Dogger, Fisher and German Bight.- Update

There having been something of an orgy in the fish pond, about six weeks ago I removed some weed and spotted a few pearly eggs glistening on the fronds.  Transferring them into a small plastic tank, I sat back to wait.  It was a couple of weeks before I noticed what I hoped were baby fish although Him outdoors thought they were probably mosquito larva.  Ever optimistic I continued to spy on them and decided that they were indeed fishlets (‘fry’ to the in-crowd).  Clearly there weren’t very many and I rushed to the internet to find out what happens next.

The Doctor Spock guide to good aquatic parenting warned of a high mortality rate. how to keep the water fresh, how not to install a filter that will probably swallow them up, plus dire warnings about water quality and advice on dietary requirements.  I of course read all this after the event and the advice was to feed them other microscopic  creatures, the like of which I had never heard and had no idea how to acquire.  A small amount of hard boiled egg was also mentioned and eggs being to hand, I boiled them one – for three minutes?  Lightly done? Rock solid?  Having extracted  a piece of yolk the size of a poppy seed I plonked into the water. It floated.  Whether this was good or bad, I didn’t know but next morning it was still there so I took it out again.

As an afterthought the fish Bible said that ordinary fish flakes could be used although the tone implied that this was rather like rearing your little ones on chips and chocolate. It stressed that very small amounts were essential in order not to poison the water.

Turns out we have four offspring.so I reckon the amount needed is roughly the equivalent of a speck of dust.  Whether they eat it or play with is, I’m not sure but twice a day we go through the peering into the tank routine, eventually spotting one and being reassured that they are still there, sprinkling an atom of fairy dust and placing them somewhere sheltered for the night.

I only get to see them properly when the tank looks sufficiently suspicious to need cleaning.  Catching something the size of a grain or rice that darts off in all directions isn’t easy, but to date they have had three complete changes of water and daily removals and top ups as seems necessary.  The good news is that the four are still there and growing.  They even look the tiniest bit like fish.