foreign fishies

[pbest]

I have a goldfish pond with lilies, water hyacinth and hawthorne and 5 for sure goldfish. I have read all the comments on how last years silver and jet black fry would turn gold by 4" then by next the summer and now that all 30 of them are well over pan size and still look black on the top and silver on the bottom I am looking for answers. I first noticed the eggs on the water hyacinth I brought home but it was not until 3 weeks after I had it in my pond. Any guesses? Thanks!!

 

[fishin4cars]

Some one miss informed you. The grey dark color may never change. That is the original coloration of a wild goldfish. Some can and do change, but not all will. At the farms those are usually culled out and not sold in the pet trade. If they haven't changed any by the second year you can pretty much count on they won't change at all.
It would be nice if you could post a pic of the fish you have, pan size? are they goldfish?

 

[ididntdoit99]

I was confused by that too Larkin! Pan size, I cook in a 12 inch skillet.

I had a few black ones, now I think I'm down to maybe one or two. One of them just started turning gold this summer and it was already over 8 inches long. I have heard that it is rare for a goldfish to get to full size and stay black, but never really researched it much. I do hope at least one of mine stays black.

 

[capewind]

I gave up trying to figure this out... Bought several, long finned red comets awhile back. Had them awhile, and one changed to blackish. Looks black in the pond, but in a net, top is dark brown, sides are goldish. (S)he was about 4" at purchase, and 5-6" when it changed. All the others stayed red. NOW we have a bunch of baby comets that are 1.5 - 2.5" and nearly all of them are like the blackish one, BUT a few of them look to be taking on an orangy glow. Time will tell LOL. Regardless of what color they are, I am hoping the person coming Sunday takes ALL the comets. The little brats breed faster than rabbits, and even as small fry, are fast (and not as dumb as the koi and shubunkin babies that get eaten). Only moved the comets to the big pond in April, and have gone from 7 to 50+ LOL.

 

[j.w]

I gave up too cape! I have a few of the dark colored ones and they range from tiny to 8" and looks like the bigger ones which are several yrs old are starting to get that goldish brown look to them like they might turn oj someday but I have given up guessing when and just like them the way they are. I wish they would have kept the black that they first started w/ but the brown/gold look is kinda cool when they flash in the sunlight.

 

[capewind]

Stupid me just went out there to take some pics (for the Craigslist ad LOL) and am soooo torn... Dont want to get rid of them! Then hubby makes it worse and says he kind of likes them up there (in the unfinished bog)... So I am like, well. we can put ANOTHER pond in... he says ANOTHER???? Keep in mind the main pond at present is 6500 gallons... the unfinished bog holds 2500 gallons of water (less the 2 yards of gravel in it so far), and next year, are putting in a MINIMUM of a 40 x 50 liner for the "lower pond".... I tell him "nothing fancy" JUST a 15 x 25 liner would be fine for them, and he can put all of his lilies there since the comets dont bother them.... What did I just put in motion?!?!

 

[ididntdoit99]

Post pics of the new build!!! Hey at least you are both in agreement. My fiance loves the pond, and loves to deal with the plants and everything around it, but she has already told me "you cant take up any more of the backyard, the kids need a place to play"

The only thing I hear in that entire sentence is you can't take up any more of the BACK yard... we have a quite a big front yard to play with still

 

[capewind]

Our pond relationship involves three... Yes, hubby and I are in agreement on this subject, but the 3rd party, with the most say in the matter disagrees... that 3rd party we call BUDGET.... LOL.

Here's one of the snap shots I got a little while ago... if you look close, you can find the one I call "black" (even tho it is brown and gold)...

 

[j.w]

Yay, cape another pond build and fishies get to stay! I see your brown fish and it has a lovely long tail!

99 what a great idea.....take over the front. Makes a very nice entryway decoration too! Mine is in our front yard and I love to sit on the front porch deck and listen to the falls and watch the fish! Go for it 99!

 

[ididntdoit99]

. that 3rd party we call BUDGET.... ..

Maybe I'm cheating, but I'd say I'm frugal to the point that I can safely say I only have about $500 on the pond that is currently in the backyard, not bad for a 3500-4000 gallon pond. Liner and two pumps, and some tubing. Rocks were all free, a little gas money I guess to pick them up, and I'm not counting the fence I ended up putting around it, or the plants (because we would have landscaped the yard whether the pond was there or not) or the countless other things I spent money on before we came up with the setup we have now, but as it sits with these two pumps and liner I really only have about $500 into it, and a boatload of my hard labor.

That brings up an issue with a front pond, my landscaper buddy had come over to give me some ideas of things to do in the front yard, and he suggested a rock bed across the front of the house where the deck is, where I could add some shorter bushes, and some boulders for focal points. and I thought Hey maybe I could so a small stream and pond up here in that rock bed... but I already had an issue with a neighbor dog getting into the big pond and wrecking the liner, I really cant put a 4 foot fence around a small pond in the front... maybe it will have to be a pondless stream? Hmmm now I'm going to have to reconsider my plans.

 

[capewind]

I wish I could say we only have $500 into our ponds! The two liners alone were over $700 and that is with our contractors discounts. We are also now out of rock, and need lots more. Blew $45 two weeks ago, just to grab one ton, so we could get another planting bed in... Only got it that cheap as hubby went down to the pit with his truck and machine (if bought on the pallet, it is averaging $300 per pallet and is only maybe a half ton of rock)... cant find any free rock (keep watching craigslist)... Pump wise, we are in good shape... running an 8000 gph spa pump we had (220 volts, but the electric didnt take too bad of a hit)... and a couple days ago, a client dropped off a 4000 gph pump that he blew (and didnt want to pay hubby to fix)... hubby says parts are $65... works for me... can always use a 4000 gph pump for something I think the only other major purchase was a laguna 5000 filter falls, but even then, he only paid $300 for it ... maybe $300 out in pond plants,,, otherwise, I think everything else needed was just laying around.

Unless your front yard is tiny, I am betting you can get a nice fence in with some plantings that would look fantastic... again, married to a landscaper, so used to being able to see before and afters and possibilities... nothing is impossible;-)

 

[capewind]

JW... but it WAS orange/red when we got it LOL... if we decide to keep the comets, gonna be so pissed about the ones we sold earlier this spring. Didnt sell a lot, but almost all of the red/white ones (only have one left)... Didnt want to put them ALL in the big pond... Cant seem to give that big white one away LOL. Poor thing started life as a feeder that grew and grew and grew... ended up with it.. now a solid 12"...

 

[ididntdoit99]

Mine is thinner, 20 mil I think it was, 19x25 for $213 off ebay.

For rock, something you might want to try, I've told lots of people this, unless you are somewhere in the country where there just isn't any rock, pull up to any farm house in the area and knock on the door and introduce yourself.

Almost every single farmer in my area has a pile of rock somewhere that they have hit with the tractor while plowing, picked up and tossed into a pile. They don't post it on craigslist because they can't comprehend why anyone in their right mind would want a big ol pile of field rock. It's just junk to them!!

I got mine from my own aunt and uncle, and uncle Al was amazed that anyone would want anything to do with those rocks, even after I told him what I was doing, he said "well there's a pile right out there take as much as you want, i'll be glad to see it gone, but I'm sure i'll find more"

As far as the fence, I don't want to fence in the entire front yard, and the rock bed area will just be a small area in the yard right in front of the deck, could do a small fence around it... but nothing that would keep a dog out. It'll be probably next year before i do anymore yard work, as i just rebuilt the backyard pond this year and put the fence around it. So I've got more time to brainstorm.

 

[capewind]

The going rate here for 45 mil is now $0.90 sq ft. We get a 20% discount.

As to farm... not around here. I live on a "sand bar"... aka Cape Cod, Mass.

You can hide a small fence, that would deter a dog, with pretty shrubs So from the street, it would just look like another planting bed.

 

[addy1]

Check the ppl24 or 36 it is some tough stuff. The cost is 0.41 sq ft for the ppl24 the last time I check, (a few months ago)
It comes from bend tarp and liner in oregon.