Ranchus

[Gill]

So After settling them into the Barrell they will reside in. My Ranchus are doing great ( no Pix as don't see them very often)
The only pix i have are from when i chose them at the Auction - they are in that thread the 1st 2 pix.

I have not fed them since they were put in the tub. As i have cultured the barrels to Hold Masses of Bloodworms, Mozzies, Daphnia and other Critters.
If i do put any NishiKoi pellets in they are not eaten. so won't bother them.

They get a water change every week with rain water from another barrell.
they have Loads of Elodea in the barrel and i am adding a lilly to it aswell.

The only problem i am finding with this barrel is that it always gets a red algae film on the surface of the water.
I dont want to add a current to it as it will disturb the layer of Leaves and matter in the bottom. i could add an air pump close to the surface i suppose.
I tend to scoop it out once a week.
It has not affected the ranchus in any way that i can tell. they are growing nicely.

oh the barrel is one of those blue ones you get from builders yards and is fed from garage rainwater drain. its over 4 feet deep and 1.5 wide

 

[black angel]

Sounds nice Gill, shame you cant see them to get a pic.

You moving them inside for winter?

 

[Gill]

Sounds nice Gill, shame you cant see them to get a pic.

You moving them inside for winter?

yep, i will just put the barrel on a trolley and wheel it into the garage 2feet away from it.

 

[Gill]

I hate people. JUst before work on wednesday i was checking on the fish. And saw 1 of the ranchus spiralling at the surface.
I got a net and put him in a bucket.
and discovered someone ha chucked concrete in the barrel. All this grey sludge came up to the surface with most of the ranchus dead.

I managed to save 2 chocolates and the smallest lionhead.

i had spent months culturing live foods int he barrel to feed to my fish.
now i have start again with it and the ranchus are stuck in one of my smaller tanks. i will have to get something setup for over the weekend, or give them to my neighbour who has a huge 10foot pond.

 

[J4MES]

Concrete?? that sucks. sorry to hear about that

 

[Gill]

Found another 1 gasping a the surface and saved it. i put him/her in the trop tank as it was time to go to work.( had to go in for a meeting with H&S as reported it as an accident). got back last night and the gold mollies had eaten his scales, they are all rough looking. they were stuck to it like a wrasse. picking at the poor thing.
Rushed round to make a divider and sectioned them all off on their own untill i can get a large enough tub to put them in.

so i have managed to save 4 of them. good tyhing is they are eating - the smallest is still spiralling a little but is settling down slowly.

i'll get some pix of them.

 

[Gill]

some pix of the survivors, they have grown alot. but the tiny one is still tiny.

 

[Gill]

what the mollies did to one of them,