Some people complain about fish predators

[Fishylove]

Bandeds are pretty fish Craig. I'm looking at the megalotis or longear sunny so far, and maybe some bitterlings. Been researching, the bitterlings and couple dozen common rosy reds along with the frogs and dragonflies and such should keep a check on the breeding overload. Of course still looking at the albino cats. Has anyone here tried their hand at talopia?

 

[Craig58]

Did you mean tilipia? If so I had some a number of years ago. They are primarily vegetartian and wouldn't be good for pond control. Also fropica and won't winter over.

A couple of members of our pond club have albino cats. They can grow very big (2-3ft) and will eat very sizable fish. Once they grow I think they are only suitable for larger koi ponds with fairly large koi. Anything under 10-12" could become a meal.

Craig

 

[Fishylove]

Yes! Tilapia. Hmm. Well those are out.
I wonder how fast as compared to koi the albino cats grow? Maybe if I got small ones, by the time the got big enough to eat anything the koi would be big enough.

 

[Craig58]

Depends how much you feed them. I'd say they'll grow at least an inch a year early on. Probably not unlike Koi. Fast growing the first 3 years or so and than they start to slow down.

Craig

 

[brad_A]

Well last year was 60 and this year was a whopping 325. Took them to the fish store again. Tried the non feeding routine for the most part (maybe I should have goen cold turkey. Anyways, 325 was absurd for a 1K gallon pond

 

[Carolyn22]

Brad

How big are your fish?

We used to be inundated with fry until about 4 years ago. At that time, we started to add bullfrog tads in the Spring before the fish spawned. Bullfrog tads will eat most anything that is on the smaller side. They will also eat your fish if your are on the smaller side and I know that many fish don't have to be very large to spawn.

Anyway, we have not had the problem with fry like we used to have in the previous years.

 

[shakaho]

The usual recommendation for population control is one (healthy) bluegill. It will gobble the fry but can't eat the adults. If you have more than one bluegill, you can wind up with a bluegill overpopulation problem.

 

[dieselplower]

Hey folks. Sorry I didn't elaborate on the Oscar idea. They would ideally be kept indoors, in a large tank. You could use the fry as free food. They are very cool fish.

 

[brad_A]

The three original are 7 inches or so. The 15 of that spawn are 5-6. Total of 18 adults. I told myself I would try to sex them and keep one sex in the pond and the rest in the aquarium last Spring. I was to lazy. I was tossing the idea around of bluegill idea. I have limited space for a winter indoor aquarium. I have them now in a 40 gallon, which is too small as it is. I keep tropicals in a 125 and 75. Waiting for the fish in the 125 to die so I can use one of the larger aquariums as pond holders.

 

[brad_A]

Bullfrogs are non native in the Twin Cities area of MN, so that option is out.

 

[Carolyn22]

Bullfrogs are non native in the Twin Cities area of MN, so that option is out.

I buy them at my local pondstore - however, they are native to my area as well.

 

[adavisus]

A single Golden Orfe would dine well on tiddlers, if you can find them

Regards, andy
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