Sanso, thanks for the new thread.
Foxfish, good advice.
I am trying to sort out proper housing for mine. In the spring they will need a pond filter, because with so many of them water quality will become an issue in warm weather. They are also growing constantly, competing for the title of biggest fish. I suspect that the carp hybrid will eventually win.
They can still be a mystery - after 20 years of keeping fish they still do things I don't understand. Recently the weather started to become very cold, and I did not want to risk the two smallest fish, the carp hybrid and a goldfish with very long fins. I brought them indoors, and set up a plastic tub with a filter. At first they were happy, but soon they became extremely stressed. The water quality seemed good, and they had no obvious disease, but they rested in a corner or in a plant pot most of the time. If they were disturbed by someone walking past, they started dashing around and hitting their noses on objects. Eventually the carp stopped eating, and I decided that the only thing I could do is to try putting it back outside. I mixed the water to change the temperature slowly, and put it back outdoors with the others. It immediately started moving around and eating again. I put the remaining fish outside with the same results.
Maybe they don't like the colour of the tub they were in? It was light grey, and their outdoor pond is black. Maybe they like natural light? Maybe they like the security of being with the big fish?
