Any other fishkeepers here!

[doilum]

I found a better use for all the bunting we bought for the Jubilee. Last week a heron was seen without a fishing license in the pond. The cat wasn't happy but not prepared to take it on. A network of bunting seems to have done the trick as the heron hasn't returned and the fish which had vanished into the depths are now back near the surface.

[Torper]

We haven't cleaned out our pond since we moved in here over 20 years ago, and I'm reluctant to do so because of the amount of pond life - fish, newts, frogs and numerous very small creatures.  The fact that all appear to thrive suggests that pond conditions muct be fine for them.  It'll be frog breeding season shortly when we can expect our peace to be disturbed by loud and persistent riveting.... (or ribitting in America)

 

The fish are all golden rudd and they seem very happy in Scottish conditions.  They also breed well (mature females can lay up to 200,000 eggs!) and by 2022 their numbers had grown to at least 40.  I then gave half a dozen away, and then Mr Heron came a-visiting and scoffed quite a few more, including our two big old ones.  He returned last year and had some more - in fact, I initially thought he'd got the lot as for several days I saw no fish, but then they began to cautiously reappear and I'm confident that there are now at least 20.  We used to have some golden orfe but they used to make a habit of jumping out of the pond, and several years ago the heron got the last couple.  Orfe are carniverous and to some extent I put the increased number of young rudd down to the absence of the orfe.  What to do about the heron?  I love doilum's idea of the bunting and some will be purchased shortly. 

 

Feeding?  I've always understood that you don't start feeding normal pond food until the water temperature reaches 10° C.  Ours is currently 3° so some time to go yet - in fact, probably not until after the frog breeding season when the pond will be full of frog spawn.  Last year we had loads of spawn but it turned out to be a poor year for tadpoles.  Later in the year I'm likely to find tiny froglets and newtlets (efts) which are really very cute.

[doilum]

Birthday has brought a kit of plastic grids which float on the pond's surface. I will report in due course.

[Bulleidboy100]

I have some of those plastic grids, but removed them, as the heron pulled them out of the way! I currently have green garden mesh, cut roughly to pond shape, which rests on top of the low fencing surrounding the pond and supported by green garden canes. It keeps the heron out - I watched him walk all around the pond looking for a way in - he/she gave up and has not been back for a while. The fencing around the edge is low enough to stop the heron putting its head through, but does allow small birds to fly in and drink.

I did as has been suggested above, throw in a small handful of pellets today and they all went. I'm sure the fish have grown over the winter. As I have said before, there are  far too many fish in the pond - I only bought six originally - and they keep doing there own thing!!

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Bulleidboy100

[The Johnster]

Rudd are lovely fishes in a side light; my planterpond is not really big enough for them.  No problems from Herons or Cormorants here, touch wood, I have some black spring cord which I will deploy if any do show up.  The planting around the pond is probably enough to be fairly effective at hiding the fishes from birdy height, and the patio is surrounded by walls on three of it's sides, but I keep my eye out.  The local cats know they'll be set upon with a water pistol if they venture too close, and the fishes are sensible enough to go deep if they are threatened.  Starling come and bathe in the water sometimes, which is lovely. 

 

I've been doing a bit of algae removal on the iso tank indoors this avo, this houses four male black mollies that I don't want to allow to breed with a 'tuxedo' female in the display tank.  They are currently on holiday in a bucket becasue I'm going to leave the tank overnight to gas off chlorine from the tap water. 

 

Life goes on in the main display tank, all is peace and contentment unless the two YoYo (Pakistani) Loaches decide to have one of their mad half-hours, which are pretty full-on but no harm is done.   The tux female molly sometimes joins in, depends what mood she's in, but everybody else just tries to ignore the mad YoYos; you can almost see them rolling their eyes at the shennanigans!  The tux suffers from the shakes, a common molly problem, and one of her fry, which I've kept because it is developing a black tail with a pinkyblush bodycolour, another female, looks to have inherited  it from her.  I will therefore not breed any further from these fishes, and if I intend to continue breeding will need more coloured or dalmatian female mollies.  Not in a rush, will wait until it's time to replace the two tuxy females I already have.  There's a black female in the main tank as well, but breeding her with black males is not going to result in anything more than more black males to cull.