Demand for fathead minnows has increased sharply, but traditional culture methods provide relatively low yields, resulting in shortages and lost market opportunities. Production technologies for fathead minnows are decades behind those of the goldfish and golden shiner. Research has shown that an intensive system of broodstock density (Clemment & Stone 2004) egg collection (Masson et al. 2006), indoor hatching (Horne et al. 2010) and fry stocking is biologically feasible. If substrates and locations within ponds that are preferentially attractive to nesting males could be identified, these could be employed to maximize egg collection efficiency. 

In 2009, eggs were removed from spawning substrates with 1.5% sodium sulfite and jar-hatched. Hatchery fry were stocked into six, 0.1-acre ponds inside a fenced and netted enclosure as fry became available. Ponds were aerated nightly (1/2-HP vertical pump aerators, Kasco Marine, Inc.) from 10 PM to 8 AM . Feed was a 32% crude protein commercial catfish diet (ARKAT Nutrition, Inc.) in the form of a meal (first 4 weeks), crumbles (weeks 5 & 6) and 1/8” extruded pellet (week 7 to end of study). Starting at 56 days, fish were fed to satiation once daily, defined as feed consumed within 30 to 50 minutes. Feed was distributed over the surface of the entire pond. Ponds were harvested October 14-15, 2009 . At final densities of 1.5 to 1.8 million/acre, yields were about 4,000 lb/acre.

*FCR’s for low stocking rate ponds were high (poor) because of the experimental protocol – fish were fed at fixed rates for the first 56 days.

Horne, A. N., N. Stone, and C. R. Engle. 2010. Development of new intensive hatchery methods for rosy red fathead minnow. North American Journal of Aquaculture (in press).

Masson, I. , N. Stone and Y-W. Lee. 2006. Developing methods for harvesting rosy red fathead minnow eggs. North American Journal of Aquaculture 68:296-305.

Stone, N., and I. Masson. 2006. New hatchery techniques developed for fathead minnows. Hatchery International (September/October) 7(4):24-25.

Clemment, T., and N. Stone.  2004.  Collection, removal and quantification of eggs produced by rosy red fathead minnows in outdoor pools. North American Journal of Aquaculture 66:75-80.

Development of improved methods for summer stocking of fry (with David Heikes)

Holding fry in a pond-bank rearing system may be a feasible alternative to direct pond stocking, especially for late-season fry production, when aquatic insects become major predators on fish fry. A pond-bank culture system was designed and constructed by David Heikes. The system utilizes two drum filters, one  to selectively remove large zooplankton from pond water, and the other to concentrate desirable sizes of zooplankters, which are then pumped into twin culture tanks. Two, 3-week trials were conducted with the prototype system. In trial 1, newly-hatched fry of a proxy species (rosy red fathead minnow) were stocked at 38/L. The system was run approximately 8 h each day. At harvest, survival averaged 43%. In trial 2, goldfish fry were stocked at 102/L in one tank and fathead fry at 27/L in the second culture tank. At harvest, survival of fathead fry was 33.5%. Few goldfish were recovered (5.3%) in the culture tank, but fish were found in the system pond water intake, likely from a standpipe issue. Overall, the system effectively removed large zooplankters and concentrated small, desirable food items (60 to 125-micron). Additional modifications are planned to improve the system.