Here's a pic of some babies..shallow end (20inches). Hard to get them together for a group photo LOL. The ones marked w/ red are from the first hatching & are half the size of parents & are starting to get lighter in color.

Notice the different sizes. Still won't know how many there are total, but I'm surprised at this many that survived. Fish will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. I tried marking them in red.
I think there will be another egg hatching soon. Here's a pic of them trying to mate AGAIN, that's 2 fish at lower left. They rub against each other & follow with their head trying to go up one's butt and are VERY active. Fun to watch!

Thats awsome patty. Maybe over the winter I'll put in a nice pond.

Thanks, they keep mosquito population down too. I haven't been bit once

Last week, I let one of the bigger babies (no coloring yet) in to Lake Michigan where there are a lot of Carp (what goldfish really are).
Turns out he likes to follow kayaker's. Someone took this pic today.

My, they grow fast don't they!!!???

Goodness!!! and I thought mine were growing fast!!! Good thing you turned it loose before it got that big and you had to feed it!!! though I wouldn't mind having one of those in my pond.. Keep the stray cat and squirrel population *that come to drink at my pond* down...

Gina *BabyBlue*

Can you imagine that following you? That poor guy musta been sittin in some very warm 'water' after seeing that!

UH HUH!!!

BTW.. if you have trouble with stray cats and or squirrels I am going to try red pepper.. I read that birds and fish are immune to the capsasian *stuff that makes peppers hot* and that it in fact makes them more vivid colors.. Though cats and squirrels are not immune..
I am going to do a test on common gold fish.. if you are interested in the results let me know..

Gina *BabyBlue*

Thanks, I have tried cayenne pepper on plants & it does work for squirrles, but washed off in rain. I know it doesn't harm birds. Gonna post a pic in "pests" thread of what something did to my fish food canisters early this a.m. GRRRRRR. I think it was a raccoon or possum.

The ice in pond has thawed enough to see about 12 inches water areound edge of pond. Still about a 2-3 inch slab in center. 3 bigger fish were belly up & about 5 smaller ones are dead. Didn't find any more . I guess they didn't know to go in rocks to hybernate... boo hoo.
The plants in there are fine, but will have to wait & see how many fish, if any, have survived this winter. Of about 20 fish, only 8 died ..so far.

Ah yes, the infamous Fish Boil, I work at one every Labor Day weekend in Port Wing Wisc, where my sister lives. So excellant, cooked outdoors, Lake Trout, potatoes, onions,coleslaw dark bread and beer!!! YUM, except for the beer! I will be anxious to hear just what kind of fish you have there Patty. Should you end up with Crappies, let me know and I will come on down and do some fishing!

Joan, they are all goldfish. The babies I bought last spring mated & I think there was over 20 babies. Today the 3 inch slab of ice is melted & I pulled out 5 more dead babies - some only 1 inch long. This means they didn't all die. Still won't know final count of survivors till it warms up more & pond gets cleaned. I think the rest are still hibernating in rocks.