livebearers in ponds

[guppymax]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Some of the pupfish and gambusia are endangered:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/endang/animals/fish/#livebearers

The speaker at the next HAS meeting is real interested in endangered gambusia but it is illegal for him to even take them out of the water to take photographs. I tried to find some researchers, zoos or wildlife refuges that have some endangered gambusia in glass tanks to photograph but I did not find any one maintaining these species. Gambusia georgei went extinct in 1983. It is illegal for individuals but some organizations should be maintaining the endangered gambusia. Gambusia afinis found in this area are invasive, legal and not threatened.

max

[reptilegrrl]

Re: livebearers in ponds

The gambusias are doing great in my pond.  They are breeding like crazy and they have become very tame- they visit the surface all the time, and they swim right up to my hands when I reach into the pond.  There is one big female who is especially brave and tame.  They will take turtle food from right under my turtle's nose and he doesn't even try to stop them.  They also eat whatever food he misses.  

I brought some fry into the house, in a bowl, but two of them died so I put the rest in the pond.

[guppymax]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Do you have any collection data on them? Duncan Phillips and I caught some Gambusia affinis Hunting Bayou Phillips 2006 last week.

max

[reptilegrrl]

Re: livebearers in ponds

They were given to me by another ponder- she has several ponds in her yard, for the use of turtle rehab.  I don't know anything about their lives before then.  They have turned out to be very entertaining fish.

[guppymax]

Re: livebearers in ponds

The gambusia affinis are doing well in an uninsulated ten gallon tote outside with no heat. The air keeps it from icing over but I have seen ice in some of the containers without air. That is the harshist winter condition that I have seen livebearers survive. I don't think I have lost any including the new fry.

max

[reptilegrrl]

Re: livebearers in ponds

The gambusia in my pond became too numerous, so I moved several of them into buckets.  The buckets are in the back of the yard, and have aquatic plants growing in them.  No heating, no aeration other than the plants.  The fish are doing great and have been since late summer.  The only negative is that a lot of leaves have fallen into the buckets recently, so I am going to clean them out soon.

[guppymax]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Yes, because they are cold hardy disease resistant and friendly they seem to be the best pond livebearer. Some of the platys swords and mollies do pretty well but I think the Gambusia are my favorite for outdoor ponds.

max

[fishysue]

Re: livebearers in ponds

I've kept guppies in tubs for years using heaters over the winter.  Rubbermaid has 100 gallon oval tanks that last for years and are a very reasonable price, about $65.  I've gotten mine from Tractor Supply.  This year I moved several batches of angelfish babies outside because there was no room for them inside.  I still have two tanks full outside and am keeping my fingers crossed that my heaters and cords continue to work.  So far so good.  The tanks each have a layer of Anacharis that acts as a biofilter and a  thermal barrier as the heaters are underneath the Anacharis.  Not too much trouble with critters although my neighbor uses netting on her goldfish pond to keep the herons out.  The Anacharis is also home to many small creatures such as scuds, minature freshwater shrimp that fish love!

I also have Koi, paradise fish, fundulus crysotus and American flagfish outside as well, no heaters required.  Another livebearer that does well outside is the native sailfin mollies.  A really pretty fish available in bayous locally.  The crysotus were also collected locally from Sheldon Reservoir.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: livebearers in ponds

could you give me a number/location to where you got the 100g tubs from?

i have been looking for some with no luck.

[fishysue]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Tractor Supply Co.
27400 Tomball Parkway
Tomball, Tx
281-357-0000

This is the location I've shopped at and is the closest to me.  There are others scattered in small towns surrounding Houston.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: livebearers in ponds

so this place is where you go the vat?

thanks

[fishysue]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Yes

[eklikewhoa]

Re: livebearers in ponds

Thanks again!!

Looks like I will have some fry grow out tanks!