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#1
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Enter the stereotypical question : I want a big fish for a big pond,
that will eat small mammal carcasses / meat scraps / other fish. (I've searched via Google, but can't find the answer) -- I've got a pond full of goldfish, and although they're pretty, they're not terribly entertaining. I've also got an excess population of eastern grey squirrels (the non-endangered type) that I routinely dispose of. Opossums, too. I live in Washington state, where a layer of ice forms over the pond in the winter. So tropical fish are out. The pond is 13,000 gallons - a 35'x15' swimming pool, 6' deep in the deep end. It's also a concrete pond, with a high pH. At present, it doesn't have a lot of aeration, but I plan on changing that this coming summer (adding a waterfall and 700 gallon biofilter) So here's my question: what kind of fish could I get that would eat dead squirrels and grow to be 2-3 feet long? Would a big catfish do this? In my hollywood-addled mind, I'd love to see some vicious pirhana action. (Of course, having owned a red-bellied pirhana before, I know them to be rather boring in practice) After reading all the stories about the giant chinese snakehead, it sounds like what I would want (sans the on-land movement). Of course, that fish is now quite illegal to import into my state. So an alternate fish is required. I realize this is probably not what most ponders are looking to raise. But it's a serious question. Thanks in advance. PS: No, I don't have a wife. : |
#2
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Monty Burns wrote:
So here's my question: what kind of fish could I get that would eat dead squirrels and grow to be 2-3 feet long? A dawg that swims? |
#3
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:31:39 -0600, John Hines
wrote: Monty Burns wrote: So here's my question: what kind of fish could I get that would eat dead squirrels and grow to be 2-3 feet long? A dawg that swims? snapping turtle is what comes to mind for me... |
#4
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Monty wrote PS: No, I don't have a wife.
chortle! Someone wrote snapping turtle but as they aren't native you could get raided by the fish and wildlife folks who don't have a sense of humor about these things. Pike? Are they found in the PNW? Same concern about natives. Bullfrogs will eat goldfish and small, live squirrels. They aren't native but are here to stay. If you see very large tadpoles in a local pond this is probably what they are. Crayfish will eat dead critters and any old slow goldfish they can get ahold of. ka30p - who feeds the squirrel that lives in our backyard peanuts, walnuts and cranberries ;-) |
#5
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
ka30p - who feeds the squirrel that lives in our
backyard peanuts, walnuts and cranberries ;-) Hey, K30, be careful, your only squirrel could be half a dozen in a few years. 5 years ago I saw my first squirrel in this neighborhood, but 5 minutes from K30. Yesterday we counted 6 (that we could see at one time). My feeder has to be filled daily now, where before it was 2-3x/month. They are fun to watch though, especially the little one who climbs in the feeder and shuts the door behind him and watches out the window. ~ jan See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Defrosted~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website |
#6
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:40:31 -0800
~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: ka30p - who feeds the squirrel that lives in our backyard peanuts, walnuts and cranberries ;-) Hey, K30, be careful, your only squirrel could be half a dozen in a few years. 5 years ago I saw my first squirrel in this neighborhood, but 5 minutes from K30. Yesterday we counted 6 (that we could see at one time). My feeder has to be filled daily now, where before it was 2-3x/month. They are fun to watch though, especially the little one who climbs in the feeder and shuts the door behind him and watches out the window. ~ jan For the past year and a half (almost) I thought that I had a squirrel and bird feeder in the front yard. Last week, sitting quietly and reading, watching the squirrels, I found out that it's really a red tailed hawk feeder. I had been wondering where all the squirrels were going... Cybe R. Wizard -- Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P. Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P. "Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y. Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L |
#7
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Now that you mention it, yesterday I did see a hawk make a pass. He got
thwarted as my DH happened to walk into the yard about the same time for a load of wood, so he veered off and made a half-hearted grab for a Magpie (or could that have been a "I'm not here for the squirrels" diversion?). Guess I won't get too attached to these squirrels and name them. ;o) ~ jan For the past year and a half (almost) I thought that I had a squirrel and bird feeder in the front yard. Last week, sitting quietly and reading, watching the squirrels, I found out that it's really a red tailed hawk feeder. I had been wondering where all the squirrels were going... Cybe R. Wizard See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Defrosted~ Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website |
#8
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 13:22:13 GMT, Monty Burns wrote:
Enter the stereotypical question : I want a big fish for a big pond, that will eat small mammal carcasses / meat scraps / other fish. (I've searched via Google, but can't find the answer) Piranha? |
#9
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 12:19:57 -0800
~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: Now that you mention it, yesterday I did see a hawk make a pass. He got thwarted as my DH happened to walk into the yard about the same time for a load of wood, so he veered off and made a half-hearted grab for a Magpie(or could that have been a "I'm not here for the squirrels" diversion?). Guess I won't get too attached to these squirrels and name them. ;o) ~ jan We have lots of hawks around here. I've seen them take snakes and small birds before and a neighbor down the street lost his wife's small stomp dog. For some reason I never thought about them watching the feeder. It's perfectly situated, though, with a high bank the squirrels have to run up before they get to cover. Now that I think about it, it seems perfectly logical that they would feed here. Now I gotta try to get some pictures. Cybe R. Wizard -- Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P. Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P. "Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y. Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L |
#10
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 12:19:57 -0800
~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: Now that you mention it, yesterday I did see a hawk make a pass. He got thwarted as my DH happened to walk into the yard about the same time for a load of wood, so he veered off and made a half-hearted grab for a Magpie(or could that have been a "I'm not here for the squirrels" diversion?). Guess I won't get too attached to these squirrels and name them. ;o) ~ jan We have lots of hawks around here. I've seen them take snakes and small birds before and a neighbor down the street lost his wife's small stomp dog. For some reason I never thought about them watching the feeder. It's perfectly situated, though, with a high bank the squirrels have to run up before they get to cover. Now that I think about it, it seems perfectly logical that they would feed here. Now I gotta try to get some pictures. Cybe R. Wizard -- Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P. Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P. "Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y. Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L |
#11
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 12:19:57 -0800
~ jan JJsPond.us wrote: Now that you mention it, yesterday I did see a hawk make a pass. He got thwarted as my DH happened to walk into the yard about the same time for a load of wood, so he veered off and made a half-hearted grab for a Magpie(or could that have been a "I'm not here for the squirrels" diversion?). Guess I won't get too attached to these squirrels and name them. ;o) ~ jan We have lots of hawks around here. I've seen them take snakes and small birds before and a neighbor down the street lost his wife's small stomp dog. For some reason I never thought about them watching the feeder. It's perfectly situated, though, with a high bank the squirrels have to run up before they get to cover. Now that I think about it, it seems perfectly logical that they would feed here. Now I gotta try to get some pictures. Cybe R. Wizard -- Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P. Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P. "Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y. Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L |
#12
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Channel catfish. |
#13
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Monty Burns wrote in message . ..
Enter the stereotypical question : I want a big fish for a big pond, that will eat small mammal carcasses / meat scraps / other fish. (I've searched via Google, but can't find the answer) Flathead catfish. Might not be legal in WA, though. Ask around about the largest breed of catfish in your area, might be one I'm not remembering. |
#14
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
Go catch a gar and put that in your pond. They are about as
mean as pirranha. Monty Burns wrote: Enter the stereotypical question : I want a big fish for a big pond, that will eat small mammal carcasses / meat scraps / other fish. (I've searched via Google, but can't find the answer) -- I've got a pond full of goldfish, and although they're pretty, they're not terribly entertaining. I've also got an excess population of eastern grey squirrels (the non-endangered type) that I routinely dispose of. Opossums, too. I live in Washington state, where a layer of ice forms over the pond in the winter. So tropical fish are out. The pond is 13,000 gallons - a 35'x15' swimming pool, 6' deep in the deep end. It's also a concrete pond, with a high pH. At present, it doesn't have a lot of aeration, but I plan on changing that this coming summer (adding a waterfall and 700 gallon biofilter) So here's my question: what kind of fish could I get that would eat dead squirrels and grow to be 2-3 feet long? Would a big catfish do this? In my hollywood-addled mind, I'd love to see some vicious pirhana action. (Of course, having owned a red-bellied pirhana before, I know them to be rather boring in practice) After reading all the stories about the giant chinese snakehead, it sounds like what I would want (sans the on-land movement). Of course, that fish is now quite illegal to import into my state. So an alternate fish is required. I realize this is probably not what most ponders are looking to raise. But it's a serious question. Thanks in advance. PS: No, I don't have a wife. : |
#15
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SWM seeks LCF (Large Carnivorous Fish)?
"Gene" wrote in message ... Go catch a gar and put that in your pond. They are about as mean as pirranha. snip I had a gar for awhile. He was awesome to watch, and he was a great hunter. They like moving water, so a serene pond would not be optimal. -- BV. WebPorgmaster www.IHeartMyPond.com Help Support IHMP by shopping at Amazon.com thru our associates link, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/re...me/dcg8118-20. |
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