How big is your biggest goldfish?

[WaterGardener]

I would think they would be better off being thinner than most of mine are, especially the females. But I can't help myself. I like to see them eat and I have way too many as it is.

 

[brokensword]

I think they say that the fish will live longer if you don't overfeed but you know "they" say a lot of things. I underfeed mine and I never see any fat fish in the pond. They are all pretty streamlined. Maybe I should do the same for myself

WHAT??? Give up road clearing AND chocolate???? Blasphemy!

 

[j.w]

WHAT??? Give up road clearing AND chocolate???? Blasphemy!


View attachment 146384

Yep giving up sweets of any kind I have figured is not in my cards. I have no self control when any are in our home. If they are here they get eaten and oh boy I have discovered Safeway has an ice cream that is called Extreme Chocolate Moose Tracks and it is to die for!
Road clearing is all done,whew!

Oh now back to fish are big. I used to have a great big white goldfish. He/she just disappeared! Think it got dead and prolly dissolved into thin air or water

 

[rubyduby]

A few of my comets and shubunkins are over 12 inches, 14 or maybe more? I have a difficult time holding them with both hands if I have to catch them for some reason.

But I'm a chronic over-feeder and since my pond is in a greenhouse it stays pretty warm. I feed most every day, year round and filtration runs all the time.

A couple of days ago is the first time this season they have not come up for food. Yesterday they did. If they come to the surface, I feed them. If they don't, I pass on feeding them.

Shubunkins get that big??? I thought the max was about 6"

 

[brokensword]

Shubunkins get that big??? I thought the max was about 6"

noppa, 14-16" max but I think you'll find most end up at 10" or less. If you feed a lot and there's a lot of protein, I bet you could approach that max number! Better tell your lil newbs they're on a diet right from the start!

 

[SarahT]

Aren't Rubyduby's little newbies are already on a diet to quell their frolics and friskies?

 

[brokensword]

Aren't Rubyduby's little newbies are already on a diet to quell their frolics and friskies?

somehow, I'd think a huge meal would slow the males down, dontcha think? Works in humans, right??? heh heh

 

[rubyduby]

Since the pond is new and doesn’t have a lot of algae I have been feeding twice a day…not a lot of bugs for them either since the weathers been cold (for Florida)
I will cut to once a day soon….I love feeding them though So I don’t think I will ever stop completely

 

[brokensword]

Since the pond is new and doesn’t have a lot of algae I have been feeding twice a day…not a lot of bugs for them either since the weathers been cold (for Florida)
I will cut to once a day soon….I love feeding them though So I don’t think I will ever stop completely

just don't over feed; for instance, I generally throw enough pellets out so each fish (mid size) gets one. That's it. Now of course, the larger are like hoovers and definitely get more, but that's expected. The point being, your fish don't need that much, even now before algae has formed to nibble. If you put ANY plants in there, the fish can and will nibble on roots, sometimes to your chagrin and anger!

 

[CometKeith]

jus' fer edumacation purposes, Keith; yellow and black = KI Utsuri; what you have is orange/red and black = Hi utsuri as you noted.

Yes I probably knew that as I mix up the Hi and Ki Utsuri Lol. Usually I double check it before I mention it. Just was a little lazy this time and took a 50% chance I would be right!

 

[addy1]

Yes I probably knew that as I mix up the Hi and Ki Utsuri Lol. Usually I double check it before I mention it. Just was a little lazy this time and took a 50% chance I would be right!

lol you are doing better than me ................. I see every single one a just a koi!

 

[brokensword]

lol you are doing better than me ................. I see every single one a just a koi!

it can be very tempting, once you 'look' outside the goldfish box. For me, I just liked the different colors and patterns. Shubbies are a great gateway to that and I had them for 8 years with little inclination to expand the herd's diversity, but yeah, once you get one, it's very hard to stop! And too, the older I get, the more I realize I don't want to have too many regrets. Seems like getting koi shouldn't be a hard decision in that regard; it's just mainly money, ya know? Can't do this with all aspects of life but this one? I can.

 

[brokensword]

Yes I probably knew that as I mix up the Hi and Ki Utsuri Lol. Usually I double check it before I mention it. Just was a little lazy this time and took a 50% chance I would be right!

heh, you actually had a 33% chance; you're forgetting there's also a Shiro Utsuri!

 

[addy1]

yeah just a koi BUT I love my plants, no fish digging in the lilies, no fuss no muss, the fish just live. No scale scraping no fret no worries. Even no food all summer if I want to go that way. Well no food ever, they just do fine. I do feed now and then as a treat lol

 

[brokensword]

yeah just a koi BUT I love my plants, no fish digging in the lilies, no fuss no muss, the fish just live. No scale scraping no fret no worries. Even no food all summer if I want to go that way. Well no food ever, they just do fine. I do feed now and then as a treat lol

true, you do have to consider the plantings. I've moved to 'mrsclemming' them and so far after one season, I'm sold. They came up through the mesh holes and had normal flowers, so other than the zip-tieing and un--zip-tieing each fall, they're easy to manipulate. There's definitely something to be said for fish that behave themselves! You know, just like you've trained the herons there and now, the vultures. You have a knack!