# Trout Anyone?



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It seems our new home with a pond has a breeding population of trout or similar fish. The little guys come to the edge of the pond for for food but, I don't know what to feed them or when. 
Obviously, someone has been feeding them. I didn't get any instruction with the property.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How neat.

Maybe contact the realtor and see if they can ask the seller what they fed them.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

trout are carnivores, so a pond fish food should work


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

goathiker said:


> It seems our new home with a pond has a breeding population of trout or similar fish. The little guys come to the edge of the pond for for food but, I don't know what to feed them or when.
> Obviously, someone has been feeding them. I didn't get any instruction with the property.


You sure it is trout? Maybe, bass, brim, crappie, cats? You can feed them duck pellet. Some people feed dry dog food. They also make a pond fish pellet


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

I bate with dog food, but i dont feed my fish. they love the dog food. they make catfish food too


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

your feed store should have trout feed. do not feed pond food the trout will not do well on it. i like floating feed it is fun watching them feed on top of the water. it is also easy to see if you are over feeding.
if you can not find fish food call Ranger Feed 1 800 657 6446
I think the are in Idaho


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Sfgwife said:


> You sure it is trout? Maybe, bass, brim, crappie, cats? You can feed them duck pellet. Some people feed dry dog food. They also make a pond fish pellet


No, I'm certain that they are trout or kokanee. I used to feed the baby salmon after spawning time at another place years ago and these are almost identical to them. 
There are much bigger fish in there too. They've been jumping. 
It was kinda funny, when I saw all the little guys coming I expected tadpoles lol.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Okay,we've found a mom and pop feed, a Wilco, and a Coastal. Will be searching out trout food this weekend. There's lots of bugs for now.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

This is awesome! I really look forward to your photos, when you feed your new pets! How big is your pond? Will you eat them as well? The words I found in the dictionary lead to really delicate fish!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Sadly i lost my trout last winter my pond froze over for the first time ever and killed the fish. I love feeding them i never eat them they were pets. I had fish that wrer 36+ inches long and weighed 30+ lbs


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

34 inches, 86 cm, wow!


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

When I worked at the local feed store, we sold Trout Chow, I believe by Purina. Don't know if they make it anymore or not. I believe it floated as well. A friends Dad had a trout pond with a feeder set on a timer. The fish knew when that thing was gonna go off and man when it did the commotion was impressive!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Grow your own trout food, Black Soldier Fly larvae. I know you have lots of spare time.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> Grow your own trout food, Black Soldier Fly larvae. I know you have lots of spare time.


And when the spare time goes out, and the larvae become flying flies? ... :hide:


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Trollmor said:


> And when the spare time goes out, and the larvae become flying flies? ... :hide:


Harmless, no mouth. All they live.for is to find a.good place to lay eggs and breed. The larvae do all of the work.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> All they live.for is to find a.good place to lay eggs and breed.


Exactly!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Trollmor said:


> Exactly!


Exactly, what?
Black Soldier Flies have been cultivated for years. They will lay eggs where you want. The larvae can be fed almost anything, and will convert it to useful protein and carbohydrates for use in feed for all kinds of animals. 
Just recently a large Black Soldier Fly larva producer got permitted to sell their larvae as livestock feed, they are the second one to do so. This feed is used for pond raising fish, is used for poultry and for peoples pet lizards and birds.
If you research, you will find that that the Black Soldier Fly will also keep other flies away. They look like mud daubers, and you habe probably seen them without knowing what they were.
As far as their usefullness while living; the BSF larvae will eat almost anything. They are not like worms, needing only vegatables, they will eat anything organic except bone and hair. The castings from the larvae can go to compost pile or worm bed. Some people even keep them together so all of the kitchen scraps can go to one place. Ever wonder what to do with dead rodents that the cats leabe laying? Throw them into the BSF larva bed. Dog poop cleaned from the yard? Same thing.

I hope this was informative for you, since you have taught me so much, John


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

I've thought about putting in a pond across the road and stocking it with trout, but I'm afraid it'd have to be REALLy deep ( and really expensive ) to keep it the right temperature for them.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> Exactly, what?
> (...)
> I hope this was informative for you, since you have taught me so much, John


Are you saying that these larvae never transform into FLYING flies?


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Yes it is important to watch your water temp and oxygen levels. cold water has higher levels of oxygen. Soldier fly's and lights hanging over the water to attract moths and the like. will supplement the feed but it will not supply enough nutrition for a large number of trout.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Thank you John, and yes you just told me how to make a dog waste digester with fringe benefits. 

I haven't explored the pond much yet. It's about 35 by 15 ft and drops straight off. It's very deep and spring fed. 
There are large fish down to tiny fry. 
For now I did find them a jar of blood worms, just something to keep them friendly.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

If the edges are all steep, look out that no animal falls in! I would try to dig a ditch for crawling up, in case of emergency. Have had drowning accidents ...


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Trollmor said:


> Are you saying that these larvae never transform into FLYING flies?


You harvest them for livestock feed.
They will transform, if you let them. Not REGULAR FLIES! No mouth to cause problems.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

We already have Cicada Killers here. They look like giant yellow jackets but, are lazy and pretty harmless.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Trollmor said:


> If the edges are all steep, look out that no animal falls in! I would try to dig a ditch for crawling up, in case of emergency. Have had drowning accidents ...


No worries there, the whole pond is getting fenced off until the grandcritter learns to swim.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Learns to swim - AND crawling up a steep, wet, slippery pond side? I would prefer an exit. Learn from @Drmike?

https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/ponds-with-goats.207487/page-2#post-2301267


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yeah, you're getting a rather untrue vision of the pond. Just because it's deep and drops off from the edges quickly doesn't equate to steep muddy banks. In fact it's the same level as the field on most of the circumference. Nothing would have any issues swimming to the side and walking out.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Good.


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