Boarded goldfish.

[MaryP]

My very large pond goldfish are in the basement for the winter. I have a waterfall filter and a sponge filter. They play in the bubbles. A large clay planter they go in and some plants. Which of course they pull out. Any ideas of what else I can do to keep them happy until Spring

 

[brokensword]

you could put in a ball pit, soft ice cream dispenser, some video games, an arcade stuffed toy grabber, and a hands-on historical display showing how goldfish came to be domesticized! heh, just kidding of course; fish are basic animals and spend most of their time looking for food, so maybe add some plants (if you don't have any) of the floating variety, but make sure you have sufficient light. Most structures underwater are looked at as safe cover from predators, which always makes fish feel more comfortable.

Oh, just re-read; you can keep your plants IN the pot by putting some plastic chicken wire around/over (called 'mrsclemming them')and letting the plants grow through. I zip tie the mesh to the plastic pots. To keep YOU more happy during the winter months, consider getting an action cam with UW housing, or if you have waterproof phone cam, take weekly videos of the fish to both amuse yourself (and US!) and monitor the fish. Otherwise, stop on by here, GPF, and set a spell, take your shoes off, pester the residents with both innocuous and sensible questions, grab some cold pizza, take a swig of @poconojoe 's beer, you know, normal societal stuff! And of course, DREAM about all the little tweaks you'll do NEXT spring!

Okay, yeah, it's a bit slow this time of year; SOMEONE's got to wake everybody up! My turn this month...(I better get another + added to my pay for this...grumble, mutter, grouse!)

 

[Dimelius]

you could put in a ball pit, soft ice cream dispenser, some video games, an arcade stuffed toy grabber, and a hands-on historical display showing how goldfish came to be domesticized! heh, just kidding of course; fish are basic animals and spend most of their time looking for food, so maybe add some plants (if you don't have any) of the floating variety, but make sure you have sufficient light. Most structures underwater are looked at as safe cover from predators, which always makes fish feel more comfortable.

Oh, just re-read; you can keep your plants IN the pot by putting some plastic chicken wire around/over (called 'mrsclemming them')and letting the plants grow through. I zip tie the mesh to the plastic pots. To keep YOU more happy during the winter months, consider getting an action cam with UW housing, or if you have waterproof phone cam, take weekly videos of the fish to both amuse yourself (and US!) and monitor the fish. Otherwise, stop on by here, GPF, and set a spell, take your shoes off, pester the residents with both innocuous and sensible questions, grab some cold pizza, take a swig of @poconojoe 's beer, you know, normal societal stuff! And of course, DREAM about all the little tweaks you'll do NEXT spring!

Okay, yeah, it's a bit slow this time of year; SOMEONE's got to wake everybody up! My turn this month...(I better get another + added to my pay for this...grumble, mutter, grouse!)

View attachment 145419

Can i become your goldfish? :O i want a stuffed toy grabber and other stuffs

 

[brokensword]

Can i become your goldfish? :O i want a stuffed toy grabber and other stuffs

ya gots ta ask @MaryP ; tis her show!

 

[MaryP]

Ok. I deserved that. Ha ha. I like my animals to be comfortable and happy. A spoiled rescue Chi and an elderly handicapped foster Maine Coon ,rosy minnows and some tropicals. I'm going to try a cat toy ball. Maybe they'll push it aroynd. The goldfish have a light on during the day. 3rd year of having them down there. Yes, ideas for next year....

 

[mrsclem]

Ok @brokensword - pay up. That's got a copyright on it!