Trough Cleaning Day(s)!

 

Yesterday started the task of trough cleaning and servicing for our livestock tanks. The cattle have mooved to their large and lush marsh pasture, so no one was there to pester me or opinionate about my work. It takes us a little longer than others to do this because our troughs are home to Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) always, and sometimes tadpoles and ghost shrimp too. As with everything we do, we try to be humane, and because the mosquito fish were put there by us, they are our responsibility, as our the little wild creatures that end up in there on their own. Why do we put mosquito fish in our troughs? Well, there are several species of container-breeding mosquitoes in our area. Aegypti, albopictus, culex quinquefasciatus, nigripalpus and sometimes anopheles species try to use our troughs to lay their eggs. They have plenty of swamp on CMNC to do their thing and serve their purpose in the ecosystem; they don’t need our troughs.

What we look for when trough cleaning

The mosquito fish that live in our troughs are there to help control the mosquito population and algae growth. They were rescued from ephemeral ponds or the ditch out by our mailbox as the dry season commences and the water dries up. These fish can live in poor quality water and can even gulp air from the surface when dissolved oxygen levels are low. This is called aquatic surface respiration. Another interesting fact is that they are live bearers; the females give birth to tiny fish instead of laying eggs. These are already very small fish, approximately an inch long in our tanks. So, the babies are tiny, and they matter too, so this is what we do.

 

When troughs need to be cleaned and serviced, first I turn the water off. The majority of our troughs are equipped with a float system that is hooked to a nearby spigot that is always on. When the water depth drops due to consumption or evaporation, it triggers the water to flow. Cattle can drink 1-30 gallons of water per animal per day, depending on several factors. So it is safe to say that our troughs are constantly getting refreshed and re-oxygenated. Organic material from the cow‘s mouth and nose can also feed the mosquito fish. I take this float and hose it off and clean it and service and or replace it as needed. You can imagine with horns that we lose some sometimes.

 

Next, I start bailing out the water with a light colored bucket. This way, I can see if any little fish or other animals are in it. There is another bucket on standby with the first scoop of water that I transfer any little creatures into. The first scoops are pretty good and go pretty quickly the fish avoid the bucket. But as the water gets low, they are concentrated among the organic material that has fallen in, like leaves and sticks. The larger ones are difficult to see in these conditions, and the smaller ones, which are the size of a thick eyelash or almost impossible. That is when I move to phase 2.

Learn more about our cattle here

Each trough has a threaded stopper at the bottom that can be unscrewed using pliers. When the trough is only a few inches deep and still filled with organic material, that is when I unscrew the stopper. I have found through trial and error that the best thing to do is dig a small hole under that stopper and hold a bandanna in it. I have tried to use a fishnet before, but it drains too quickly, and then they are just battered by the spout of water. The bandanna holds a little puddle for them so they’re still able to swim around as the water drains out. The little fish are effectively caught, and I frequently replace the stopper and put them into the bucket holding their other friends. At each break and replacement of the stopper, I transfer the fish into the bucket, and then I check the puddles to see if any escaped. Sometimes this happens. I grab them off the ground and put them into the bucket, also. I am sure that sometimes I miss a few, but I do my best to try to keep this from happening. The same goes for any tadpoles, frog eggs, ghost shrimp or insect nymphs that I find.

 

Once all the water that can be drained through the stopper is out, the bottom is filled with leaves and things like that, which have to be sorted through. I put these aside with the fish waste in different buckets that can go to the garden. It’s very nutrient-rich. I do my best to sort through it all to make sure any other little creatures therein are rescued. This takes the most time.

Finally, I tip the trough over and give it a good scrub. I do not use chemicals for this unless I have reason to believe that there’s a dangerous type of algae or other growth/contamination in it. I rinse it well. Due to Florida’s hard water, there is some calcium buildup and algae left behind. It will be an important start for the small fish and tadpoles that will quickly re-populate and eat it.

 

Setting water flow back  after trough cleaning

I hook the float back up and make sure the stopper is secure, and turn the water on. The water through the float runs slower than it would through a straight hose, so it is able to achieve the outdoor temperature more quickly. This also allows me to make sure that the floats are working and everything is in order. The fish are in the shade in their bucket. I make sure that they will stay shaded, and then go start on the next trough, or another chore as the first one fills.

 

Once the trough is properly filled and the temperature is close to that of the bucket, I gently add the fish and other creatures back in. I usually swap some out for new genetics, and if there are many of them, I will return some to the Myakka River.

 

Once I was done with this task yesterday, I was very dirty, as you can imagine. I took the buckets of fish waste and organic matter and gave them to our banana trees.

 

Sometimes, for the first few days, I will bring a little something to feed the fish.

 

Having little creatures in the tanks helps to control algae and mosquito growth, but they also produce waste, which is let out and will now be used on our garden. But, since they are helping us, we must be cognizant of their right to exist and be kept safe.

 

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