July 7th 6:51pm

Wow,

So yeah not much else I can update on there, only that I’ve had to stop pumping out the water, it was chomping too many of the fry. Don’t want to kill them without them getting fair chance.

Still feeding twice a day although a little more. The mix is dried blood worm, secret formula and crushed hikari pellets now. Boy they are growing though.

Turned the air stone off and you can see hundreds of them against the green water. And the water is really green, like stagnant green, with thousands of daphnea and live blood worm. I tested the water peram tonight and there is zero nitrite and ammonia! how I have no idea, but something is working. Hoping it stays like that till sat when we’re drilling the drain hole into the qt so we can fit a small valve. That way when I sieve the babies they won’t be going through any chomper. In the next few weeks I’ll be sieving them straight into the net so we can eventually turn on the filter and heater, get them growing more.

All is good though, although I have no idea what are what, there are black fish. Which, when you look closer at them they look more like dotted fish. The others were clear, but now are more yellow. There are however some which have black spots on them, or some which have a stripe down their side.

My favourite which I’ve caught three times so far is a big yellow fish with a black head. It really stands out from the rest. I want to keep this one, if I can find it again lol…. when we net the whole qt.

So plans are as follows, grow, grow,   grow….   

D

June 8th 8:33pm

Yeah got the new valve fitted, so easy to drain without the chomper…… even better.

Temp is a bit cooler, but hope to get the heater on soon…. once they’re a bit bigger.

Water changes and food for the win though… they are growing like mad… love it.

Dawn 

July 11th 4:01pm

I know, all good stuff.

Drain works a treat, got the qt back to its normal level. So tried it out today, tomorrow might be the first real test though. Just got to wash out the pipe with clean water to make sure no babies are stuck in it. But other than that, no more chomper.    

They’re defo getting bigger, starting to chase the daphnea around now and you can see them trying to eat em. Don’t think they’ll be many left by the end of the week. Least it has been something extra for them to eat. 

Looking good though, can’t wait to get them even bigger still and see how they do turn out next year. Amazing that something so tiny can grow so fast.

D

July 16th 11:52am

Update this week, the drain is a treat, makes it so much easier to clean the water down.

Apart from the rain last few days, its been hot and the babies are doing great. When I drain now. I’m lucky if I get 20 out through he sieve. All the others are around the bottom….

But WOW how big they are! I caught one to show the family and it was massive. Huge big fat belly on it.  I am chuffed. There are still some small ones, but I don’t care, they are awesome.

Can’t wait to see them in a few more weeks….

D

10:05pm

It defo hasn’t been an easy few weeks. But I’ve learned a lot. Nature has had a good part in it. The blood worm are eating some of the rubbish in the water, the daphnea are as well. Now the baby koi are also eating the bloodworm and daphnea. The cycle of life is amazing. I didn’t even know that bloodworm were flys till Paul said. Now it all fits together perfect and they help each other out. Don’t think that they will last much longer though the koi are getting too big.

Mon August 1st 6:11am

4:34pm

Of course, I will watch it.  thanks.

Also just wondering what else I can do to get the nitrite level down… I can put in some Nite out, that could help. Doing another big water change today, but hoping that it will settle. No food this afternoon Paul already fed them, so cutting back. Even for the big fish…. got to be done, don’t want any of them over fed while we’re away.

Putting in some Sansai to both today, think that will help both sets of fish.

Less than a week to go…

Dawn

7:43pm

A new video of the babies, qt pond half empty, sorry about the bubbles and the noise. If you turn it off they scarper away.

Enjoy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wOFnJs8OHk

Ps watch out for the big black one. x