Hi Panzer. The shubunkins can grow at the same rate as comets, but it depends on their genetics and what type of comets you have now. Common comets grow at the fastest rate of any goldfish so if that is what you have the shubunkins will grow slower. Also some shubunkins grow long and slender and some grow more squat and fat. Goldfish can grow at the same rate for 4 or 5 years. There are a lot of variables that affect their growth rate like availability of food and how long of a growing season you have when the water temperature is warm enough so they will eat. I have kept exclusively goldfish and shubunkins for 10 years. I have noticed they are not really interested in mating until they are about 3 years old. I guess a two year old fish can mate but typically they need to be a little more mature. If you have any tobys they might mate sooner because they are so much larger. Sometimes 2 year olds will copy the mating behaviour of older fish but they don't really do anything. I think that answers all your questions. Now as to overstocking. My pond went from 7 goldfish to almost 80 in 5-6 years. The more fish you have the more bioload the pond will have and it will be much more difficult to maintain the water quality. Many new people to the hobby put in too many fish and have too much bioload and their fish die from ammonia poisoning. The exception would be if someone put in a very high quality filtration system but most people don't do that. This is why everyone on GPF warns against having too many fish. My guess is you will be close to full bioload capacity within a year or so as your fish grow, and you will need to make decisions about what to do with them. Good luck!
Thanks Comet Keith. That is some great information. Especially about what age your fish were before they spawned. My fish are all under a year old so hopefully I won't have to deal with fry for at least another year. That is unless I decide to use the Barry White method.
I realize that their are allot of factors with growth. But hearing from you folks lets me learn and chat about the hobby.
I realize that I am close to max population, but my friend at the aquarium store knows me well. He ordered some really nice shabumkins and when I came in to get 2 I left with 5. Like a kid in a candy store.
As they grow I am aware that I will need to choose who will go back to the store to be sold to a new home.
Its a good relationship, I get to keep more fish and my friend gets larger fish that he can resell.
I currently have two filters, a biofilter that I made, that is a small stream in a box. This not only gives me biofiltration but also greater surface area. I also have a box mechanical/ bio filter that is in the pond itself. The pond cycles it full volume about three times per hour.
My PH is 7.4, ammonia 0, NO2 O, N03 0.05PPM. I have about a dozen live plants in the pond and am adding more as the weather allows. Still in the high 30s to low 40s at night.
I have both salt and fresh water fish for over 40 years. So I just naturally treat my small pond as if it were a large fish tank. To include changing 1/3 of the water once a week and vacuuming out fish waste in the process.
Thanks again for the great infoe.
