April 2009 - Posts
I've been away, staying in Woolacombe, for 24 hours.
Didn'tleave food for fish.
They thrived on what was already in the pond for them.
No problems.
I have never seen such a diverse selection of wildlife visiting my garden.
As well as colourful birds, I yesterday spotted what looked like a dragon fly. I will try to take some photographs.
Fish happy and healthy.
About three days ago, I mixed a solution of barley straw extract with pond water - to eliminate algae.
Hair-like, fluffy stuff was on the bottom, drifting and chocking my plants.
I gently used a fish net to remove floating clumps of it.
Fish happy and active.
Today, I am carrying out a partial water change. I'm adding water at a trickle to avoid a sudden temperature change.
The water has been pre-treated to eliminate amonia, from fish waste, and make tap water safe.
Fish seem to love it.
Big test will be overnight.
Cross everything. I'm worried.
SOME horrific things can happen to goldfish.
Reading up on fish diseases, I discovered one common ailment can cause them to bloat and develop spikes.
Pray, I never have to witness that!
Although I love watching goldfish, memories of 'floaters' from the fair haunt me.
My worst nightmare was played out on TV last year, when a comedy series showed a fish jumping out of a river to attack an angler.
However, I've now seen something MUCH worse - courtesy of the news.
Murderer and former music producer Phil Spector's ugly mug is like something out of a horror film.
If it's not a reflection of a debauched lifestyle or plastic surgery gone wrong, surely he's wearing a mask?
My four remaining goldfish appear happy and healthy.
They appear to be chasing each other around the pond, sometimes pairing off and chasing each others' tails.
My friend, who has a pond, says she thinks it unlikely my fish will breed this year - because they've only been in the pond a month.
Any advice would be appreciated.
POND owner Carla Salisbury contacted me yesterday - to say: Get the dying fish out of the pond!
I immediately did this, using a bowl of water from the pond. It was in a bid to try and protect the other fish.
The fish died a few hours later. No obvious cause.
Other fish appear happy and healthy.
Cross everything they stay that way!
It's shortly before 2pm on Sunday, April 5.
We've noticed one of the goldfish is 'flagging'. He keeps coming to the suface and staying there.
He or she is struggling not to turn on its side.
The other fish won't go near him.
It's the one that kept going under the pump.
A water test says all is fine.
The pond is now starting to go green round the sides and on the plants.
Any advice out there?
One of my fish, although healthy-looking, has taken a fancy to the pond pump and, from time to time, likes to rest partially under it.
Is this safe and, more to the point, is it normal behaviour?
I understand the fish won't get sucked into the pump. Or will it?