Well, I decided I had too many fish for my little ponds. I advertised
in a free online trading post, and gave most away to a guy who has a
1/8 acre pond and wanted some fish. I kept the big ones and some dark
bronze throw-backs in the inground pond. Looking at my one poor
shubunkin in the 150 gallon stocktank - all alone!! - I decided to buy
more fish. Heh. That wasn't the plan when I advertised to lower the
population. Fortunately a nice place called Water Garden Gems is only
a few miles from me, so I drove over there and bought 4 shubunkin ($9
each, but you get a fourth free when you buy 3), about 1/2 the size of
mine but still a good size (about 4" nose to tail). Now I'm trying to
train them to not run away when I look in on them. I'm finding food
works (well, of course...).

Gail
near San Antonio TX

Well, I decided I had too many fish for my little ponds. I advertised
in a free online trading post, and gave most away to a guy who has a
1/8 acre pond and wanted some fish. I kept the big ones and some dark
bronze throw-backs in the inground pond. Looking at my one poor
shubunkin in the 150 gallon stocktank - all alone!! - I decided to buy
more fish. Heh. That wasn't the plan when I advertised to lower the
population. Fortunately a nice place called Water Garden Gems is only
a few miles from me, so I drove over there and bought 4 shubunkin ($9
each, but you get a fourth free when you buy 3), about 1/2 the size of
mine but still a good size (about 4" nose to tail). Now I'm trying to
train them to not run away when I look in on them. I'm finding food
works (well, of course...).
Gail
near San Antonio TX

Well congratulations on your new purchases. I haven't purchased a fish
since spring of 2007, a $20 5" BF koi. So I relish in your purchase, they
must be pretty fine shubunkins for $9.

But speaking of fish and overpopulation thereof. I have 3 wakins and 5
fantail moor/telescopes in the lily pond. 6 were thru winter and 2
telescope/moors were added this spring. 1000 gallons of heavily planted
pond and NOT one baby! I'm SO disappointed. Maybe next year. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

"~ jan" wrote in message
...

Well congratulations on your new purchases. I haven't purchased a
fish
since spring of 2007, a $20 5" BF koi. So I relish in your purchase,
they
must be pretty fine shubunkins for $9.

But speaking of fish and overpopulation thereof. I have 3 wakins and
5
fantail moor/telescopes in the lily pond. 6 were thru winter and 2
telescope/moors were added this spring. 1000 gallons of heavily
planted
pond and NOT one baby! I'm SO disappointed. Maybe next year. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Is it possible something's getting your babies?

Re my recent purchases: Supposedly they are very good shubunkin. All
my other fish have been Petsmart or local pet store purchases, very
cheap, even some feeder goldfish. But in the last year or so the
survivors have been quite healthy and reproducing mightily - this was
my second fish give away this year, mostly babies. I think partly I
wanted fish from a source I knew took excellent care of the fish and
their environment, and I wanted larger fish than I usually find in the
cheaper sources. For the pleasure they give me, $27 + tax is well
worth it. Especially if I get babies in the spring.

Gail
near San Antonio TX

On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:45:36 EDT, "Gail Futoran"
wrote:

Is it possible something's getting your babies?

Don't know, hard to believe it would get them all. I even saw a couple of
taddies make to some size, and that was with me removing every egg cluster
to a fish safe area. I figured if a taddy or two could make it hidden from
the fish, surely fish eggs & fry would. If it wasn't for seeing the taddies
I would suspect the fish, even though I've been feeding them this year.
Where before I never fed the goldfish in the lily pond and they've thrived
and produced. s

cheaper sources. For the pleasure they give me, $27 + tax is well
worth it. Especially if I get babies in the spring. Gail

I fully agree! ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Sep 21, 1:44 pm, ~ jan wrote:
On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:45:36 EDT, "Gail Futoran"

wrote:
Is it possible something's getting your babies?

Don't know, hard to believe it would get them all. I even saw a couple of
taddies make to some size, and that was with me removing every egg cluste
r
to a fish safe area. I figured if a taddy or two could make it hidden fro
m
the fish, surely fish eggs & fry would. If it wasn't for seeing the taddi
es
I would suspect the fish, even though I've been feeding them this year.
Where before I never fed the goldfish in the lily pond and they've thrive
d
and produced. s

cheaper sources. For the pleasure they give me, $27 + tax is well
worth it. Especially if I get babies in the spring. Gai
l

I fully agree! ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds:www.jjspond.us

I tried skimming the bottom of the pond the day ours spawned and put
everything I picked up into a smaller fishless pond. Still no babies
here either. We thought the fish were eating the eggs, but I thought
we'd end up with SOME babies. In 17 years of ponding we've had only 3
babies survive!!
And we've had many fewer frogs here too.
Nan in DE

"Nan & Rich Zitney" wrote in message
...
On Sep 21, 1:44 pm, ~ jan wrote:
On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:45:36 EDT, "Gail Futoran"

wrote:
Is it possible something's getting your babies?

Don't know, hard to believe it would get them all. I even saw a
couple of
taddies make to some size, and that was with me removing every egg
cluste
r
to a fish safe area. I figured if a taddy or two could make it
hidden fro
m
the fish, surely fish eggs & fry would. If it wasn't for seeing the
taddi
es
I would suspect the fish, even though I've been feeding them this
year.
Where before I never fed the goldfish in the lily pond and they've
thrive
d
and produced. s

cheaper sources. For the pleasure they give me, $27 + tax is well
worth it. Especially if I get babies in the spring. Gai
l

I fully agree! ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds:www.jjspond.us

I tried skimming the bottom of the pond the day ours spawned and put
everything I picked up into a smaller fishless pond. Still no babies
here either. We thought the fish were eating the eggs, but I thought
we'd end up with SOME babies. In 17 years of ponding we've had only 3
babies survive!!
And we've had many fewer frogs here too.
Nan in DE
==============

Gail replies:

I probably shouldn't mention I brought some anacharis in from one pond
to help cycle a new aquarium this past spring. I dipped the plants
into a weak clorox solution first. And wouldn't you know eggs
survived! I got three baby goldfish in my new aquarium. I delayed
putting in my tropical fish, fed the babies baby food, and when they
got big enough put them out into the pond. They did ok, too.

I've had a bunch of goldfish babies the last year or two. I suspect
it's nothing special I did but rather living in an area that has a
long warm season. Is there any research on that, does anyone know?

Gail
near San Antonio TX

Very few babies grow up in our big pond with the 12 koi and 9
goldfish. Jim puts breeders in a berm pond and we get a large number
of babies. Some of them wash down to the big pond along the way.
Last year, however, the racoons found the berm pond and ate Jim's best
breeders.

Phyllis