Guppies or mosquitofish

[Faebinder]

So I do have a small 2'-3' x 6' bog and this past summer the mosquitoes have been amazingly bad. I decided that next spring I'm either adding guppies or mosquitofish to the pond. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Here are my concerns:
1- guppies won't survive the winter. They will die and introduce disease to the bog water. Plus I have to buy new ones each year and who knows if they are diseased.

2- mosquitofish are fin nippers and I got some fancy goldfish with long fins. I don't want a mosquitofish overflowing the bog to go to the pond and breeding there.

Thoughts?

 

[morewater]

Neither.

Use mosquito dunks instead.

Ensure that you use dunks that utilize Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). These products are fish and frog-safe.

This is a highly effective product for the control of mosquito larvae.

 

[Faebinder]

Worked poorly last year. Was even doing two dunks.

Neither.

Use mosquito dunks instead.

Ensure that you use dunks that utilize Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). These products are fish and frog-safe.

This is a highly effective product for the control of mosquito larvae.

 

[Nepen]

I had guppies. Just get the male ones so you dont have to worry about over population. You can move them inside in a small tank over winter, they are pretty easy to care for. They are pretty in the water.
I have indoor tank so I can just put them in. They can withstand fall, but will die if the water stay cold for a long time.

 

[EricV]

Neither.

Use mosquito dunks instead.

Ensure that you use dunks that utilize Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). These products are fish and frog-safe.

This is a highly effective product for the control of mosquito larvae.

How do these work? Do they dissolve slowly? The reason I ask is that I have an overflow line that is open to the air at one point, so conceivably mosquitos could use it. The water in the line is replaced by overflow every 2 days or so. So anything that doesn't "time release" is going to be flushed out quickly.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Worked poorly last year. Was even doing two dunks.

Did you place them in the pond or the "bog"? They will not be as effective if placed in the "bog".
Stay away, far away, from Gambusia.

 

[Faebinder]

Did you place them in the pond or the "bog"? They will not be as effective if placed in the "bog".
Stay away, far away, from Gambusia.

Sigh was debating obtaining MALE Gambusias (cant reproduce if all are males).

I did one dunk in the bog and one in the pond towards the last 2 months.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Sigh was debating obtaining MALE Gambusias (cant reproduce if all are males).

I did one dunk in the bog and one in the pond towards the last 2 months.

Is there a source for only MALE Gambusia?

Did you see Mosquito larvae in your pond or "bog' after using the Dunks?

 

[Faebinder]

Is there a source for only MALE Gambusia?

Did you see Mosquito larvae in your pond or "bog' after using the Dunks?

Never saw larvae around the pond or bog but I dont believe I am a good observer there. I think I can see if Jonah (from Jonah's natives) can provide males only.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Mosquito dunks, Gambusia and all the other methods of eliminating mosquito larvae will not stop adult mosquitoes from being attracted to water. It is not uncommon to have a larvae-free pond (and yard) yet still be infested by swarms of mosquitoes.

 

[Nepen]

Before i introduced guppies (or other top feeding tropical fish) to my pond, I saw a bunch of mosquito larvaes at the edge of the pond/between rocks etc. I know my goldfish just didnt eat them or didnt eat them enough. So I put guppies in. After that I hardly see the larvae, but i'm sure there are still some in there since I saw some larvae casing in the pond still, just not many.

 

[Faebinder]

Before i introduced guppies (or other top feeding tropical fish) to my pond, I saw a bunch of mosquito larvaes at the edge of the pond/between rocks etc. I know my goldfish just didnt eat them or didnt eat them enough. So I put guppies in. After that I hardly see the larvae, but i'm sure there are still some in there since I saw some larvae casing in the pond still, just not many.

That's what worries me... the goldfish cant get everywhere.

 

[Mmathis]

If you fill the bog completely with pea gravel, there won't be any standing water.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Maggie brings up a good point. Personally I would take a look at that before adding anymore fish to the pond.

I would be afraid of pushing the stocking limit in the pond by adding more fish (not that they are big fish but they will multiply like crazy and then be hard to catch come winter time when they have to be removed from the pond) not to mention the possibility of adding parasites or disease to the pond.

 

[Faebinder]

I've been trying to fill it but water keeps having a level.

Zebra danios is another recommendation I read and they have a wider temperature range.