Hidey-ho, friends!
Yesterday I spent a very funny hour, watching a woman try to catch her fish with zero success. She offered to donate some of her baby goldfish to my pond. She had a net over half of the pond and uncovered the other half, so she could catch them with a big net. She didn't want any help -- she is very protective of her fish kids and wanted to do it herself. It really was hysterical. It was as if the fish thought the entire thing was a game. Or maybe an exercise program for both fish and owner!
I left without a single fish -- but a good question was raised. She wanted to know how I would be feeding them. She didn't like the answer that Mother Nature would feed them. "These guys will need food!" We discussed how the feeding "event" of the day makes them more sociable and visible. I am all for that, since my 4 little feeder fish are invisible. I have to sneak out to even get a glimpse of orange before they dart into the cave.
I am happy to feed them, but how will I do that with a skimmer? I feel like I'd basically be feeding the skimmer and not the fish. If they are shy and need the presence of food to encourage them to venture out, it will take some time. The skimmer would just suck it all up.
How do you folks with skimmers handle this? Should I turn off the pump during feeding time? Maybe if I end up with some medium sized pond fish that are already used to being fed, they will encourage the other fish to join in?
Yesterday I spent a very funny hour, watching a woman try to catch her fish with zero success. She offered to donate some of her baby goldfish to my pond. She had a net over half of the pond and uncovered the other half, so she could catch them with a big net. She didn't want any help -- she is very protective of her fish kids and wanted to do it herself. It really was hysterical. It was as if the fish thought the entire thing was a game. Or maybe an exercise program for both fish and owner!
I left without a single fish -- but a good question was raised. She wanted to know how I would be feeding them. She didn't like the answer that Mother Nature would feed them. "These guys will need food!" We discussed how the feeding "event" of the day makes them more sociable and visible. I am all for that, since my 4 little feeder fish are invisible. I have to sneak out to even get a glimpse of orange before they dart into the cave.
I am happy to feed them, but how will I do that with a skimmer? I feel like I'd basically be feeding the skimmer and not the fish. If they are shy and need the presence of food to encourage them to venture out, it will take some time. The skimmer would just suck it all up.
How do you folks with skimmers handle this? Should I turn off the pump during feeding time? Maybe if I end up with some medium sized pond fish that are already used to being fed, they will encourage the other fish to join in?