A new start for my main tank?

[jjohnwm]

Agreed, goldfish were bred by man to be visible from above; cichlids are adapted by nature to be as inconspicuous as possible from overhead predators, mostly birds.

I will never keep Koi, simply because I don't have indoor facilities large enough for them as they grow. Even the goldfish give me pause; I've caught plenty of big goldfish while fishing in southern Ontario...yes, goldfish, not koi...and they grow to be massive fish. My biggest tank is 360-gallons, and it already looks a bit crowded for my tastes with over 20 goldfish along with some cichlids, catfish, Garras, etc. that enjoy similar water temperatures. The dang fish quickly become tame and they all gravitate towards the front of the tank when I am present, hoping for a meal. This concentrates the entire tank population right at the front glass and makes it look even more crowded than it is.

I may try some scheme to either deepen my inground pond or else keep it partially unfrozen by means of a stock-tank heater, allowing me to leave the goldies outside all year.

 

[Trouser Cough]

I may try some scheme to either deepen my inground pond or else keep it partially unfrozen by means of a stock-tank heater, allowing me to leave the goldies outside all year.

So much for not adding to the utility bill!

 

[jjohnwm]

So much for not adding to the utility bill!

No kidding, eh? Especially for a bunch of fish that I didn't want and received free of charge from my attention-span-challenged neighbour.

I'm leaning towards a larger pond with at least a portion of it that is at least 6 feet deep. That will guarantee that some water will remain in a liquid state year round.

Of course, a project like that will not be something I dig by hand, the way I did with my current small pond. So we're talking about hiring people and heavy equipment to come to my rural location and do the deed. At least that will be a one-time expense, rather than an ongoing one.

Oh, wow...I know the answer! It was staring right in my face this whole time! I'll just hire The Masked Shadow to come up and dig it out for me!

 

[FINWIN]

Lots of babies, eh?

Get a wolf fish....

 

[jjohnwm]

You know my

Lots of babies, eh?

Get a wolf fish....

You know my feelings regarding the natural recycling of baby fish...i.e. they are all positive! I always have one or two garbage-disposal-type predators around for just such an emergency. I consider it an essential part of fish breeding.

Unfortunately, these babies...unlike the crunchy little nuggets of goodness that your fish churn out...are a bit too thiaminase-packed to be used as other than an occasional snack.

But thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Deadeye]

You can always sell the babies back to your neighbor - you’ll get them back in a month and they won’t even realize they are paying for fish they already bought!

 

[Trouser Cough]

Lots of babies, eh?

Get a wolf fish....

Haha... sounds like a gutsy mix.

 

[jjohnwm]

You can always sell the babies back to your neighbor - you’ll get them back in a month and they won’t even realize they are paying for fish they already bought!

Lol, she's already re-changed her mind and bought herself another batch of goldies. I'd have to wait for her to have another shift in her focus; I give it a month, tops...

 

[jjohnwm]

Wow...I need a break...

My DIY fish trap has been in operation for over a week now; I've caught over 200 youngsters in it...and not one of the adults! My midnight dipnet excursions are becoming less and less effective as well. I now have 7 adults indoors, with another 15 thumbing their noses at me still outside.

I am grudgingly forced to admit that goldfish are smart fish. They seem very cichlid-like in their awareness of what's going on around them, and in the way that they learn all the little details of their environment and use this knowledge to avoid capture.

An umbrella net left in place for a few hours, with food sprinkled over top of it, will allow one to completely empty a pond of such fish as, say, Rosy Reds within a couple days. The dummies swarm over the thing, and when you snap the handle up and the four corners rise to the surface, the fish retreat to the centre and are easily scooped up by the dozen or by the hundred. Goldfish? They fall for the food thing once, maybe twice. After that, they won't go near the thing. And on those first two grabs, they seem to understand that the deep water in the centre of the net is not a haven; they rocket towards the tiny strip of open water around the edges of the net and are gone long before the contraption can be lifted clear.

So...the trap stays out because it continues to catch babies. The dipnet stays by the back door, and I still grab it once or twice after dark and wander over to the pond with a headlamp, but I don't expect much success. The umbrella net is a waste of time. Its time to go in and get them!

This morning I drained the pond down about halfway, s

 

[Trouser Cough]

I've read the first several pages of the pond section of MFK (still getting used to that acronym) and every page of the stickies. In 50 years of fish keeping I've never had more than a dozen fat heads in a retired whiskey barrel that in retrospect may not have been their favorite enclosure.

I'm def going to start picking up parts today and will have a pond come spring. Should've done this long ago. It was the pic of the thick and healthy fat heads in your pond that are forcing my wallet open.