Omg Baby Fishies!

[PlecMama]

I was out today, collecting pears and picking apples, and when I walked past my pond (the chav ruined one) something moved.

I crouched down and saw a big water beetle paddling about, so I was looking at this water beetle and thinking how cool he is - and a baby fish swam by!! Mass excitement. We found at least another three - so I have at least four baby fish in my pond

I have never been so happy to see a baby fish in my life

Dan thought maybe we should get them out, but they seem to be doing ok, they've been in there at least 2 months on their own, with no one feeding them or fussing over them, because that's when we took the last of the surviving fish out. They are about an inch long each, the black one seems a little smaller, but there is also a white one, and orange and white one and an orange, white and red one.

Bless their little hearts

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

cool! are they koi or something? so they were the product of your other fish in the pond before and you didnt find them till know? those lil guys must be strong!

 

[PlecMama]

Yes and goodness knows the other fish had been together for years and NEVER made little fish, I've never had coldwater fish spawn before, only my trops (ok, mostly my platties), I went out and fed them a little while ago, they are so cool!

I reckon they might be shubunkins, they are the right colours for Koi but although I have only seen them under inches of water, I think they are going to be shubs - which means I have their parents back in the house, alive!

Ok, update.....I just spent 15 minutes hanging virtually into the pond, there are definately Koi and shubs - now here's what I can't figure out. Some of them are bigger, some are tiddly tiny - which would suggest either slower growing fish or younger fish - so do shubs grow slower/faster then Koi?

Some of them are about ---------------------------- big and others are ---------- and that's a big difference.

 

[PlecMama]

How big are the fish as well as they need to be quite big for their first winter?

ok, now I'm worried. Black Angel said this on another thread...am I going to have to fish my little ones out??

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

hmm i did not know that any coldwater fish could live threw winter. as for the sizes of your babies, ive heard for most types of fry they grow at diffrent rates kind of like humans. some kids might be huge when there 14 and others still small although im not sure if its true. my molly fry grew at diffrent rates

 

[black angel]

Its a tough one. Do you have any room anywhere to house just a couple of the stronger ones and then you can put them back in the spring?
How deep is the pond and how cold would you say winters are?

 

[PlecMama]

Several empty tanks.....ok, looks like I am going baby catching tomorrow. They are tiny and it's already pretty chilly here, it won't be like Antartica, but I'd hate to think the poor little things managed that well on their own all that time then froze in the winter.

Woohoo for baby fish!
I counted 9 last count - and some of them are black, which could mean they are baby goldfish which also means "The Bish Brothers" probably aren't brothers after all.....

 

[Mr.September15]

Pictures Pleasee

 

[Liam]

The goldfish babies should survive the winter in the pond even if they are pretty small. Ive had very small ones survive, they are a bit thin in the spring but soon put on weight. Congrats thats a silver lining to your whole pond saga.

 

[diburning]

The goldfish babies should survive the winter in the pond even if they are pretty small. Ive had very small ones survive, they are a bit thin in the spring but soon put on weight. Congrats thats a silver lining to your whole pond saga.

depends on where you are. I have never had a goldfish under 3 inches survive winter.

 

[PlecMama]

Ok! update......we did not fish them out, we figured they had been in there for long enough doing what they do, and that we would give them a go to see how they fared.

Well, I checked on the babies yesterday, sitting by the pond side, I counted at least 6 in there, in 5 minutes and from one vantage point. There are white, black, black and orange and black/white/orange (thinking baby shubs) in there,

I am so happy that they made it through the winter with no help, I am about to start feeding them, do you think it's to early to be speeding them up? I don't want to wake them all up then get a cold spell and have them die, but they seem to be all out and about and coming to the surface while they cruise so I reckon they are all wide awake.

How cool are baby fish? there is a lot of weed in there too, so there may be a good few more, I was only focusing on one spot in the pond so I could see what swam by. I'd love to dig all the weed out and have a good hunt but I appreciate that is their home, not mine, and they are entitled to their privacy (if fish like privacy) and as natural an environment as I can provide - which does not include big hands ripping all your furniture out periodically! but all the same...I want to see them!!

I don't think I can get photos, they are still very small and the pond is dark, but if I feel like it later, I will go and lie on the ground and wait till one lurks past to show you.

 

[black angel]

Im glad they got through the winter

If theya re swimming around and coming up then yes you can give them some wheatgerm until the end of spring or when the water stays a teady temp of around 15c.
Feed them around midday so they can digest the food and keep an eye on the pond temp. Im feeding mine every two days just now and not very much as the water is at 9c.

Ive got frogs in mine with frogspawn