So a couple a years ago I started a blog on a different web site, some loved it others preferred interactive threads instead. Threads to me over the years have been very beneficial but they tend to be too short, chopped up, and someone always comes in off topic. So this time it is going to be a little different, as our blog teams are not guests, they are owners and board members for the most part. Hopefully we all will have more learning and insights from the team we have assembled.
So, my name is Gary Hater, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. I have been raising and breeding fish since the mid 1960’s (yes, old guy) and breeding Goldfish since 1980 (Red Cap Orandas were my starter fish and I still love them). Over the decades, my wife has put up with a serious hobby that by many people is out of control. I have been lucky; she doesn’t love the hobby but does nothing to impede it. Adult children help when I travel or need pond maintenance. And now my grandkids and their friends are starting to assist in culling.
So, I hope you all and I will have big fun with this venture. I am going to start a series on Goldfish Food. Homemade food for me has been perfected over the last twenty plus years but in the last year have added some twists and turns and now, gone in a few different directions. I intend to visit the pros and cons of canned, frozen, fresh and leftovers. Then I thought I might touch on homemade conditioning foods, medicated foods, and special effects, like wen growth.
Next, the food we buy. Ask yourself are you buying based on some fancy name or better ingredients, costs per ounce or born on date? How much fat is too much? We are not going to recommend any one vendor but we hope to give you enough information/education so you can read the labels and make some value judgements. Goldfish have guts not stomachs, can they digest some items in your fish food?
As we wind down food I thought we would visit the dark side of the hobby and discuss floating in fish. After more than 35 years of breeding and growing goldfish, I still get floaters and yes, they often die. Personally, it makes me feel ill and helpless when our only answers are Epson salts, peas, Prazi, change water, and so sorry. The Goldfish Council has this issue on our potential long term research goals, understanding floating, but in the mean time we (me and my goldfish breeding friends) have been chewing on potential causes. So I thought we would discuss, bacteria populations, too much food, high protein food, wrong size food, potential deficiencies, infected swim bladder, egg impaction and other factors. We presently tend to think there are multiple and compounding causes, hopefully we can help you try to avoid the problem areas and possible causes. In our wildest dreams our fish will live longer
After the dark side, I hope to move into my favorite part of the hobby, babies and fry. If you are not a breeder, these will be how to guide, if you are a breeder these will be new tricks I’ve used over the years.
Last of the first series will be the future of the hobby.
Until next time, hopefully in a week, may all your fish be champions and produce great fry.
Gary