I have a small fish pond in my garden. I was given some fish to put in it and they get along fine with the newts that were already living there.
All the fun started last October when some unseasonally mild weather caused the fish to spawn. They should be spawning in the spring so their babies can grow big enough to survive the winter at the bottom of the pond. You actually stop feeding outdoor fish when the weather turns cold and they survive on what animal and plant matter they can find at the bottom of the pond.
I was so worried about the little things that I scooped them out and put them in a tank. I decided I couldn't let them die so they came in the house and I reared them.
It was only a small tank and I knew a lot of the smaller ones would be eaten by the bigger ones as happens in nature. I had to get water fleas from the pet shop every week to feed them on in addition to fish food to help keep them healthy.
Every day through the freezing cold winter, which by the way I completely hate, I had to siphon out half the water in the tank to keep it clean. It was a chore of epic proportions but ultimately after about 6 months caring for these tiny fish they grew up and got their freedom.
It was actually quite emotional for me when I released 22 young fish into the pond. After 6 months looking after them I had grown fond of them even though they didn't appear to feel the same about me for some reason.
I am happy to report that coming up to this winter those fish are still out there and doing very well. I cleaned out the pond in the summer this year and found that they had grown enormously. I also discovered to my complete shock that there were smaller fish in there that seem to have been too big to have been born this year. This makes me wonder if I missed some last October and they made it all on their own. Maybe I got wet and cold all winter for nothing last year who knows. At least I feel like I did the right thing.
Here is a photo I took of one of those fish and added to some products in my store.
Oh and if you don't have a wicked sense of humor you should probably not click on the first one.
FallenAngel, I like your story about taking care of 22 young fish. That is a lot! I can understand how you became fond of them even if they din't feel the same.... To be honest, I don't know much about fish... I guess I can learn a lot from your blog..... This little fish on a photo is beautiful.... Interesting colors....
ReplyDeleteThank you Kaya I like all animals even the ones most people hate like spiders and snakes. I am loving your blog too and hope we will learn a lot from eachother.
ReplyDeleteI just gave away some of the baby fish that survived the winter in my pond. A friend is going to keep them in his pond. If you get too many in a pond they will get a bit overcrowded and not grow properly. If the winter is a bad one they could even die.
THe one in the photo is staying in my pond. Its bigger than the ones my friend has taken and I don't want to give it away.