don't use substrate or at least not the entire bottom. It tend to hold muck that is not good for water quality. Figure out a way to siphon water I used air line and ran it down a small terrace. I really did not vac the bottom, just changed out water. Let nature do her thing, the fish will do theirs and it works. Also, when it rains you need to run the sipon. I set two siphon lines per container. One was on the bottom, the other 3" from the surface. When it rained I opened the high level siphon. Keeps from over flowing and gets rid of muck. I also place the netting from an old fishnet over the ends and secured it with a rubberband. No fry getting sucked up. Feed after it rains, the fish are like crazy worked up. Use bottom feeders, crayfish worked well, corys will work better and spawn according to someone else who tried this. Don't freak out if and when frogs invaid. The worst thing that will happen is you may need to get rid of tadpoles. If you have cichlids, problem solved. If you are raising cichlids, leave some rocks or cover above the waterline. Stuff that gets in can get out. You can also place flake food above the water and let mother nature's air flow feed the fish. Set up containers early-6-8 weeks before the temp allows fish. I did not do this and will next year. This allows for cycling and your fish will arrive to a pond full of live food. No worries, you will be amazed at how much they can eat. I'll be doing a few more posts and a wrap up that covers the trip indoors.
Quick UPDATE:
I am still pulling fish out of pools. I have to finish this weekend. In general I found my estimates were way too low! I am in the finishing stages of Pool #1 and Vat #1- Maybe 75-100 fish left between the two of them. The jacks are out and doing fine. Pool #2 have yet to start! More this weekend.
I am still pulling fish out of pools. I have to finish this weekend. In general I found my estimates were way too low! I am in the finishing stages of Pool #1 and Vat #1- Maybe 75-100 fish left between the two of them. The jacks are out and doing fine. Pool #2 have yet to start! More this weekend.
UPDATE:
Pool1-Vat1 -Pulled another 45-50 fish tonight. I estimate there are at least 100 to go in Pool1-Vat one maybe 20 left. Jacks are inside and appear happy to be there. I pulled about 30 gambusia out of Vat2 (Jacks old place) as it was so green nothing could see enough to eat the fry. More later this weekend.
Pool1-Vat1 -Pulled another 45-50 fish tonight. I estimate there are at least 100 to go in Pool1-Vat one maybe 20 left. Jacks are inside and appear happy to be there. I pulled about 30 gambusia out of Vat2 (Jacks old place) as it was so green nothing could see enough to eat the fry. More later this weekend.
