Whatcha doing today?

[JamieB]

I have hope! 2 of the fry are paler than the others, one more so. So I may get a white one. I think next spring, after I kick these guys out, I’ll bring in a new batch. I’ll post unwanted fish for others ponds, or maybe set up a smaller second grow up pond, and just keep ones I like best. Wait! That’s the second sign I’m addicted to this hobby... good thing I’ve got plenty of space!

 

[JamieB]

New set up, decked out in holiday cheer, with a little kitty outside wanting to get in! Brat cat likes to get on the counters, gets into trash, and is a bit of a pest inside, so no. It’s fluffy butt can cuddle with the dogs, which it likes to do.

 

[JamieB]

We couldn’t get a real tree this year. And with 6 cats, 1-4 dogs inside at any given time, and not a lot of ways to rearrange to make space, I decorated the plants instead of a tree. My aquarium just happenes to be where the plants are. Just finished moving my fry over, although as old as they are now, I don’t think they are fry any more. Baby fish? Little ones? I ended up dumping all the old aquarium water/ dirt in, so water is setting. And I’ve got 12 fish... I thought I brought 12 in, but I lost 1 for sure, so how’d I get 12 again? I triple counted, then had hubby count, so yeah, it’s 12. I must have brought 13. Next step is ID the frog, figure out how to feed it, and bring in my turtle shelf for it.

 

[sissy]

I have not bothered to put a tree up for over 6 years now .I put a few lights on the front porch and even then not every year .I did not grow up with Christmas so only time I enjoyed it was when my sons were little .They are now in their 40's and 30 's .I have a pink looking ones and yellow fancy tails and a couple of black ones .I have 6 tat will be going to new homes but that will wait until spring .On the turtle thing it came on the news that they found 2 more turtles

 

[JamieB]

Pink? My white on is more off white, but it stands out, so I’d like more whiteish ones. I’d love to get a platinum ogon butterfly koi, and a solid black one, but till then, I’m good with my goldfish. They breed so quick, I figure if I get crazy into it, I’ll find a few I really like, breed the traits, and get rid of the rest. Push comes to shove, there’s a bait shop I can sell to. If I set up my aquaponics like I want, I can actually use the catch bin to raise the fry. Early spring, just move the ones I want to breed into that bin, let them have babies, and back into the pool. The babies can grow up eating misquito larva, and it’s all good. Once they are big enough to cull, I sell off what I don’t want, or trade off, and I can work on just the ones I like best.

 

[brokensword]

On a positive note, I’m moving my fry to a bigger tank. The little one made it hard to count them due to plants in the way, so I put the little aquarium in the big one, filled it part way so water can get same temp. Moved plants and what I’m guessing will be my winter guest of a big frog, and am paused for about an hour or two. It’s letting me count my little fish too! I know I’ve lost some, only saw one dead, but out of like 11, I’m counting 7, but water was stirred up. So I’ll know more in a bit. Now, to set up the filter so they don’t get caught...

JamieB; if you're intending on keeping the frog overwinter, you're going to have to feed it. Crickets can be purchased at pet stores. If you don't want to do this, best you return him to the 'pool/pond' as he knows how to hibernate. And do it quickly as he/she should get used to the temp differences slowly. Btw, I have several 'pet' frogs in my enclosed pond and they've never gone after the fish, though mine are green frogs. I've heard/seen stories about bullfrogs, though, and that's the one I'd never let near my pond.

 

[JamieB]

I’d intended to kick it back out, but the aquarium he was in, is now empty. It was my outside one for growing aquatic plants I don’t want my fish to eat all of. The temps have dropped this past week, and I was away for a class. My hubby failed to kick it out on the warmer days. So I’ll just let it stay. I’m already plotting how to feed it. I figure the flies that manage to hide out over winter will be ok for this week, then it’s on to crickets, worms, and such. The hard part will be feeding it with out getting buggy floaters!

 

[sissy]

my fish are all mutts from the koi farm in NC and were from 1 dollar up to around 5 dollars ,he called them rejects Most have flowing tails like fancy tails .Hard to get good pics

 

[JamieB]

I’d love some like that. However, I’m rolling laughing right now. Brothers dog likes to catch flies, however he was just disappointed to find only glass, cause the fly he was trying to snap out of the air, was a fish swimming in the tank. He’s not the brightest dog!

 

[brokensword]

I’d intended to kick it back out, but the aquarium he was in, is now empty. It was my outside one for growing aquatic plants I don’t want my fish to eat all of. The temps have dropped this past week, and I was away for a class. My hubby failed to kick it out on the warmer days. So I’ll just let it stay. I’m already plotting how to feed it. I figure the flies that manage to hide out over winter will be ok for this week, then it’s on to crickets, worms, and such. The hard part will be feeding it with out getting buggy floaters!

if you go with crickets, you'll be fine; it's what I used. I wouldn't depend on the flies for source as in nature, they have much more of an abundance. I'd get some crickets as soon as you can. I housed 2 smaller leopard frogs one year and bought 50 at a time. The frog(s) will get some initially but the rest will find hiding places, which will make it more natural that the frog can then hunt them normally. Prob don't need 50, but I'd go with at least 20, once a week. Sometimes, if you're lucky, the crickets breed before they get eaten and you'll have young that MIGHT provide a regular supply all on your own. I'd not depend on that, but it can happen.

Oh, and provide a dry-land place so the crickets CAN establish. I had half my 4' aquarium this way, with just a couple of inches of water in the other half, doing just as you did by housing some of my summer pond plants. Nice way to keep parrot's feather and pennywort alive. The frog doesn't need deep water, just enough to feel safe if scared. I had overturned bark logs for hiding places as most frogs spend much of their adult life ON LAND, not in the water.

 

[JamieB]

I was almost bad yesterday. Went to Walmart so hubby could get me a gift, found a very pretty metallic pale gold koi. The others all looked healthy too, so I almost got it. Tried to get it in fact, only thing that stopped me was no one was working pets. It was a close call!

 

[JamieB]

I learned something today. Emergency oxygen for the water- peel and chop potato small, put it in a water bottle. Drill a 5mm hole in the top, run air line with airstone on other end in. Add peroxide to the potatoes, put lid on, drop line in the water. The peroxide reacts with the potato, puts off oxygen and plain water, oxygen diffuses into the water, saves the fish! Should last about 4 hours or more, depending on amount of peroxide and potato. So I might do this if power goes out! Could also do for ponds when fish are dying from lack of oxygen.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you would need A LOT of potatoes!

 

[JamieB]

I was thinking more along the lines of aquariums, in a power outage. But for a little pond, I’d try it. Out here in windy Oklahoma, we get good surface agitation, so good has exchange. And worst case, I can add more water. But for others, it might help. I’d recommend doing it in a 2 ltr bottle for a pond though. Cut up like 3-4 potatoes, add 4 cups or so of peroxide. It puts off pure oxygen, where normal air is only 21%, so you’ll get more oxygen that way, than just plain air.

 

[brokensword]

If you've seen the few threads here re 'aeration', you'll note that very little oxygenation happens with bubbles (large or small) make their way up through the water column. It's mostly immeasurable. The real action re oxygenation happens at the SURFACE, where turbulence from the exploding bubbles occurs. Hence, better oxygenation with larger surface areas and/or more turbulence. A pump aimed at the surface of your pond does more good than any air released underwater. When peeps put aerators in their ponds (winter), it's not so much to aerate as to keep a hole open so any gas buildup is dissipated. The main reason in the summer is to help circulate lower level water up to the surface, which mixes the oxygen poor water with the oxygen rich water.

Still something interesting to learn, though!