Had a digger loader to improve my road and in the spur of the moment decided to dig a mud dam, 20 x 10 for my thousands of fry and ordered 40cu of clay.

4 Hours later:

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Still have to do a bottom drain, roll the clay and get the sand away from the sides / stabilise before the wind puts everything back.

Still have to make a plan to keep the frogs out, probably with roof sheeting and obviously have to do the netting.

Any advice will be appreciated.

I dont have any advice but i think it is going to be awesome.

Thanks Nardus.

Have added a lot of chicken manure and horse manure (for fertilisation and extra water proofing) and busy compacting. It is already a very hard surface and don't crumble which is a good sign.

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Was looking for Sodium Bentonite clay (extra water proof) and Calsium Bentonite clay (mineral values) but could not find in the Western Cape. Boland Base Minerals, Killarney Gardens always had some, but but their telephone number is inactive and they moved. Hopefully the clay I got (From Houtbay area) is sufficient.

Are you going to use a filtration system on the mud dam?

Hi Nardus, can't use a filtration system for fry, they will be sucked in. Only an air blower. Will empty every few months to do culling and cleaning and replace water.

and how will you keep the predators away?

Your water account must be huge.

nardus wrote:

and how will you keep the predators away?

Your water account must be huge.

Going to put roof sheets around for the frogs this weekend and cover with a net for the Herons before the fry are large enough for the Herons.

Water is not a problem. Borehole: 10 000l/hour @ 70c electricty x 150 000 liters = R 105.00

Have started to fill yesterday:

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Almost no water loss this morning:

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Collecting 200 kg Bentonite clay(with 95% Montmorilonite contents) today to add.

How is your mud dam doing?

Holding the water very nicely and the pond has already got live food and the babies are growing...

Have done two more, 100 000 liter each and filling today.

they look huge:D

are they full of fry yet?

All full of fry, lets hope for the best.

Kan ons dalk die nuutste photo's sien

did you cull already?

And when will you drag the dam?

I actually had better growth in my large liner ponds which I seeded with chicken manure before I started the mud dam. More live food and much warmer.

Some babies in the mud: They were 2mm when going in the mud and some now 20 mm within 6 weeks.

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However, the mud dam is now kicking in and the fish starts to grow and will probably soon overtake the liner pond fry.

My latest mud dam:

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Nice looking fry.

How many mud ponds do u have and how big are they?

What do you do when you seed the linear ponds with chicken manure?
Isnt the chicken manure a possible health risk?

Hi Nardus, have not culled in th mud dam yet but in the liner ponds. Quite difficult to cull in the mud dam. Will have to drain and then I will loose good water. I will wait until January.

hi Paul.

What do u mean you seed the dam with chicken manure?
Doesn't it pose health risk?

nardus wrote:

hi Paul.

What do u mean you seed the dam with chicken manure?
Doesn't it pose health risk?

Studies shown that @ 0.26kg/m3 every 10 days, it is safe and ideal. The manure establishes algae, zooplankton and other organisms for good growth in mud dams.

Remember that with a mud dam, you often do quite a lot of water changes. I top up every four days.

Seeding: With the mud dam, I seeded by mixing top soil with manure and compact it into the mud beforehand for slow release. With other ponds, keep it in a bag and when you see the ammonia rises, you lift the bag and drop it again when the ammonia reaches acceptable levels again.

Thanks Paul.

But this is only for fry?

Yes, only the first 90 days. By the way, I made a typo. Not "every 1 days" but "10 days"

so its 260g of chicken manure for every m/3(1000l) of water?
every 10 days.

nardus wrote:

so its 260g of chicken manure for every m/3(1000l) of water?
every 10 days.

For tests done with cow dung and chicken manure on the growth rate of fry, see [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

its amazing and very interesting. Thank You.

Paul,
How are your babies?
I am a proud grand ma now too. My fish surprised me and spawned 3 times in the pond...
I thought they are too small.
But I am learning the hard way how to keep fry! And am having lots of fun in the process...
Not too sure which fish spawned...but some suspicions I have.
I have all tribes of fry U can think of! He he he!
Update Us on your babies please....mine are growing like crazy...and I cook for them from day one...all kind of inventions...but it seems to work...Have nothing better.But they eat almost what I eat....
Wish I had where to buy some brine shrimp or other live food for my babies...even dry one...
Your Knotty girl: Neli.