drrich2
Contributor
Hi:
Did a quick Search & didn't find this topic on the forum. Maybe it's been done. Either way, could be worthwhile.
For many divers in the U.S., most local diving is quarry diving. Yes, muck divers settling for very minimal viz. may dive in a farm pond, and some people are willing to brave rivers or some areas of large lakes, but for many, local = quarry.
Quarry diving can be fun. Thing is, it can get boring, if looking at sunken cars, campers, commodes and such isn't your thing. This is particularly an issue at quarries where much of it is very deep. There's a conflict here; the deep limestone quarry with little vegetation or animal life will likely have fewer particulates and better viz. The shallower quarry with richer flora & fauna may have more crud to stir up. Either way, yes it's nice to see blue gill, bass and big catfish (if thieves haven't poached them). Maybe even a turtle, like a red-eared slider. And some minnows.
But diving Alexander Spring in Florida (really more of a snorkel site), I got to see bowfin, gar, a large female Florida softshell turtle, 3-striped mud turtles, a ~ 4 foot alligator and quite a range of fish species. Florida's climate, and Alexander Spring's constant water temp., aren't representative of most quarries, but bottom line, it's more fun for wild-life lovers than a quarry.
My Topic: What species could quarry owners introduce to temperate quarries, let's say in Kentucky & Tennessee for reference, perhaps adding some underwater structure in a shallower section if needed for habitat (say, for pike to hide in)?
What about big gar? Bowfin? I see people on the forum asking about diving with paddlefish. Pike if you had a grassy area? Some type of sturgeon? Pacu have made it awhile in some waters; perhaps if the quarry didn't get below a particular temp.? People dive with great barracuda despite some potential danger (small) - would you dive with a goliath tiger fish (tropical, though, I think)? Some sterile carp of some type, if they wouldn't stir up particulates too much? Some type of eels? Trout?
I'm asking on this forum section because I'd like suggestions that are reasonably apt to be viable long-term; not just tossing a big pike into a quarry to starve to death, or freak out due to over-exposure, etc... If the fish required some supplemental care, like periodic feeding, that would be okay. It wouldn't have to reproduce itself. Some species have greater invasive potential than others (which is why I left snake-heads off the list).
Hope to see some ideas.
Richard.
Did a quick Search & didn't find this topic on the forum. Maybe it's been done. Either way, could be worthwhile.
For many divers in the U.S., most local diving is quarry diving. Yes, muck divers settling for very minimal viz. may dive in a farm pond, and some people are willing to brave rivers or some areas of large lakes, but for many, local = quarry.
Quarry diving can be fun. Thing is, it can get boring, if looking at sunken cars, campers, commodes and such isn't your thing. This is particularly an issue at quarries where much of it is very deep. There's a conflict here; the deep limestone quarry with little vegetation or animal life will likely have fewer particulates and better viz. The shallower quarry with richer flora & fauna may have more crud to stir up. Either way, yes it's nice to see blue gill, bass and big catfish (if thieves haven't poached them). Maybe even a turtle, like a red-eared slider. And some minnows.
But diving Alexander Spring in Florida (really more of a snorkel site), I got to see bowfin, gar, a large female Florida softshell turtle, 3-striped mud turtles, a ~ 4 foot alligator and quite a range of fish species. Florida's climate, and Alexander Spring's constant water temp., aren't representative of most quarries, but bottom line, it's more fun for wild-life lovers than a quarry.
My Topic: What species could quarry owners introduce to temperate quarries, let's say in Kentucky & Tennessee for reference, perhaps adding some underwater structure in a shallower section if needed for habitat (say, for pike to hide in)?
What about big gar? Bowfin? I see people on the forum asking about diving with paddlefish. Pike if you had a grassy area? Some type of sturgeon? Pacu have made it awhile in some waters; perhaps if the quarry didn't get below a particular temp.? People dive with great barracuda despite some potential danger (small) - would you dive with a goliath tiger fish (tropical, though, I think)? Some sterile carp of some type, if they wouldn't stir up particulates too much? Some type of eels? Trout?
I'm asking on this forum section because I'd like suggestions that are reasonably apt to be viable long-term; not just tossing a big pike into a quarry to starve to death, or freak out due to over-exposure, etc... If the fish required some supplemental care, like periodic feeding, that would be okay. It wouldn't have to reproduce itself. Some species have greater invasive potential than others (which is why I left snake-heads off the list).
Hope to see some ideas.
Richard.
