Stocking farm ponds
Hey lads didn't know where else to out this but I work in my aunts farm every so often and she has a large dam in ine if the paddocks that seems to hold water through the year especially now it's almost flooded. The water is brackish and murky and the bottom is mud. We were thinking if stocking some fish in there but no idea what would survive it's down in boddington and the water is almost constantly freezing so options are limited. There already a heap if Marron and yabbies living in it that seems to be thriving. Looking for any opinions or thoughts on what to stock it with.
We would be able to did it deeper clear out mud etc too. I was being optimistic thinking of putting barra In there maybe a jack or too but after this winter I doubt they'd survive.
Also it doesn't connect to the river so no possibility if escapees either
dansyy
Posts: 72
Date Joined: 09/08/10
Dont quote me but i think
Dont quote me but i think barra only thrive in warmer waters and i dont think they can live in still water?
Id rather be fishing
www.twitter.com/dannymacdj
7739ian
Posts: 948
Date Joined: 25/06/08
Watch out
Even if Barra survived - which they wont, the greedy buggers would scoff all your Marron. Too saline for trout? They seem to co-exist with Marron ok.
sheldoncy23
Posts: 159
Date Joined: 27/02/13
Yeah I guessed that they
Yeah I guessed that they would be ok during summer cause it's direct sunlight into the dam but winter would be the struggle. I thought trout couldn't tolerate any salt at all?
lachieH
Posts: 1126
Date Joined: 02/03/13
Is it legal to catch
Is it legal to catch redfin, put them in a live well or something and stick them in a private dam? That might work but I'm definately no expert
Fishing the swan for bream, it's just an obsession
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Definately illegal! Dont
Definately illegal! Dont ever relocate redfin!
sideshow
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 21/01/13
Silver perch can handle
Silver perch can handle brackish water and I'm pretty sure they can handle a wider temp range
All work and no fishing makes me a dull boy!!!!!!!!
sideshow
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 21/01/13
But be careful introducing
But be careful introducing fish that are not native to the area especially if if over flows, could be a disaster.
Maybe some freshwater catfish but then they will smash the marron
All work and no fishing makes me a dull boy!!!!!!!!
sideshow
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 21/01/13
Or maybe even black bream
Or maybe even black bream
All work and no fishing makes me a dull boy!!!!!!!!
nightfish
Posts: 327
Date Joined: 18/10/10
Cut straight from fisheries website
Habitat Rainbow trout is a coldwater species inhabiting freshwater creeks, dams, rivers and lakes. It thrives at 5-20ºC but there are mortalities once water temperature increases to 26-27ºC. However, the trout produced at PFRC are unique because they have adapted to withstand the higher temperatures of local conditions. Trout are also intolerant of low oxygen levels caused by heat and stagnation. In the northern hemisphere some trout migrate between fresh water and salt water for breeding but in Australia most are restricted to fresh water. However, trout that are acclimatised to sea water at a young age may be reared in marine conditions until maturity. This offers potential for stock enhancement and aquaculture in saline water in WA.
Poltergeist
Posts: 159
Date Joined: 03/12/13
Dont put Redfin Perch in your
Dont put Redfin Perch in your dam as you will regret it later when they stunt in size. Far better off putting in Silver Perch where you can control the numbers of fish in the dam. Silvers also have a much smaller mouth than Redfin so they wont impact so much on your marron. Trout are a possibility if the dam is deep enough all summer but as they dont live very long you need to keep stocking them every couple of years to keep the numbers up.
aweall
Posts: 83
Date Joined: 16/11/10
spot on dont put redfin in
spot on dont put redfin in they will decimate the marron.
silver perch or if the water is deep enough to keep cool in summer trout would be ok
merdel12
Posts: 306
Date Joined: 19/07/12
I know someone who stocked
I know someone who stocked their dam down south with black bream, it's now full of em a few years later
chipper
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 11/08/13
If you go with the trout, i
If you go with the trout, i think you will need to continue to restock it. They need pebble or stoney river/dam bed to spawn sucessfully. Thats if my memory serves me correctly!
crasny1
Posts: 7009
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Silver Perch
Trout cant breed, so need restocking. At least the Silver perch can and will breed.
Had a backyard marron pond in a domestic 1/2acre property, and introduced 2 silver perch. They bred, but a divorce caused the selling and I never saw the broodlings at any decent catchable size. The silver perch adults grew into monsters but didnt appear to impact the marron at all. Every summer all I could see was a sea of little red eyes glowing from the baby marron, and a small school of silver perch in the final year owing the place.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
chipper
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 11/08/13
I didnt think they could
I didnt think they could breed in SW West rivers, hence the need for the trout hatchery in Pemberton.
Cut and paste from Dept of Fisheries WA
LifecycleTo spawn, trout need a bed of gravel or small stones, with oxygenated sub-surface water filtering up through the rocky bed. These are usually found in mountainous upper reaches of rivers and tributaries.
However, most rivers and streams in south-west WA have sandy, silty bottoms unsuitable for digging a ‘redd’ (trough), in which trout lay their eggs. Even if the trout do attempt to mate, silt and lack of well-oxygenated waterflow combine to smother the eggs and larvae.
In suitable natural environments, the female trout digs a deep redd by lying on her side and flapping her tail to dislodge gravel. She releases eggs, which mix with milt (sperm) from a closely accompanying male and become lodged in the redd. The female then dislodges more gravel to fill in the redd.
So if they are good at breeding then why do they have to breed and release young trout every year and release them in to SW rivers?
Its a shame you never got a combination of silver perch and marron on the plate before you had to get rid of your property mate!
crasny1
Posts: 7009
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Chipper
I think you read the post wrong, trout CANT breed in WA. Not to say some dont!
Yes a pity, but had some fresh Marron for sure before vacation.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
chipper
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 11/08/13
Silver perch would be the go,
Silver perch would be the go, but there are some regions where they are not allowed. None around Denmark through to to Donnelly, Warren river areas. And more.
My mistake on not reading "cant" too!
Willlo
Posts: 1490
Date Joined: 07/10/11
Fisheries down in Pemberton
Fisheries down in Pemberton are selling Rainbow trout at the moment,check out their website.
Call Sign - BZ785
Haynes Hunter Prowler CC
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Estuary perch would be
Estuary perch would be awesome, but probably not legal to introduce them to WA
smicko
Posts: 135
Date Joined: 11/04/10
Murray Cod are already in
Murray Cod are already in dams in the area. Some thumpers too. They'll smash your marron but I know what I'd rather have in my dam. Redfin will make cheap fodder for them too.
smicko
Posts: 135
Date Joined: 11/04/10
Double
Bubble.
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Link
Found this page with some basic info http://www.fergusonsprings.com/Farm%20Dams/farmdams.html
aajay
Posts: 6
Date Joined: 24/06/14
Australian Natives
Put some silvers in there with some Australian Bass. The bass can't breed in fresh so not chance of escapees repopulating other areas. Put some logs and other structure in there for cover (both bass and marron). Probably not legal but no will know I you never tell. Bass are 100 times better sportfish than trout. They readily take lures, pull hard and a pretty robust fish. The main thing is that you can control the numbers so there's no over population stunting issue like the ones associated with redfin.
I'm sure you'll like what ever you choose to do but remember, 'loose lips sink ships'
sunshine
Posts: 2641
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Sorry but it cannot be "brackish"
If as you state - that Marron are thriving in it - as it is my understanding that marron in particular are extremely sensitive to water quality and will vacate if the water becomes brackish so the salinity level must be extremely low
No matter what you are legally able to put in they will predate on the juvenile yabbies / marron
crasny1
Posts: 7009
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Marron mesh
Or shade cloth. Just use this, tie a bunch together in the middle (a bow tie effect) and weigh it down with a brick etc. The drawn together folds in the marron mesh/shade cloth provide excellent shelter for small marron to hide from predators. In my backyard pond I had about 20 such bundles and they protected the juvies from the perch. As soon as they are big enough to fend for themselves the perch wasnt a problem as much. In a bare pond they would have no hope against whatever you put in there as they dont burrow like Yabbies. Hence their scientific name Cherax destructor (Yabs destroy dam walls).
To get special Marron mesh (the holes are bigger than shade cloth to allow them to crawl through look a up a guy called Brett O'Brien where I got my cloth (and initial 50 Y-1 marron) from.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk