How To Buy Gambusia Or Mosquito Eating Fish

What are mosquito fish or gambusia? The name gambusia affinis refers to a species of fish found in many watersheds emptying into the Gulf Of Mexico. The name gambusia is loosely used to describe several species of mosquito fish, which are found throughout the world. The name comes from the Cuban word "gambusino" which means "good for nothing", however since they are so useful in controlling mosquitoes, it wasn't very a very fair label. In fact, mosquito fish are so effective at eating mosquito larvae and pupae that they have been introduced into rivers and streams around the world to help control malaria.

Many backyard pond owners use gambusia or mosquito fish to control mosquitoes. By preventing mosquito larvae from becoming adults, you will have fewer of them bothering you on your property if you add gambusia to to your koi pond.

About Mosquito Fish

Gambusia are prolific breeders and reach sexual maturity in six to eight weeks. Like guppies they are live bearers. One pair can produce as many as 100 young, and breed up to three times a year. There are reports of mosquito fish populations going from seven thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand in five months. If you start out with 20 in a 100 gallon pond (a good number to start with), you should have 100 by the same time next year. Don't worry though, when kept in a small backyard pond they seem to regulate themselves, most likely due to adults consuming the young. Gambusia are hardy fish, but they need good quality water, with enough depth to escape predators, along with proper aeration provided by a waterfall or fountain. In most backyard ponds you won't need to feed mosquito fish, since there are enough naturally occurring insects available for them to eat. You can give them goldfish food, since they will eat just about anything. Care should be taken not to allow them to escape into rivers and streams, since they are a non - native species in many places.

How To Buy Gambusia Or Mosquito Fish

You can find Gambusia affinis or mosquito fish for sale on eBay. Look for sellers with good feedback and those which offer a guarantee that the fish will be alive on arrival. Many mosquito fish sellers don't allow returns, for the obvious reason of shipping dead fish back through the mail. Follow the seller's instructions on how to release the fish. This usually involves gently introducing pond water into the shipping bag over a period of time, so as not to shock the fish. These fish are shipped in bags into which oxygen has been added. Oxygenated water can allow gambusia or mosquito fish to survive up to a few days at the most, so make sure that someone is home on the day the shipment is expected to arrive to unpack them and release them into your pond or aquarium.

I have had gambusia in my pond for over a year now and they are very prolific fish. If your pond freezes over, chip a hole in the ice so that oxygen can enter the water.