equus

The first two died, but we knew there may be more in the pond so didn't just throw excess pond weed on the side. We borrowed a tank and put it in that instead.

A baby fry hatched, then another and another - we even watched one of the little aliens pop out!! We went for advice and got told we could try this or that but that they would most likely die. We couldn't just chuck them!!! In the pond the big fish would eat them.

A week or two later we still have 14!!! NONE have died!! They've been fed on duck egg yolk, crumbled fish food, fry food and water fleas. Most instructions we can find on the net refer to fish in pretty sterile conditions - ours are in pond water.

D made a pump for us to hoover the bottom, we top up with spring water, replace the daphnia (water fleas), tend the weed they came in and WATCH!!

We watch and watch and watch them - they are so tame, so used to the magnifying glass and our exclaimations when the little ones first catch a flea, or when Godzilla (the biggest) tackled the worm, or when the tiny one's bellies go yellow after stuffing their faces on yolk.

They're supposed to die but they're not - we still have 14 at head count today .

So what in the hell will we do with 14 fish too small to live outside over winter?!! Ebay is getting some hammer for a bigger tank!!

Autumn

Thanks for sharing Eq.

equus

We now only have 13! One got caught by a hydra!!

Mind you the fish in the pond are still at it!! They should have been called shubonkings not shubunkins!!

equus

Just a little update...

We're up to about 30 including the adult fish, we've admitted we are powerless over fish reproduction and our lives are becoming umanagable!!! We now have 2 60 litre tanks, 1 30 litre and 1 (emergancy) 10 litre!!

I had to squish one last night, D wouldn't squish it but it had been swimming in spirals or upside down for two days and I called it - enough. The poor little git had never really grown and obviously something was very wrong. D researched on the net about humane ways to kill a fish and heard you're supposed to put them in the freezer?? EH!? I mean how stressfull would that be? fished out, moved, shut in the dark, not to mention freezing flippin cold and wait till you slowly die!! BLAH!! It was only a 1cm long, it was over in a fraction of a second (squished) with no more stress than a tank change (less if anything).

It's one thing being soft but some folks are flamin' bonkers with it!!

aloneagainor

I tend a flock of 150-200 free range chickens, and hatch an incubator or two of chicks every spring. There's always one or two deformed or otherwise sick chicks in the hatching. I used to allow them to struggle themselves to death. But that's far more inhumane than putting them out of their misery when imminent death awaits them. I kill by drowning, as the most humane method. Though I understand that wouldn't quite work so well for a fish!

Fish squish pretty easy. Just shut your mind off and remind yourself you're acting in its best interest. Good luck with that. I know it's hard.

equus

I don't have a problem with doing it - the hard part is the decision. We have another one which only has one eye, but it's growing well and eating well so it stays for now. Although if it lives it will have to live alone or with anotheer species so it can't reproduce.

I think I have spent a lot more time round animals than D - who rescues snails ansd charms spiders to pose for pictures. Once the decision is made any hesitation just worsens it is my view (hence me thinking the freezer thing is INSANE!!). They might just be fish but as long as we're responsible then I'd offer the best we could.

Autumn

Equus, somehow I can just envision you keeping a sharp eye trained on this poor one-eyed fish. Why isn't it allowed to reproduce? Was it born that way? Does it swim in circles?

I have a pet fish in my freezer. I can't bear to put him in the ground. It's really sad. He was my favorite, and I had him for about four years. He died in January. I wrapped him in tissue, then wax paper and then foil.

Weird - o well. Sometimes I think he knew me better than someone else I know.

How does D "charm" spiders? Does he do special tricks like Wilbur?

equus

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I don't know how he does it - but hell that there spider is posing!!!

As far as we know the one eyed fish hatched that way, thing is we don't know what else is wrong or what impact it'll hae on it's life. If it suffers it goes but I would ensure it didn't breed to prevent a very unnatural selection - it wouldn't be fair on future fishy generations.

Autumn

Yes - you're right about that.

That's a fantastic photo Eq!! D is quite the spider charmer indeed! Interesting piece of rock.

Thanks for making me smile. I was kinda down. Then again, I haven't slept since I got home from work, and that was about 10 hours ago.

equus

It's not rock - you can see the grains of sand in the cement, it was a brick wall!! *the spider was TINY and the picture was taken using a homemade lense arrangement!!