Pond update - mosquito minnows tame in two days

[mark Bannister]

These little guys are a blast. If you put your hand anywhere near the
water they scurry over looking for handouts. They really get frustrated
with water tests, no food but lots of splashing. They were pretty well
tame in a couple of days and taking food from my hand in a week. They
can eat an earthworm twice their length.
Mark B.

[kathy]

Smart little fellows! They've found
a watery paradise!

kathy :-) www.blogfromthebog.com
this week ~ a snake story

Pond 101 page for new pond keepers ~
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

[Nick-S]

where can one find these little fish in the wild ?
"kathy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Smart little fellows! They've found
> a watery paradise!
>
> kathy :-) www.blogfromthebog.com
> this week ~ a snake story
>
> Pond 101 page for new pond keepers ~
> http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html
>

[kathy]

Many mosquito control districts put them
in drainage canals and standing water ponds.

In some districts you can call and they will
supply you with them if you have a water
source on your property that you don't want
to stock fish in, or you have a water source
with lots of very shallow areas that make it
hard for larger fish to get into and clean out
the mosquito larvae.

kathy :-) www.blogfromthebog.com
this week ~ introducing Miss Lily,
a painted turtle

Pond 101 page for new pond keepers ~
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

[mark Bannister]

Nick-S wrote:
> where can one find these little fish in the wild ?
>
In any river creek or pond you will find them in the shallows right at
the shore line hiding in the plants. Just dip your net through and you
will usually have a few. They will often hang around in less than an
inch of water. They look like guppies except their mouths open toward
the water surface.

Mark B.

[~Roy~]

Depends on the area you live in, but in the warmer states they are
most abundant in most any farm pomnd or water that does not have alot
of current......No need to stock em in any of the osuthern ponds as
they seem to occur naturally even in ponds filled with rainwater or
runoff......

Sometimes they do fine in cold water other times not..........The
names folks call them varies according to regions. They are called
skeeter fish, top water minnows pond guppies in this area, but the
real name for them is Gambusia...

They multiply pretty quick and a 6 week old fish is capable of
reproducing......You can dip netfulls out of my pond right now, but
by summers end or into late fall most will be history as they are a
prime source of food for bream and warmouths and smaller bass as well
as king fishers.......

==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }<((((o> ~~~~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~~~~~ }<(((((o>

[Angrie.Woman]

"kathy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Many mosquito control districts put them
> in drainage canals and standing water ponds.
>
> In some districts you can call and they will
> supply you with them if you have a water
> source on your property...

In Hamilton County, IN, they will only give them to you if you actually have
mosquitos in your pond. I had to grow a batch of larva before they would
give them to me.

A