Help needed - my fish are taking over...

[dawn]

Can someone there help me with some advice?

I have a 300 gallon pond which is around 3 years old. It's stocked with minnows and rudd. I started off with 12 minnows (now 3 inches long) and 4 rudd (now 5 inches long), then last year they produced a vast number of fry. With natural selection (not to mention the odd heron) I ended up with 9 of the original minnows and 2 rudd, plus about 15 smaller minnows about 2 inches long and growing up fast.

So far, so good. However, they just keep doing what's natural and re-producing!! I probably have nearly 100 fish in there now (admittedly about 70 of which are only half to one inch long)! All are active (and eat well). Where will this end?

People tell me to leave them and they will naturally sort themselves out, but can this number of fish cause big problems? And if so, what to do?

I have a good pump and filter, oxygenators (water lily died), and lots of marginals. There are also the usual frogs, smails, dragon flies and numerous insects visiting the pond. Any words of advice appreciated - it's all new to me!

You potentially could have a big die off. I believe it is possible for them to overcrowd to the point where your plants and filter can't keep up.

What are Rudd?

Where did all the fish come from?

If they came from a stream, river, or lake, you could put some of them back where they came from, but NEVER release fish where they don't exist naturally. If legal, you could sell them to a bait shop, or a pond shop. Last resort, culling, net out your excess and kill them. I'm not advocating culling, but sometimes you have to do it. A few years a go I had a bunch of deformed goldfish, had to cull them at the end of the summer, they had bad genetics, couldn't let them breed anymore in my pond.

[dawn]

Thanks for this.

Rudd are quite common in the UK - they may go by a different name in the US. All are 'legal' and bought from a pond/aquarium store. I guess I'll try selling them back to the store.

[Terry]

hi there
firstly if your fish are breeding you are not doing much wrong, they must like the enviroment that you are giving them. you should not have much trouble getting rid of your unwanted fish. Contact your local aquarium shop that has a coldwater section and he should take them if he has the room. Some aquarium shops will give you something for your babys but some don't, but if you need to get rid of them most will just take them of your hands.

[dawn]

Hi Terry,

Yes, I'm quite pleased with how they all seem to be getting on. However the phrase 'too much of a good thing ' came to mind when the sun was last shining and I saw exactly how many there were in there.

Dawn