Gambusia vs Koi babies

[Phyllis and Jim Hurley]

Wendy,

Thanks for the response about gambusia and koi babies.

Hmmm...Gambusia...we have them in abundance. That could be the problem. If I could catch a few of the koi and put them in my long veggie filter, I could perhaps produce a crop. Too hard to get the gambusia out of the main pond.

Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?

Jim

>I haven't had any koi babies since adding the gambusia. I have a ton of
> anacharis as well as wall to wall plants, so there's lots of places for
> gambusia babies to hide. :) Well, I had a ton, I removed it 3 weeks ago
> when I found it was the reason my bottom drain was clogging. That damn
> bottom drain is sometimes more trouble than it's worth...
> --


--
____________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at: www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
>Jim

Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in the
filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
>Jim

Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in the
filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[Phyllis and Jim Hurley]

Hi Jan,

Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and no
koi babies.

I just can't see being totally without protection from West Nile and itch.
It would be no problem to clear gambusia out of one veggie filter for a
while, but it is a problem to catch koi and put them in there. I am not
even sure which are male.

I wonder if there are any small fish that eat mosquitos but not baby koi?

I wonder what John Rutz does in his pond? He got baby koi.

Maybe I'll post the question.

Thanks for your input.

Jim

--
____________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
...
> >Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
> >Jim
>
> Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
> one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
> slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in the
> filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan
>
> See my ponds and filter design:
> http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[Phyllis and Jim Hurley]

Hi Jan,

Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and no
koi babies.

I just can't see being totally without protection from West Nile and itch.
It would be no problem to clear gambusia out of one veggie filter for a
while, but it is a problem to catch koi and put them in there. I am not
even sure which are male.

I wonder if there are any small fish that eat mosquitos but not baby koi?

I wonder what John Rutz does in his pond? He got baby koi.

Maybe I'll post the question.

Thanks for your input.

Jim

--
____________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
...
> >Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
> >Jim
>
> Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
> one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
> slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in the
> filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan
>
> See my ponds and filter design:
> http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[Lee Brouillet]

ALL fish eat mosquito larvae, not just the gambusia and rosey reds. It's not
a matter of one or the other! Around here, gambusia are bred and distributed
for the use in retention ponds, ditches, puddles, etc., places you wouldn't
want to put "pet" fish. They're for "still" water or container gardens where
you don't have or want "real" fish, just something for mosquito control.
They're bred to be disposable. I've often wondered why folks intentionally
put them in ponds where they already have fish: it's counterproductive and a
real nuisance to get rid of them later. Another thing: moving water doesn't
attract mosquitos: if you have waterfall action, air bubbles, surface
current to your skimmer, you won't have mosquitos. Rain water that gets
caught in old tires in the back yard, a bucket you left out, etc. . . . THAT
grows mosquitos. Your fish pond doesn't <G>!

Lee


"Phyllis and Jim Hurley" > wrote in
message . ..
> Hi Jan,
>
> Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and
no
> koi babies.
>
> I just can't see being totally without protection from West Nile and itch.
> It would be no problem to clear gambusia out of one veggie filter for a
> while, but it is a problem to catch koi and put them in there. I am not
> even sure which are male.
>
> I wonder if there are any small fish that eat mosquitos but not baby koi?
>
> I wonder what John Rutz does in his pond? He got baby koi.
>
> Maybe I'll post the question.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Jim
>
> --
> ____________________________________________
> Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
> www.jogathon.net
> See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
> "~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
> > >Jim
> >
> > Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
> > one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
> > slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in
the
> > filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan
> >
> > See my ponds and filter design:
> > http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
> >
> > ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> > Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> > To e-mail see website
>
>
>

[Lee Brouillet]

ALL fish eat mosquito larvae, not just the gambusia and rosey reds. It's not
a matter of one or the other! Around here, gambusia are bred and distributed
for the use in retention ponds, ditches, puddles, etc., places you wouldn't
want to put "pet" fish. They're for "still" water or container gardens where
you don't have or want "real" fish, just something for mosquito control.
They're bred to be disposable. I've often wondered why folks intentionally
put them in ponds where they already have fish: it's counterproductive and a
real nuisance to get rid of them later. Another thing: moving water doesn't
attract mosquitos: if you have waterfall action, air bubbles, surface
current to your skimmer, you won't have mosquitos. Rain water that gets
caught in old tires in the back yard, a bucket you left out, etc. . . . THAT
grows mosquitos. Your fish pond doesn't <G>!

Lee


"Phyllis and Jim Hurley" > wrote in
message . ..
> Hi Jan,
>
> Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and
no
> koi babies.
>
> I just can't see being totally without protection from West Nile and itch.
> It would be no problem to clear gambusia out of one veggie filter for a
> while, but it is a problem to catch koi and put them in there. I am not
> even sure which are male.
>
> I wonder if there are any small fish that eat mosquitos but not baby koi?
>
> I wonder what John Rutz does in his pond? He got baby koi.
>
> Maybe I'll post the question.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Jim
>
> --
> ____________________________________________
> Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
> www.jogathon.net
> See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
> "~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >Anybody else have a problem with koi babies after introducing gambusia?
> > >Jim
> >
> > Other than I never got any koi babies until the gambusia were killed off
> > one winter. Seems they don't do well if one circulates the water, even
> > slowly during the winter. I had baby koi the next spring growing up in
the
> > filter, where the gambusia use to get as thick as in the pond. ~ jan
> >
> > See my ponds and filter design:
> > http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
> >
> > ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> > Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> > To e-mail see website
>
>
>

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 05:22:16 -0500, "Phyllis and Jim Hurley"
> wrote:

>Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and no
>koi babies.

If you really want koi babies, toss a couple of water hyacinths in during
spawning time and pull them out after the deed is done, put some place
separate (the veggie filter?) to grow out. Once you have baby koi in the
veggie filter you won't need gambusia, perhaps a mosquito dunk prior to
spawning would do? ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 05:22:16 -0500, "Phyllis and Jim Hurley"
> wrote:

>Nasty choice here: Kill gambusia and have mosquitos or have gambusia and no
>koi babies.

If you really want koi babies, toss a couple of water hyacinths in during
spawning time and pull them out after the deed is done, put some place
separate (the veggie filter?) to grow out. Once you have baby koi in the
veggie filter you won't need gambusia, perhaps a mosquito dunk prior to
spawning would do? ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website