Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New Aquarium and Observations

Thanks all for the comments.

Omaha, I read the same thing last night online and thought plastic might be easier to deal with all around. Here is what we ended up doing - the color really makes it look nicer, even if these aren't native species! The fish seem to really like having the plants and use them for cover.

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JHAP, that's hilarious! It's also exactly what my wife and I were saying last night, although in my scenario, we'd find these two floating dead in a couple of weeks as they would have no other way to cope with the stress of nobody believing them and would end up commiting ritual suicide. Either that or we'd find them waiting patiently by the shore with suitcases in hand, asking us to take them back!

Ewest, I have been thinking that taking one out would be the right step if the aggression turns to the point of endangering Jerry. I thought about taking Tom out, but for the purpose of slapping him into a frying pan, but then thought he obviously has a lot of testosterone and would probably not taste so great. So, if one goes, it may have to be Jerry. Of course, since he's a bit meaker in temperment, there's no doubt he couldn't survive being ostracized back in the pond, so I may have to just end his misery in a pan as well if he's the one to go!

So far, both have eaten a few crickets the kids have caught around the house. Last night, we cut a nightcrawler in half and dropped it in. They didn't eat it as of the time we are hit the sack, but both halves were gone this morning. They've also eaten a small amount of regular old tropical fish flake food that came with some of the accessories we bought. I hadn't considered the feeder minnow angle, but that may be a good option, although pellet food would probably be the easiest. They are fairly messy and poop almost as much as my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, so a trash eating fish may be a good addition. Thanks for planting the pleco idea in my head, Omaha. I'm also planning to add some of the snails from the pond as I suspect they'd also help in that regard.

Finally, here's a really good shot of Jerry up close. He seems no worse for the wear from Tom's bullying efforts!

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Provided we end up with reasonable success at this small level, I think when we build at the farm the new house will include a wall-sized aquarium stocked almost entirely with fish from our ponds. I've always wanted something like that and can't think of a better idea than to have our own fish in it. Plus, think of all the emotional havoc we can create by regularly rotating the population from the ponds - all of the fish will be carrying little "beam me up" signs, just waiting to see what happens on these terrific adventures out of the hood!