will mosquito fish survive the winter?

Oh no apology needed. I didn't take anything personally - knew what you
meant. I got the little buggers because we have wetlands behind our
house which means a really big mosquito population so I knew there'd be food
for them. Doubt it will cut down on the mosquitos, though, as I'm sure
there are jillions of larvae layed in the swampy lake thing in the wetlands.
And because of the wetlands area and our proximity to ocean and river we
have lots of wildlife that I think would eat pet-type fish like koi.
Herons, eagles, hawks, racoons, weasels - neighbor cat if some of the native
wildlife doesn't eat him first like they did his housemate. So I thought
this would be a critter I could keep in there that would have a natural food
source and wouldn't get eaten by the local wildlife.


Lydia

Oh Lydia, please tell me your gambusia are not in a natural pond! All kidding
aside it's really too bad so many people really belive that gambusia are great
at eating mosquitos. They are not, i live where gambusias are native and they
don't do anything to control the mosquitos. they do eat other fishes eggs and
fry (as well as their own) No critcizim of you intended but everyone should
know what a threat to the ecosystem gambusia can be out side their natural
range. For mosquito control other small fish native to the area should be used.
Actually around here the best control for mosquitos has been found to be
Enneacanthus sunfish but they can only be used if they are native to your area.
Now that i have thoroughly made you mad rest assured the problem is not with
you but with state wildlife officials that seem to think that exotic release is
crime unless they do it. Gambusia have been released far outside their range
with the mistaken idea they eat more mosquito larvae than other fish. athough
other fish will eat gambusia they often stay in areas of the habitat that other
fish cannot exploit and so avoid predation while eating the fry of other fish
that do exploit the shallow water habitat. if this was a pond with no outlet or
inlet which isn't connected it any way to the outside environment... nevermind
;-)

The anti gambusia sociaty

BTW, the little buggers can live anywhere they can stay damp and not freeze
solid!

The anti gambusia sociaty

They will still be there Lydia. getting reid of them with be the trick!

Moon
remove nospam from e-mail to send to me, I grow trees in aquariums like bonsai.
I breed dwarf crayfish, great for planted community tanks. If you can get me a
shovelnose sturgeon fingerling (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) no wild caught
please, contact me

To display my total ignorance, what is a " Mosquito fish " ? Will it survive
extremely Hot weather ? I have a 300 gal. 5' LX 3' WX 2' D. And since we
live just East of Houston Texas the water gets hot enough to cook rice in
( okay maybe not ). I have several types of plants growing in it and more
than a few Mosquito's. If there is a hardy fish I can put in and " Forget "
that would be great.
Thanks
Richard
Mosquito fish are usually Gambusia affinis, they live here in NC in water that
is almost hot to the touch. Just make sure thyere si no way for them to escape
into the natural environment. they can reall cause probelms.

Moon
remove nospam from e-mail to send to me, I grow trees in aquariums like bonsai.
I breed dwarf crayfish, great for planted community tanks. If you can get me a
shovelnose sturgeon fingerling (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) no wild caught
please, contact me

Seattle, I would love to live in Seattle. then I could maybe see Heart nore
than once every twenty years. Ann Wilson is the greatest!

Moon

No, no. This is just a 5'x6'x2' hole in our backyard - not a natural pond.
I did hear from the good people of this ng when I first got them to be sure
that there is no way they would be introduced into any natural waterways
from my pond and I feel very confident we did.

Thanks for the concern!
Lydia [who isn't mad... angry-mad that is... crazy-mad is questionable]


"Moontanman" wrote in message
...

Oh Lydia, please tell me your gambusia are not in a natural pond! All
kidding
aside it's really too bad so many people really belive that gambusia are
great
at eating mosquitos. They are not, i live where gambusias are native and
they
don't do anything to control the mosquitos. they do eat other fishes eggs
and
fry (as well as their own) No critcizim of you intended but everyone
should
know what a threat to the ecosystem gambusia can be out side their natural
range. For mosquito control other small fish native to the area should be
used.
Actually around here the best control for mosquitos has been found to be
Enneacanthus sunfish but they can only be used if they are native to your
area.
Now that i have thoroughly made you mad rest assured the problem is not
with
you but with state wildlife officials that seem to think that exotic
release is
crime unless they do it. Gambusia have been released far outside their
range
with the mistaken idea they eat more mosquito larvae than other fish.
athough
other fish will eat gambusia they often stay in areas of the habitat that
other
fish cannot exploit and so avoid predation while eating the fry of other
fish
that do exploit the shallow water habitat. if this was a pond with no
outlet or
inlet which isn't connected it any way to the outside environment...
nevermind
;-)

The anti gambusia sociaty