We have a water garden and it was loaded with goldfish of all varieties. Sarassas, shubunkins, and regular comets. They lay eggs every year and every year there are at least a couple hundred hatchlings that can be seen but by mid summer there are only around five left that are about an inch or two in length. We have really unique colors and patterns that can't be found in stores because of all the different varieties mixing for around 5 years now. Some even turn out to resort back to their natural carp color.
Anyways about a month ago a blue heron discovered them and completed decimated the population, which was about 40 fish including four generations and some at least 5 years old. I was pissed! The bird hung around all day but never came back. We assumed it was because all the fish were gone because we couldn't see any left.
About a week later some started showing up on the surface looking very lethargic. They clearly had developed ich from the insane amounts of stress. I had to take the fish out and put them in one of my big tanks. So after draining the water I discovered about 25 fish (none of the oldest ones which were just too big to escape) that had been hiding at the bottom motionless. So I put them in the tank to treat the ich which worked but not before about 10 more died. Another thing that made me mad was that this heron came right around when they were typically spawning and figured they didn't have time to reproduce.
However, I was met with a great surprise when draining the pond to see at least a hundred hatchlings, all of which also had ich. I saved as many as I could in a fish fry net in the tank but they all either had ich or were just too small to be transferred. So the baby fish died of stress or ich. But towards the end of draining I discovered three hatchlings that were larger than the rest. I was only able to catch two. I was happy because though those others died, they got to leave their mark and make one last spawn. I am happy to report I put the surviving large ones back in the pond and that the two surviving fry are still living in the tank are now about 1.5 inches. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC Fish:
My angel fish, and my Jack Dempsey. They're both great tankmates...
I always liked Jack Dempseys. One of the tougher looking cichlids. How many other fish are in that tank? I know angels are tough but I would think the Dempsey might occasionally get bossy in there especially if there aren't a lot of fish. [Reply]
He's a big baby. He has his little spot under the rock, and he doesn't bother any other fish in the tank. In fact, when other fish start fighting, he often comes out and breaks it up getting in the middle of it. I realize that doesn't really make any logical sense. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC Fish:
My Dempsey is about 4 years old now.
He's a big baby. He has his little spot under the rock, and he doesn't bother any other fish in the tank. In fact, when other fish start fighting, he often comes out and breaks it up getting in the middle of it. I realize that doesn't really make any logical sense.
That makes sense actually. Even aggressive fish become more community like when they don't feel they have their "own" territory to defend which is what numerous fish leads to. But he still likes to maintain order I guess haha. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mr. tegu:
Those are very nice and unique looking. Where did you get them if you don't mind me asking?
I found those at City Pets in Westport. It's a neat little non-chain pet store. I've gotten several peacocks there, including my sunshine peacock. Several times now, they've had peacocks there that they didn't know what kind they were, so they were much cheaper than they should have been.
The OB peacock is a man made hybrid breed. They're bred for their awesome crazy colors. So some fish breeders and hobby nuts really frown upon them. They feel that they're a Frankenstein abomination, and you shouldn't hybrid breed fish. They want to keep the breed "pure". But I don't really have any moral reservations about it. They're cool looking....
Originally Posted by KC Fish:
I found those at City Pets in Westport. It's a neat little non-chain pet store. I've gotten several peacocks there, including my sunshine peacock. Several times now, they've had peacocks there that they didn't know what kind they were, so they were much cheaper than they should have been.
The OB peacock is a man made hybrid breed. They're bred for their awesome crazy colors. So some fish breeders and hobby nuts really frown upon them. They feel that they're a Frankenstein abomination, and you shouldn't hybrid breed fish. They want to keep the breed "pure". But I don't really have any moral reservations about it. They're cool looking....
Those are definitely cool. I am all for purity of species but by mixing them you can begin to create whole separate strings with colors not found naturally. Thats part of the fun of fish keeping is the ability to see new colors and be surprised at what is "created." i know in our water garden we have fish patterns you will never see available in the store. The natural ones will still always be there as well.
That sounds like a neat store. I was really sad to see Waldo Pets go when it did. I drove out there a few years back right after it closed but I had no idea it was gone until I got there. [Reply]
