Missing fish

[Gerry]

Had 45 tilapia disappear lastnite and just wanted to know could a rodent of the four legged kind be responsible for this? Like a rat or squirrel? They were fingerling 2 inch up to 6 inch.

[George]

Raccoon, weasel, otter, mink

How deep is your tank?  Was the tank covered?

[Gerry]

Hey George,
It's a ibc tote tank. I have the cut tank on tof of the main tank with a 6 inch by the lenght of the tank of an opening. I'm in the Bronx,N.Y. If that narrows the rodent list.last week my 2 inch net pots were all pulled out of the nft pipes. The tank has been there for about 4 - 5 months without a problem till now. I really want to narrow the possibility of a oden before I point the finger!
Thanks Gerry

[Jon Parr]

Sounds like big rat. We have wood rats here that have timbered very plant in my garden. I don't know if I've lost fish to them, but it's possible. I trapped a number of them, but didn't help. Ultimately, cats won that battle.

I don't know if you get raccoons there, but I lost almost 200 sturgeon to coons over the course of a week, big money. Screens are really required, to keep fish in and predators out. I know crows, and gulls will get them. Here we have cranes, egrets, and cormorants too.

Have you rulled out vandals?

[Gerry]

Jon , Thanks for the reply.
I was thinking in the back of my mind could it be vandals but to extract so many fish in one nite in the dark through a small opening it just seems dedication would be needed. It never dawned on me that coons or rats might eat the fish. There is a large apt build beside my back yard so I put down poison for them a while ago and something died from the smell we got shortly after.
This morning 4-5 net pots were out of the pipes again so it had me thinking there empty so what would want to take them out. Maybe a rat got in from the main grow bed and was trying to get out.?
A costly lesson to learn but I'm a newbie so that's exactly what I'm doing. Learning!
Thanks Gerry

Jon Parr said:

Sounds like big rat. We have wood rats here that have timbered very plant in my garden. I don't know if I've lost fish to them, but it's possible. I trapped a number of them, but didn't help. Ultimately, cats won that battle.

I don't know if you get raccoons there, but I lost almost 200 sturgeon to coons over the course of a week, big money. Screens are really required, to keep fish in and predators out. I know crows, and gulls will get them. Here we have cranes, egrets, and cormorants too.

Have you rulled out vandals?

[Chuck Goecke]

I would be careful about putting poison(rat or other) around your ponds.  Racoons are know to "wash" their food before they eat it, probably actually just getting it wet so it's easier to chew or swallow, or may to bring out the taste.  They could put the poison into your ponds.

[George]

Trap the racoons, then poison the rats.  Cover the tank/ponds.

Chuck Goecke said:

I would be careful about putting poison(rat or other) around your ponds.  Racoons are know to "wash" their food before they eat it, probably actually just getting it wet so it's easier to chew or swallow, or may to bring out the taste.  They could put the poison into your ponds.