victim of predation...
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
I've seen people (and golf courses too!) put fine mesh nets over the ponds. This has the effect of preventing birds from alighting on the pond (ducks and geese for the golf courses), but also helps stop cats from fishing in your pond! Try and match the mesh color to the pond water/surroundings.
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I've seen people (and golf courses too!) put fine mesh nets over the ponds. This has the effect of preventing birds from alighting on the pond (ducks and geese for the golf courses), but also helps stop cats from fishing in your pond! Try and match the mesh color to the pond water/surroundings.
thanks, that is actually a good idea - go figure! I hadn't really even considered that it might be birds stealing my fish, but the net would likely stop whatever it is thats eating my goldfish at 28 cents a pop. As for cats, I could only hope they get entangled in the net and then fall into the pond (providing this wont upset the balance of the water). --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
I've been reading about your adventures with interest mostly because I've never done anything like it before. But I did have a couple of squirrel pets once and I can say most definitely that they don't eat fish. Good Luck with your project :) " Why oh why didn't I take the blue pill ? "
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thanks, that is actually a good idea - go figure! I hadn't really even considered that it might be birds stealing my fish, but the net would likely stop whatever it is thats eating my goldfish at 28 cents a pop. As for cats, I could only hope they get entangled in the net and then fall into the pond (providing this wont upset the balance of the water). --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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thanks, that is actually a good idea - go figure! I hadn't really even considered that it might be birds stealing my fish, but the net would likely stop whatever it is thats eating my goldfish at 28 cents a pop. As for cats, I could only hope they get entangled in the net and then fall into the pond (providing this wont upset the balance of the water). --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
providing this wont upset the balance of the water It all depends on how fast you fish out the corpses. ;) Regards, Jeff Varszegi
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
Mel Feik wrote: do squirrels eat fish? Usually with rice and a side of veggies. ;P Chris Meech We're more like a hobbiest in a Home Depot drooling at all the shiny power tools, rather than a craftsman that makes the chair to an exacting level of comfort by measuring the customer's butt. Marc Clifton VB is like a toolbox, in the hands of a craftsman, you can end up with some amazing stuff, but without the skills to use it right you end up with Homer Simpson's attempt at building a barbeque or his attempt at a Spice rack. Michael P. Butler
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no need to take offence. I have a 19 year-old (human years) english grey myself. He's been 25 pounds of joy for at least 17 of those years. Doesn't do much of anything as of the last couple years. The point being I'm not a cat hater or anything, but if they are eating my fish... good riddens. --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
The fish may be dying due to bad chemistry or loss of O2, and then something or the other fish dispose of the evidence. The waterfall may not put in enough O2, which is why they sell the little air pumps that go to porus rocks (same ones I used in beer brewing!). Aslo, did you just dump in the fish, or place the water bag they were in submersed into the pond for a few hours then awhile with top open, to let fish acclemate to new temperature & then water chemistry. I know many small fish are fragile like that. The guys you bought them from should have given you hints. And, last resort, there are tones of web pages on the pods/fountain/fish hobby... enjoy! (and let us know the culprit so when I add a pond next week I'll do it right! ;)
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
How deep is the pond? If it's at least three feet deep somewhere then the fish will hide there to escape raccoons, possums and the like. Did you add water treatment to remove the chlorine and chloramines? Try adding floating plants like water lilies or water hyacinths for the fish to hide in. Dave Goodman dgoodman@infoway.com www.dkgoodman.com "Actio sequitur esse."
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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The fish may be dying due to bad chemistry or loss of O2, and then something or the other fish dispose of the evidence. The waterfall may not put in enough O2, which is why they sell the little air pumps that go to porus rocks (same ones I used in beer brewing!). Aslo, did you just dump in the fish, or place the water bag they were in submersed into the pond for a few hours then awhile with top open, to let fish acclemate to new temperature & then water chemistry. I know many small fish are fragile like that. The guys you bought them from should have given you hints. And, last resort, there are tones of web pages on the pods/fountain/fish hobby... enjoy! (and let us know the culprit so when I add a pond next week I'll do it right! ;)
I did put the fish in the pond in the bag they came in for about an hour to balance the temperatures. As for them being disposed of, I will have to look into if goldfish are cannablistic as there isn't a trace of the missing fish. Even if something is eating my dead (if they died first) fish I am going to put a stop to it (going with the net covering idea). At the very least I can use the corpses as little 28 cent fertilizer pellets for the flower garder surrounding 1/2 the pond. Think I might ought to spring for the airating pump though, just in case the remaining ones are asphixiating. But they only are gasping in the morning, and I've noticed they like to hang around the waterfall starting about midnight. that was why I asked about the plants O2 cycle. --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
A fine mesh over the pond is the girl's way out. What you want is a steel death match cage and you wann hold gladiator style events in it. Don't bother painting it because you want something manly to cover the pond. If nothing else, you should put pirhanna in the pond and preiodically open the floor so that the combatants fall in at the worst possible time. Yeah, that's what you need. ------- sig starts "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 "You won't like me when I'm angry..." - Dr. Bruce Banner Please review the Legal Disclaimer in my bio. ------- sig ends
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How deep is the pond? If it's at least three feet deep somewhere then the fish will hide there to escape raccoons, possums and the like. Did you add water treatment to remove the chlorine and chloramines? Try adding floating plants like water lilies or water hyacinths for the fish to hide in. Dave Goodman dgoodman@infoway.com www.dkgoodman.com "Actio sequitur esse."
about 80% of the pond is 24 inches, the remainer is about 10 - the 'shelf' for shallow water plants. didn't add anything to water except a product to increase the 'buffering' capacity. its well water - no chlorine/chlormine or other nasties to speak of. I do have water lilys and some reedy plants but they haven't actually started to grow yet... there is a medium sized rubber duck under which they can hide, and some rocks at the bottom that make good hide outs. Now that you mention them hidding I did notice that the past two days they tend to stay near the bottom and out of site the majority of the time - except from about midnight till sun-up when the hang out under the water fall. --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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A fine mesh over the pond is the girl's way out. What you want is a steel death match cage and you wann hold gladiator style events in it. Don't bother painting it because you want something manly to cover the pond. If nothing else, you should put pirhanna in the pond and preiodically open the floor so that the combatants fall in at the worst possible time. Yeah, that's what you need. ------- sig starts "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 "You won't like me when I'm angry..." - Dr. Bruce Banner Please review the Legal Disclaimer in my bio. ------- sig ends
A little too much testosterone on the Wheaties this morning, John?
Software Zen:
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A fine mesh over the pond is the girl's way out. What you want is a steel death match cage and you wann hold gladiator style events in it. Don't bother painting it because you want something manly to cover the pond. If nothing else, you should put pirhanna in the pond and preiodically open the floor so that the combatants fall in at the worst possible time. Yeah, that's what you need. ------- sig starts "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 "You won't like me when I'm angry..." - Dr. Bruce Banner Please review the Legal Disclaimer in my bio. ------- sig ends
I would think that a real man would have a massive enough overclocked water cooled system that he would have to use the pond as a cooling reservoir. Once you got it hooked up, you would just need to find extremophile fish that lived in an ambient temperature of 200 degrees or so, but you wouldn't have to deal with cats at that point. If you aren't going to actually boil water with your cooling system that's not really manly is it? ;P
I may be working, but I'm not working for you. - Superchunk
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This article[^] has some interesting ideas. I don't have a pond of my own, but have been researching it (yeah, like I'll ever get the time/money/energy to create one though... :(() Sometimes I feel like I'm a USB printer in a parallel universe.
Good grief... I've never heard of a raccoon drowning a dog before. thanks for the article... gave me a great idea. I'm gonna put a milk crate in the center (upside down of course) and use it as a base for some more 'marginal' plants... and it gives the fish a safe place to hide! - thanks! As for finding the time and $$$. I worked on building this thing almost every night that I was home for the past month from around 10 till 11 which gave me about 10 hours of actually working on it. Didn't cost much. 100 gallon pond was $70 and each basin for the water falls was about 10 bucks. The pump was kind of pricey ringing in at 90 (bought a kit which came with the filters, hose, pump, transformer, fountain attachments and water treatment products). The most expensive item so far has been the lights. I purchased a three pack of 'egg-lights' that are submersible and that was 100 bucks. spent $3 on goldfish, buck-and-half on fish food and 4 dollars for a rubber duck. Oh yeah, the plants cost anywhere from 7 to 11 dollars where I get them. All totaled I'm about 350 in the red for the entire pond complete with fish and plants. --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
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providing this wont upset the balance of the water It all depends on how fast you fish out the corpses. ;) Regards, Jeff Varszegi
piranha should solve that problem. Todd Smith
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piranha should solve that problem. Todd Smith
Yep. Then all he needs to do is coat the goldfish with contact poison so the piranha will leave 'em alone, and hey presto! Regards, Jeff Varszegi
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Okay, I got a little impatient and went ahead and added fish to my pond after only 4 days (more like a puddle as only 100 gallons). Anywho, I put in four fish Sunday and had two left yesterday morning when I woke up. Added another six last night and come up two short again today. What to do to keep critters from eating my fish? Mind you I was only testing out my pond with one-inch goldfish to see how they would do. Someone here warned me about the chance that something might come along and make a meal out of my fish and it seems they were correct (I was thinking it wouldn't be a problem - see what I get for thinking). Aside from my primary question of looking for suggestions to keep my fish from becoming meals I would also like to ask some other things (surely some of you have had fish before): - how do I know when my fish are hungry? I don't think I want them getting used to the idea that I'm going to feed them on the regular. I think they should get used to fending for themselves as the pond matures (ie. the plant life becomes sufficient to support them). - why do (my) fish 'suck air' in the morning? I've noticed the last two mornings that the remaining fish are at the surface looking like they are 'gasping' for air. There is a water fall with plenty of bubbles that they have easy enough access to so I guess I'm wondering if this is normal or is my pond a tad low on the O2? this raises another question... - anyone know when during the day plants give off O2 (ie. night-time or day-time)? - do squirrels eat fish? All in all I'm very happy with what I've created and when (if) the plants start growing I'll take a photo and post it. Any (feasable) suggestions appreciated. -mel --------------------------------------------- It's amazine how simeple life can be when one get's his head out of his ass...embly If they don't get the basic research and learning skills down then they'll end up having a very hard life (Either that or they'll become managers) - Micheal P Butler
I know just about nothing on the subject, however I've noticed in the wild that fish make extensive use of natural underwater features to hide in. Is your pond just a hole in the ground or do you have some features that the fish can hide inside / under when a predator comes along?
There is much to be said in favor of modern journalism. By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community. - Oscar Wilde