eiseni returns!

[GaryofMontreal]

I've begun to catch the Xenotoca eiseni I put out for the summer in the school pond. The minnow trap is going in ,and the results are spectacular. The males are brightly coloured, and while I put out two full adults and three young adults, I have removed four full sized adults and two sexable coloured up younger fish, with more to come. The trap has only been out one day.
I have a much reduced 'crop' of paradise fish this year though. Then again, in past years, they didn't have Goodeids to compete with. It's a blessing not to have to find homes for them.
The pond is 2.5 feet deep, about six feet across and about twelve feet long, and has a dozen common goldfish in it as well. It's in an enclosed courtyard in the centre of the high school building. It has a homemade biological filter that feeds into a low waterfall, abundant shoreline vegetation, plus papyrus and lilies, and lots of sunlight.

[CACAdmin]

You get to go pond fishing (with a trap) and it's full of surprises. I wondeer what the total numer of Xenotoca eiseni will be. Sounds like they did extremely well (and I'm sure enjoyed their summer home).

Who gets the job of pond maintenance over the summer? You alone, or have you recruited any interested students?

[Pamelajo]

Sounds like they enjoyed their summer home.

[OldMan]

I am hoping for something similar with my eiseni. They went out to the summer tub in mid May and will come in about a month from now. My tub is obviously much smaller at only about 6 ft long and 3 ft wide, so they didn't get as much swimming room as yours did. With a tub they are much easier to catch. You drain the water to almost nothing and just net them out.

[GaryofMontreal]

I get the summer maintenance. As soon as you get a kid involved, he or she graduates. It's the nature of high school.
We teach the special needs kids to feed the big goldfish until the fish have to come indoors for the winter. But for maintenance and the dirty work, it takes a teacher. I'm pleased with the filtration, as the pond never went green this year, and the algae growth was reasonable. It's an old pond now, and I've been concerned about eutrophication. It's been vandalized a couple of times, and things have gone into it that you wouldn't necessarily want.
The filter is made of of the largest size maxi-jet powerhead and a big plastic box full of media submerged at the deepest part. The water's pulled through the box and then out the waterfall. All it took was some drilling. It works remarkably well.

[CACAdmin]

Hope you're not too far from the school to drop by to feed and do maintenance. That's great that you didn't have an algae bloom. You must have a good balance in there.

It's reat to get the special needs kids involved in the feeding of the goldfish. I'm sure they enjoy it and it gives them a feeling of responsibility.

Vandalism? What a shame. Isee so much of it everyday but one always hopes that something with live creatures in it would be left alone... but I guess not.

Do you have any students join you when you check the trap? (eager to see your 'catch'?)