Carpe Carp

Our goldfish, Wakko and Dot, have decided that nearly a full year of rooming together was too much tension for them to bear, so they had to lay eggs. Lots of 'em.

Goldfish are a type of domesticated river carp, so the babies would like algae or river plants to hide in. Unfortunately, real plants don't last long in our small tank, so we did what any technologically savvy modern American would do: we set up a small net box called an aquarium breeder in one corner. This way Mommy and Daddy don't cannibalize the entire lot (although with the number of eggs they've laid -- twice -- this perhaps isn't such a bad thing. Our fish have laid eggs twice in three weeks.).

The next step is catching the fry (baby fish). (Hence the title, Carpe Carp. Seize the Fish.) They are so small, they fit through the holes in the fishnet. I had to put a knee-high stocking over the net portion so they wouldn't fall through. They are also lightweight enough to swirl crazily around the tank if you move the net too fast ~ even though the water displacement is extremely minimal, it's still enough to toss them around like ships on stormy waters.

So after about a half hour of giving the babies concussions, we managed to scoop five or six into the breeder box. The rest will just have to fend for themselves in true Survivor:Fish Aquarium style. The lucky few have recovered from their recent shock and are darting about normally.

We'll see what they look like. Should be interesting, because although both are fantail goldfish, Wakko is white with very long fins, and Dot is a calico with shorter fins. They're still pretty much clear right now and extremely tiny. They won't get their normal color for weeks yet.