Fantail head changes

[kimeast]

I've had this fish in my reticulated pond for a year and a half, confined to one 4 mt pool in what is a 25mt long "river-like" system. He shares the pond with other fantails, shubunkins and comets. He is behaving normally and eating well. In the last few months I have noticed his forehead has lightened in color and appears slightly bumpy. It hasn't progressed any further than shown in the photo. Is this anything to worry about or a natural occurrence related to spawning? Thanks.

 

[JamieB]

I’m not familiar with what fantails do, but I know on male comet and commons, they get white bumps on their cheeks/ gill cover area, when ready to breed. So that could be it. Watch your pond, see if you see him chasing any females, and test the water. You can avoid more fry surviving by not feeding them till all the chasing has stopped. Or feed them, add spawning mops, and set up fry grow out tanks.

 

[kimeast]

Thanks, Jamie. He is definitely in the spawning hunting pack after the females, that's how I knew he was a he. I get just enough fry surviving who have been washed down into safer pools, to manage attrition rates in the past. We have had some pretty sharp shooting kookaburras here in Tasmania who were merciless on the bigger fish until we installed a dive through proof cover this year. Problem solved..unless I end up with too many fry in the future due to less adult loss. If so, I can try out your tip on non-feeding until spawning is over. Thanks.

 

[kimeast]

Also Jamie, when I Googled breeding tubercles on fantails and saw what they looked like, when I enlarged the above photo I could spot that my fish's cheeks are covered in them so I presume I am just witnessing a variation of the tubercles on the top of his head. Thanks for helping me.

 

[j.w]

@kimeast and welcome.
First thing I thought was spawning so lets hope that's what it is.

 

[kimeast]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[JamieB]

Glad I could help. From what I’ve gathered about the birds in you’re area,( Tasmania Australia areas), you have some smart birds that might find their way through or around nets. And you have my favorite bird, the lyre bird! Just know that if I ever win the lottery, I’d be coming out for a visit to your neck of the woods! I’d look at parts of Australia to dream of moving to, but Tasmania and New Zealand have more green, less desert!

 

[kimeast]

Yep, you’re right. The kookaburras just dove through the net and punched holes, laughing as they went! It’s been going on for years. I finally asked my husband to make a very beautiful ripple patterned metal grate to go over the fish pool and the kookaburras, being diving kingfishers, don’t even bother to perch and eye them off anymore. They know a headache when they’re looking at one.

 

[addy1]

I have fan tails in our old hot tub pond, They managed to make two babies last summer. I do not feed heavy if at all during spawning, rather have the eggs snacked on.

Right now still hiding from the cold

 

[kimeast]

I'll bet they are!