Any other fishkeepers here!

[The Johnster]

I keep fishes; always have as long as I can remember, maybe something to do with being a Pisces.  Current setup is a 55l cube for freshwater tropicals, currently with mollies, harlequins, and a pair of Yoyo loach.  Stocking is as dense as I like it and a black molly has just produced about half a dozen (we think, not easy to count as they keep moving, have plenty cover, and are, well, black) fry which will be left to their own devices.  I suspect I will lose one or two of my existing mollies and some of the harlequins owe me nothing so stocking levels should stay ballpark constant over the next year or so; surplus will be given away to anyone who wants.

 

Fluval in-tank power filter from a former 3 footer I had no room for when I moved to this flat, excellent piece of kit, virtually silent and overkill for this tank, needs changing about once every 6 months, lazy boy's aquarium!  Once a week 15% water change and all runs smoothly enough!

 

Outside on the patio (I know it's a patio and not a yard because it's got patio doors) is an old wooden planter about 4'x18", 2' deep, butyl lined with 4 thriving goldfishes in it, bought last year at about 1" but continuously getting bigger because I keep feeding 'em and between 5 and 6" now; biggest is a white chap who I reckon has some koi dna in him!

 

They are a constant source of entertainment and enjoyment, the life of the aquarium community being a wonderful soap opera of real and imagined dramas and interactions; The Squeeze is an inveterate anthropomorphiser of fishes and their activities and I have to allow that some of their antics are very apt for explaining in this way!  There are occasional minor squabbles and challenges to pecking orders, and they have off days same as we do when tempers get frayed, but grudges do not seem to be held and everybody gets along well enough with everyone else.  Nobody's gone as far as nipping anyone else yet!  The yoyos have a regular mad hour about 10 or so most evenings when they run riot chasing each other around, during which time everyone else takes cover and lets them get on with it until they've tired themselves out.  Of course, like most loaches, they go a bit nuts when atmospheric pressure drops and a storm is approaching!  I wanted Khuli loach when I bought them but nobody had stock locally and these were a consolation prize, but I've never regretted them, brilliant little characters with the endearing habit of poking their noses out of hidy holes to say hi...

 

The mollies are cracking entertainment value as well; always moving, forming a little shoal, getting fed up with it and disbanding, exploring odd corners.  Never in a rush or a panic, but a constant show for the humans on the sofa.  2 are orange with black tails, one is a 'dalmatian' and the other black.  The harlequins, originally a shoal of 8 of which 3 originals survive but are getting a bit long in the tooth, recently supplemented by half a dozen small ones, are beautiful fishes especially in a side light, and satisfying on that level, but tbh not much more entertaining than that.

 

Ok, chaps, let's hear about yours!

Edited July 3, 2022 by The Johnster

[Jonb82]

Hi

 

im just over a year into my first Marine tank ownership, always assumed it was a bit daunting and complicated but finally bit the bullet and I’ve actually found it easier than keeping tropicals, initial cost outlay and stocking was expensive though, Got a 4ft DD aquarium and sump, various soft corals, a purple tang, flame angel, 2 Gobies, Cardinal, Fox faced rabbit fish, purple firefish,  4 Chromis and a clown plus inverts and a few snails.

 

Only slight worry now is the rising cost of electric, it already costs a good lump every month to run. 

[Claude_Dreyfus]

We have a 10 gallon tropical tank in the living room, containing six danios, both leopard and zebra, as well as a Siamese Flying Fox to keep the algae down. We have been keeping fish for a good many years and find them endlessly entertaining.

[RedgateModels]

Trigon 350 😁😎

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by RedgateModels

[The Johnster]

People don't believe you when you say that they have individual characters, and I'd have to agree when it comes to the likes of Rasboras or Tetras, but I've found livebearers, Bettas, Goldfishes and loaches to be proper little personalities, and with Cichlids you can add intelligence to the mix as well.

 

The hobby is basically about keeping water; once you've got a handle on that the fishes look after themselves as long as you've given them enough room and a reasonably interesting environment.

[tigerburnie]

I don't now but have in the past started with native cold water fish I caught myself, then tropical community, then marine inverts and even had a go at Discus, which incidentally do their best to die even if the water is perfect. Got some photographs somewhere, I'll have a look.

[Jonboy]

Just closed down a 10 gallon tank that I had on the go for 15 years due to a pending house move. Had the majority of different “community” species over that time, tetras, guppies, mollies etc etc.

 

It will be a shame if the tank gets broken during the move and I have to replace it with a larger one…

[Satan's Goldfish]

Yes, always been interested. Mostly cold and tropical freshwater rather than marine.

 

Growing up we had progressively larger garden ponds, ended up with 5,000gal koi pond built into the parents patio...

 

I got more into tropical fish after leaving home and they got larger over time too. Back in 2009 I built a 1,000gal indoor pond with windows for my catfish, a friend of mine added a video of it to YouTube. when you have something that size you end up rehoming unwanted fish too so we ended up with some very nice large Cichlids and Peacock Bass over time. Sadly it didn't survive a work related house move, but was built robust enough that a chainsaw was needed to get the frame apart.

 

 

We only had space for tanks after that and slowly reduced the number we had. Never easy moving house with big fish tanks! Now it's just one 5ft bow front with uninspiring tinfoil barbs which were a victim of an office closing for Covid. (All the big Cats were suitably rehomed many years ago, I was very attached to them, they had great personalities and would eat gently from my hand so wanted to make sure they went to large homes).

 

Currently in the process of building/digging an outdoor pond at the current house (never moving house again... hopefully!) which will fit in around the garden railway, still got lots of digging to do though: Big deep raised pond (Koi) which will flow over to a ground level stream (Bridges for LGB!) that runs to a lower pond (we've lots of frogs and Goldfish that came with the house :/ ) before being pumped back up to the raised pond.

 

Raised pond, walls up but earth works still ongoing, route of the stream is at the top left:

 

 

We may go for larger tropicals again in the future, but I've enough ongoing building projects for the moment!

[The Johnster]

Tinfoils are uninspiring in some ways perhaps, but a group of them turning in a side light is absolutely stunning!  One of those things you need the space for, though.    
 

Dream tank is a big room divider setup for discus, with big shoals of cardinals and spotted headstanders, but we are talking lottery money, not just for the home with the space and the tank (thick crystal galss is not cheap) and the backroom with the filtration system, but the commercial aquarium standard water parameter monitoring and automated computerised feedback correction system, custom designed by University of Wales.  I think we’re probably looking at a couple of million and a house built around the aquarium.  
 

If you’re looking for big fish with good personality ratings, there are plenty but probably the outstanding ‘pet’ is a freshwater ray; they love human company and are amazing characters!  A 5’ bowfront is prolly a bit small, though; I’d suggest a shoal of clown loach to set the tinfoils off for appearance. 
 

2 hours ago, Jonboy said:

Just closed down a 10 gallon tank that I had on the go for 15 years due to a pending house move. Had the majority of different “community” species over that time, tetras, guppies, mollies etc etc.

 

It will be a shame if the tank gets broken during the move and I have to replace it with a larger one…

Absolute tragedy, and you’d have my full sympathy, and understanding….

 

 

That said, my 55l cube is not much bigger and has given me far more pleasure than I thought it would when I bought it.  It was a wrench to let the 3footer, which I’d had for many years, go, but it was really too big for the flat, especially with the railway as well…

 

Trick with these ‘desktop’ nanotanks is to keep the fishes small and don’t overpopulate. 

 

[Bulleidboy100]

I have had pond in the garden for nearly forty years. Nothing grand, the garden centre five foot diameter circle and a couple of feet deep. Over the years it has had a number of goldfish and a couple of tench. About five years ago, two of the six goldfish got together(!) and I will exagerate slightly, but if they laid one hundred eggs, ninety nine survived - there are now fish everywhere. I run a two stone air pump and a UV filter. The fish appear to be doing well, I feed them twice a day, first thing in the morning, and in the evening. Feeding time is a frenzy, a handful of pellets are gone within a minute. I have plastic lily pad leaves to give shade, and a plastic spider web grid to keep the local heron at bay. As I said the fish appear fine, but there are far to many.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Bulleidboy100

[Bulleidboy100]

I've been thinking about giving my pond a clean and replenishing the plant life. If I were to drain the pond down, would it be ok putting the water and fish into a kids inflatable swimming pool as a temporary home?  They do sell a fairly robust pool that holds more water than my pond and it's cheap.

Edited September 15, 2022 by Bulleidboy100

[doilum]

2 hours ago, Bulleidboy100 said:

I've been thinking about giving my pond a clean and replenishing the plant life. If I were to drain the pond down, would it be ok putting the water and fish into a kids inflatable swimming pool as a temporary home?  They do sell a fairly robust pool that holds more water than my pond and it's cheap.

If domestic rules allow use the bathroom. Make sure the bath is bleach free. When I had to do an emergency drain and clean last year we raced over to the stables and retrieved one of the old baths that act as drinking troughs. Otherwise the swimming pool sounds fine, just wash it out first and at least half fill it with pond water. Likewise when refilling the pond make sure that a good proportion of the water is from the pond.

 

[Bulleidboy100]

Many thanks for the swift reply. Not sure I'd dare ask to use the bathroom😄.  As I had mentioned in a previous post, there are too many fish in the pond - this has happened through a natural process! Some are now getting quite mature and they tend to dig in the plant baskets, so the filter needs cleaning on a regular basis. I have some new oxygenating weed ready to go in, but I think it best to pull the baskets out and start from fresh.

[doilum]

I had ignored the accumulation of algae and slime in the bottom of a pond and sadly lost my two 8" koi which ruled two schools of self bred goldfish. Whilst it was too late to save them the whole family rallied round for the rescue operation. The removal of the water was made easier by the use of a cheap marine bilge pump which had been bought for a previous project and a net to prevent the fish being sucked up. Then there was the problem of disposing of three wheelbarrow loads of sludge. Most of the semi aquatic plants were relocated to other locations. Despite the loss of my two old favourites we rescued over fifty of their followers. Best of all, a few weeks ago I spotted a mini school of a dozen 20mm fish attacking the floating food sticks. These must be last year's produce so all is well again.

[Bulleidboy100]

As the weather gets a little cooler, are you still feeding your fish in the outside ponds? I checked the water temperature a week ago and it was 11.5.  The fish are still clearing food in a couple of minutes.

[doilum]

8 hours ago, Bulleidboy100 said:

As the weather gets a little cooler, are you still feeding your fish in the outside ponds? I checked the water temperature a week ago and it was 11.5.  The fish are still clearing food in a couple of minutes.

They are a little slower but still gather near the side when they hear the workshop door open. I will need to order another tub before winter truly arrives.

[Bulleidboy100]

Thanks for your reply. I'll keep an eye on the weather and perhaps start reducing the amount food given - I'm sure goldfish will eat whatever the time of year and temperature. 

[ikcdab]

I live in rural Somerset and way back in around 1974 my parents suddenly appeared with a tropical fish tank.  They were always very conventional people so I have no idea whatever prompted them to start fishkeeping then.... But whatever, I have since always had a fish tank or two, so that's over almost 50 years.  My current setup is a 200l tank full of barbs of one sort or another.  They really are my favourite fish of all time and I will probably be keeping barbs until the day I die!!

Ian

[The Johnster]

The Squeeze has taken on responsibility for feeding my four outside goldfishes, and is judging the correct amount and frequency of feeding by the enthusiasm with which they attack the food; frenzied piranha impressions mean repeat feeding the following day and mild interest means a day off, and she’s got them eating with reasonable enthusiasm (all gone in 5 minutes) every 4 days at the moment.  
 

They are noticeably more lethargic then they were in the summer and have started to go deep; the lined wooden planter that is their home is 24” deep and the edges overhand, so there is plenty of shade in summer.   They can tell the difference between me and The Squeeze, and more or less ignore me but react to her presence as The Goddess Of Food, the more strongly the hungrier they are of course.  
 

They went into a spawning frenzy in August, something they’e never done before, but there is no evidence of eggs (probably all eaten) or fry.  Maybe next year!

 

The Mollies have been prolific (well, they are livebearers after all), and I have had to set up the spare tank to isolate the males to give the one surviving orange/black tail female some respite; the boys are completely obsessed with her and constantly nibble her vent; she accepts this for a while but then loses patience and tries to hide, not successfully for very long.  The boys can come back when the now juvenile black females are mature and ready to share her burden, and I’ll leave the isolation tank set up to house anyone who is in need of respite and for females to give birth!  She’s delivered two sets of fry now, impregnated both times by the Dalmatian male, who has turned completely black except for his eyes, which appear to be swimming around on their own in low light.  The other original female, a black, gave birth to two black fry which are now near maturity, one of each sex, but died shortly afterwards

 

The Dalmatian/Orange Girl fry are mostly black; the first brood turned out to be 18 fishes and the second a dozen, with in each case 2 that looked, after two weeks, as if they were going to develop as Dalmatians.  I kept those two out of the first brood and culled the others; the saved Dalmatians promptly turned black in the same way as their father.  The two that I saved from the next brood have done the same, so I have a good population of black mollies with a reasonable life expectancy.  I like black mollies, but don’t want any more for a while and will only be saving red or orange fry for the foreseeable.  
 

Culling goes against the grain, but is absolutely essential if one is to keep livebearers in limited tank space.  I use the RSPCA online recommended method, isolating the fry in a small container and adding clove oil diluted 4ml per litre in warm water.  Even at that dilution the smell is noticeable, though not unpleasant.  The fishes go peacefully and calmly unconcious and are dead in about 20 minutes, but I leave it til half an hour to be certain.  They are disposed of wrapped in tissue in the bin, never down toilet or drain. 

 

 

[doilum]

My late father spent seven years of his career as head teacher of the tiny school in the pit village of Fryston. 60 children on roll. 59 free school meals. One of his first acts was to put a decent size fish tank in one of the classrooms to improve the experience of these most impoverished children.

One day when the class were working quietly, one boy sat near the tank burst out " tha nos sir, I like to watch 't fish." " Yes Billy , most of the day if I don't remind you" replied dad. Billy was immune to even level eleven sarcasm and continued undaunted. " I count them guppies" " very good" replied dad who was a particular supporter of early years maths. " Well" says Billy " there's allus 27 guppies. Sometimes just 25 and sometimes 30 when they have their babbis but mostly 27."

Dad's response?  "Class put down your pens Billy has something to tell us."

Not sure what Ofsted would make of this today. Billy would probably have two classroom assistants to keep him on track and there would be no place for the fish Incase some future pupil showed an allergy to eating the oxygenating plants.

Back then, these children in what is now Year 3 got a lesson on average numbers and population balance that they would otherwise had to wait until secondary school.

Edited November 10, 2022 by doilum
Predictive text error

[The Johnster]

My grammar school (Cathays High for Boys, in Cardiff) had three aquariums in the biology lab, all of which I found absolutely fascinating.  One was used to breed sticklebacks and frog spawn so we could watch the tadpoles develop, another was set up as a marine coldwater rockpool, with invertabrates and blennies, both these aerated and filtered with a beautiful little air pump (Hyflo?) that worked pistons from a flywheels and was a wonderful thing in it's own right, and the third, which I was more than capable of wasting an entire dinner hour gavzing into in a state of wrapt fascination, was a 2'x1'x1', framed of course in those days, of pond water that had been apparently collected back in time beyond memory and left to it's own devices.  The surface was covered by pondweed, and the water gin clear, but it was dark in there.  You had to allow your eyes to adjust for a few minutes, but oh! what wonders were then revealed...

 

There was a world in there, of creatures that Johnsters were not wont to wot of, of half seen and less understood things, that oozed, moved ike amoebae, or pulsated through the motionless water.  At the bottom, other things briefly appeared from the slime, to dissappear back into it before you'd got a good look, or perhaps they were just animated parts of the slime. There were wiggly things, round blobby things, ovoid, hairy, torpedo-shaped, box-like, rhomboid, stick-like, knobbly, smooth, spotty, banded, striped, plain, with legs, without legs, with eyes, without eyes, all sorts of things, the largest about 2mm long/fat/inderterminate.  As a Lovecraft reader descripitons such as rugose  and semi-amorphous often came to my fevered teenage imagination.  It was the world of the primeaval soup where life began (and which was served by the dinner ladies who tried their best to make it where life ended), and I was totally absorbed in it.

 

Alone.  Nobody else shared my interest, and I was thought wierd.  Ok, perhaps I was/am, and didn't/don't care, but I was happy gazing into this dark and utterly silent Pre-Cambrian world.  My biology teacher never minded it, but never botherd to encouarage my interest in pond slime; who knows, I might have made a lucrative career out of it!

[Bulleidboy100]

Good morning.

Have any of you started feeding your fish in the outside ponds yet? In my pond (puddle) all of the fish are up at the surface every morning. I have resisted the temptation to throw in a handful of pellets. The weather temperature is now in double figures but I appreciate that can change overnight.

[Hroth]

On 10/11/2022 at 22:40, The Johnster said:

both these aerated and filtered with a beautiful little air pump (Hyflo?) that worked pistons from a flywheels and was a wonderful thing in it's own right

 

Our school had something similar.

 

I think that the pump mechanism was an induction motor, rather like an electricity meter, that drove the "flywheel" to which the air pistons were connected.  Silent, apart from a quiet "clop clop" from the pistons...

 

I must admit I was more facinated by the pumps than the contents of the aquaria!

 

[DCMarvel]

4 hours ago, Bulleidboy100 said:

Good morning.

Have any of you started feeding your fish in the outside ponds yet? In my pond (puddle) all of the fish are up at the surface every morning. I have resisted the temptation to throw in a handful of pellets. The weather temperature is now in double figures but I appreciate that can change overnight.

Feed maybe once a week but less than they would get in summer, they take it but don't clean up like they do in summer so they probably don't need it yet.

[The Johnster]

8 hours ago, Bulleidboy100 said:

Good morning.

Have any of you started feeding your fish in the outside ponds yet? In my pond (puddle) all of the fish are up at the surface every morning. I have resisted the temptation to throw in a handful of pellets. The weather temperature is now in double figures but I appreciate that can change overnight.

 

Yes, started last weekend.  The fishes are taking the food eagerly and I am feeding a pinch of flake every other day, and will increase to every day then more as the weather changes and there are more hours of light, pretty much in line with my use of the patio!  I ease back a little once there are insects about to encourage them to take these; fresh meat is good for them!

Edited February 16, 2023 by The Johnster