Cichlid Pond

[Rex Karr]

I'm in the process of building a large pond outside and I'm looking for ideas on inhabitants. The pond is approximately 12' by 12' and 4' deep in the center. Typical pond fish such as Koi and Goldfish aren't really my cup o' tea. So I plan on keeping tropical species in it for the full time the temp is above 70*. I want to stock with a wide variety of easy to find and cheap fish. I plan to grow the fish for around 5 months and then capture them in the fall. I'm sure the magority of the pond grow outs can be traded in to the LFS and those that I want to keep can be kept indoors for the winter. So I'm basically just looking for interesting suggestions.

So far I'm thinking about

Guppies
Mollies
Sword Tails
Platies
Goramies
Red Devils
Green Terrors
Black Belts
Oscars
Severum
Red Parrots
Clown Knife
Silver Arowana


As you can see I'm hoping to keep it to things easily obtained at the LFS for a small price.

Thanks

[Karl]

How about a few convicts were i am they are only $1 or $2 not sure. Maybe silver dollars. dempseys maybe and maybe a red tail black shark i dont know how much they are.

[tediumsdream]

rex, how bout an umbee? vieja? dovii?
Any interest in the guapotes?

they would be my first pick if i had that amount of space lol 8)

[Rex Karr]

Thanks for the ideas MB.

TD, good ideas. I really hadn't thought about those. I might pick up a couple Dovii or Umbie at the ACA 2003 in a few months.

And as for Vieja.......... yep, I have plenty that I can add to the pond.

9 Zonatum
1 Synspilum
1 Heterospilum
1 Fenestratum
2 Bifasciatus
6 Regani
2 Hybrids (or atleast unidentified by me)

I'm sure I can spare a few Zonatum, and maybe pickup some others at the ACA 2003.

Keep em comin

[tediumsdream]

If I was choosing it would be the umbie. I'd love to see an adult male umbie with my own eyes; great colors, relentlessly aggressive, and charismatic. Would be great for the pond too since I hear they're very active and need a lot of swimming space.

And Wow thats a lot of vieja lol, I don't see those too often in LFS's and what not, you must have a good source for them. As for other recommendations, maybe a nandopsis tetracanthus? Beautiful fish and I believe their aggression is along the lines of green terrors.

[Rex Karr]

I think I will pick up a few Umbie at the ACA 2003. I'll raise them outside this summer and bring them indside to the new indoor pond I should have setup by then.

[Chet]

That's awesome Rex, the umbie is like my dream fish. That and peacock bass. Hey, that would be a good candidate for a pond also. I've thought about building a large, landscaped pond in my backyard and stocking it with peacockbass. I think they could survive the mild winters here, and I could do some world class fishing in my backyard...;)

[Rudy]

Didn't you say cheap fish Rex:D

I guess we are talking two different versions of cheap. Cheap here are dempseys, cons, salvinis, midas cross, jags and saums etc.

A big Umbee or dovi wow I can't imagine what those would be here. That is what we like about you Rex. Ideas become reality in your house and cheap fish become Kick ass umbees and dovis.

If it were me I would go for a big red tail cat. (you can have mine when he gets to big) Throw a dovi and some other monsters in there. Alternatively....are snakeheads available down there. These things ar 3.99 up here.

[Rex Karr]

Yeah, I can probably get find some good sized Umbies for a decent price :) I might even take that Cat off your hands in a while, Rudy. Does anyone have anyother suggestions, even if there not that cheap :lol:

They actually banned Snake heads here, LOL. I'm still planning on getting one of the smaller more colorful species sometime though. But I probably won't keep him outside. I think thats how they got banned in the first place. Som guy let a pair go in a large fishing pond and they started walking around to other near by ponds.

[Karl]

Pacus?

[Rudy]

You could get a Walago cat fish. At least then you won't have to worry about the neighbors cats in your back yard. Come to think of it you won't have to worry about anyone going in your back yard anymore.

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/piranha038/wallago.html

Pacus are a good idea also as suggested. Maybe some oscars with that.

Man there are so many possibilities. You could stock it with trout, or bass and charge admission. :p

[Rex Karr]

But I would have to worry about me in the back yard :) I think I'll leave the Walago's to the serious catfish fanatics. I'd be afraid it would attack all the other fish.

I really like Pacu but they get so big. And of course no one is going to want to take it of my hands. I hope to keep 2 Red Belly Pacu with my Yellow Belly Pacu in the new pond, but I don't want want to keep more than 3.

Oscars are definantly on the list though. There cheap, they grow fast, they look nice, and if I need to sell any at the end of the summer I should have no problems.

Rex