Good hardy native fish types for a small dam

Mark

Founder
Staff member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
5,192
Location
Bellmere, QLD
Website
www.selfsufficientme.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Does anyone know of any native fish which are pretty hardy and would happily live in a small dam?

I thought it might be a good idea to introduce some fish in order to keep the mosquito population down.

My ducks are using the dam too (obviously) so I'm not sure if ducks will hunt and catch fish... probably not I think :cautious:
 

stevo

nativebeehives.com
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
1,804
Location
Clontarf, Qld
Website
nativebeehives.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
ooh is the new dam full? Pacific Blue Eyes (little guppy type things) are most well known mozzie eaters, but they're expensive at aquariums. You could investigate some of the bigger native fish, i'm not sure if you'll have issues with aeration or filtering, but i reckon if you have ducks in there you wont be able to have fish because of water quality?
 

Mark

Founder
Staff member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
5,192
Location
Bellmere, QLD
Website
www.selfsufficientme.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
ooh is the new dam full? Pacific Blue Eyes (little guppy type things) are most well known mozzie eaters, but they're expensive at aquariums. You could investigate some of the bigger native fish, i'm not sure if you'll have issues with aeration or filtering, but i reckon if you have ducks in there you wont be able to have fish because of water quality?
Thanks Stevo, yeah the dam is getting there see this: Built a small dam for my ducks

Will those "Blue Eyes" breed on their own and are they native? I'm thinking smaller fish might be better than the larger natives but I don't really know (maybe one or two larger fish might work?)

I'm not sure how much the ducks will disturb the dam - I guess only time will tell.

What about Red Claw do you think they'd go OK?
 

stevo

nativebeehives.com
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
1,804
Location
Clontarf, Qld
Website
nativebeehives.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
I just looked at your dam photo, i think you'd have to leave it a few months or year to settle and become clear, maybe build it up a bit with a few rocks and little plants around the edge so fish have places to hide. Maybe a big log in there or something too, making a nice environment for fish.

yeah the Blue Eyes are native and are supposed to breed very well. But, i've put a few in my pond and a big pot full of water and plants, all the ones in the pond died, and i haven't seen the ones in the pot. Both systems had normal PH and should be pretty well filtered so i'm not sure what happened. All my crayfish are doing well though, and i think i've still got a Bass in there too.

I'm doing the same, i'm still setting my system up and learning.

Maybe if the ducks are swimming in it every day, there'd be no mozzies?
 

Mark

Founder
Staff member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
5,192
Location
Bellmere, QLD
Website
www.selfsufficientme.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
I think your right - I definitely do need to let the dam settle. I'll look into establishing some water plants and possibly a log or rocks - ducks will probably target the plants but... Won't hurt to try.

I found a yabby once just digging in my backyard (not far from where I put the dam) I wonder if there are anymore around and populate my dam automatically...?
 

stevo

nativebeehives.com
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
1,804
Location
Clontarf, Qld
Website
nativebeehives.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
I reckon some basic reeds around the edge and maybe a little shrub planted on the bank that overhangs to provide cover for fish to hide.

yeah if they are in the area they'll probably migrate to your dam. They tend to wonder around so even if you put them in the dam they might wonder off unless you have a barrier.
 

Mark

Founder
Staff member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
5,192
Location
Bellmere, QLD
Website
www.selfsufficientme.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
I reckon some basic reeds around the edge and maybe a little shrub planted on the bank that overhangs to provide cover for fish to hide.

yeah if they are in the area they'll probably migrate to your dam. They tend to wonder around so even if you put them in the dam they might wonder off unless you have a barrier.
Will do. I'll probably just "wing it" with the yabbies and put a few in see how it goes...
 

Tim C

Two heads are better than one
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
Messages
445
Pretty sure the yabbies would thrive on the duck-poo. A mate of mine down at Bordertown SA bought a block on the outskirts. He got it cheap because the diverted run-off of Tatiara Creek went along the side boundary then along the back. He worked for the Council(shire) and used their loader to dig a dam in the corner after work. It ended up being beautiful rubble. So he dug and dug- got his base for the house (split-living Nordic style) and the massive shed. Then he threw in a heap of pvc offcuts from the electricians and plumbers for the yabbies to live in. It filled up the first winter. Then despite being told they wouldn't survive, he put Redfin in there.(Introduced, but already established in that system). Now he has heaps of yabbies and heaps of fish.;)
 

Mark

Founder
Staff member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
May 27, 2012
Messages
5,192
Location
Bellmere, QLD
Website
www.selfsufficientme.com
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Pretty sure the yabbies would thrive on the duck-poo. A mate of mine down at Bordertown SA bought a block on the outskirts. He got it cheap because the diverted run-off of Tatiara Creek went along the side boundary then along the back. He worked for the Council(shire) and used their loader to dig a dam in the corner after work. It ended up being beautiful rubble. So he dug and dug- got his base for the house (split-living Nordic style) and the massive shed. Then he threw in a heap of pvc offcuts from the electricians and plumbers for the yabbies to live in. It filled up the first winter. Then despite being told they wouldn't survive, he put Redfin in there.(Introduced, but already established in that system). Now he has heaps of yabbies and heaps of fish.;)
My dam isn't very big (maybe 10m at the longest side) but I was chatting yesterday with a guy on YouTube who said a similar thing about throwing some yabbies in. I'm going to do it - we have a large lake about 30 mins away which has redclaw so I'm going to go with the boys and see if we can get some. I do come across the occasional yabbie down the back yard (I found one when I was digging a post hole once) so it's possible our dam may already have a few but I can be sure. Throwing in some pvc is a great idea to keep them safe and give the yabbies somewhere to live.
 

Tim C

Two heads are better than one
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
Messages
445
I've never seen red claws in person, only on the web and in pics. In the Territory(Kimberley) we used to get Cherapin. Like a big freshwater shrimp-not bad chewing either. The main fish we got up there were Sooty Grunter(also called black bream). But I don't know how they'd go with the duck poo.
 
Top Bottom