Just an update on this thread. The summer is still young, and my fish still have several weeks of warm weather to enjoy their outdoor vacations in their stock tanks. My 360 gallon plywood tank has just had a fresh new EPDM liner installed, my first time experimenting with this technique in a plywood tank, and it now sits looking at me empty of fish and full of reproach.
I had settled upon installing my Burbot into this tank...but then ran afoul of this province's draconian regulations regarding the keeping of native fish, resulting in his release. I am still toying with the idea of a Chinese Wels catfish...but since I have never even laid eyes on one in person, this doesn't seem likely.
But, honestly, I have my apurensis Jelly Cat and I don't think any other monster fish will replace him as Top Dog in my fishroom and in my affections. So...it looks like I am indeed becoming a Goldfish keeper!
I have a neighbour who graciously gave me...or maybe she conned me into taking them, not really sure...about a dozen goldfish, plain old feeders, with the longer tails and fins that in my mind distinguish a Comet from the less-sleek Common variety. Her thought was that Lumpy (the Jelly Cat) would enjoy them for a snack. Instead, I plopped them into my inground pond, which was totally fish-free but very mature and well-planted. It's sometimes difficult to remove fish from there in the fall, so I..heartless monster that I am...figured if anything was destined to freeze to death come winter, it might as well be some free goldfish.
The fish were surprisingly healthy-looking when they went in, perhaps 2 inches in length and very active. They are now, after only a couple of months, all at least 4 inches long and they look terrific! Very tame, coming to the surface for food, spectacular colouration; they are so trusting that netting them out should be child's play when the time comes.
So that's the current plan. My prized main aquarium, the centerpiece of my hobby in terms of indoor tanks...is being devoted to a handful of free goldfish. I'm quite looking forward to seeing them in there. I'm past the point of oohing and aahing over monster predator fish, I certainly don't want a gladiatorial arena in my tank and I have never considered rarity as a valid reason for wanting something; I don't give a thought to what other people think or what's considered popular. I like watching my fish go about their business peacefully and serenely, and I am forced to admit that goldfish offer just the sort of thing I enjoy. Aside from feeders in the dim distant past, and a couple of small goldies in one of my first tanks, back when I got around on a bicycle...I have never actually kept goldfish. So for me, this is a new thing, and that's always nice.
There will be a few other fish in there with them, chosen for their similar requirements of water types and temperatures, but...it's gonna be a goldfish tank.
Of course, now that I have stated that, my pond will likely be struck by a wayward meteor...
, and they all get big. I picked up several 70gallon tanks recently at such a good price I couldn't say no; using them as sumps, cichlid fry growouts, etc. and when I set them up I couldn't imagine shoehorning more than one or two big goldfish in that size tank.
