jn Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 HI all, A friend was asking about putting some water lilies into a couple large glazed urns and is concerned about mosquitoes What would you recommend? I think the urns are a decent size.. maybe 40-50L each? Snails don't eat insect larvae do they? I could probably supply her with 2 baby goldfish for each urn which I can then swap back to my own pond at the end of summer or maybe a couple wcmm? I don't expect anything to be able to overwinter in a small pot outdoors down here and do realise the goldfish would outgrow the urns eventually. I'm, hoping mine will breed yearly I should be able to keep supplying new youngsters at the next season. She realises she'd have to do water changes of course.. and the lilies and perhaps a small oxygenator at the bottom should do some natural fitration. How does that sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 chuck in a few wcmm They will definitely control mozzies. If you are lucky they would even breed and you can then sell the offspring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 ok. I guess they'd be 'cleaner' than the goldies too.. she can probably get by on fewer water changes! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Yep minnows, leopards or even flags would be my advice too. They are smaller and will even breed if there is some java moss or oxy-weed in as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 I have a friend with two half barrels with lillies and I gave him some white clouds and they have survived the winter down here OK---pretty hardy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 They survived the winter outside! That's pretty hardy for such a little fish. I think I'd be worried that the temp would fluctuate too much in her smaller containers over the winter (but maybe we can try it for the first year). She's out near ferrymead and they don't get alot of frost. We can make sure the urns go somewhere sheltered. Cool, she'll be pleased. I'll get her some white clouds and set her up with some plants Thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Yeah.. whiteclouds will survive outside as long as things dont get too cold. I dont think they like the pond icing up, but anything short of that doesn't hurt. I'm sure someone will post how they have survived under ice of course A firend of mine had Whiteclouds in an old 2 ft fish tank beside his car shed for years. Water got changed when it rained and they got fed when bugs landed in the water :roll: They thrived there for years. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 They are easier to convert from hot to cold than the other way ---just turn the heater off. Warming them up is best done over a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted August 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Thanks Alan. I'll probably be keeping my own and getting her some 'new' ones. I've only seen mine spawning once and never found any fry yet so haven't got any spare (I have 9 but currently in 2 groups with very poor M/F ratios!). I should drop a pair in my own barrel! The 4 I was treating have been 'symptom free' for a couple of weeks now so I've been turning their temp down a degree every couple of days (was only at 23 anyway!) (warmer temp was to hatch any parasite eggs.. not to benefit the fish ). The ones I got from Wilson (5) at the meeting at scalares place last month must have been used to warmer temps or something cause they have been VERY pale and are only just regaining some colour and picking up their activity in the last few days with the temps warming up!! The leopardfish I got that came from his same tank never slowed down when put into mine. I'll be putting all the wcmm together as soon as I'm sure everyone's 100% healthy and they'll be much better off (1 group is 1female/3 male and the others look like 4f/1 m) and hopefully they'll breed for me! I'll hold off setting up this lady's urns until the temps level off a bit. The waterlilies aren't growing yet anyway and I'll probably need to split some rhizomes to get pieces small enough for her. I think this is best done once they start to put out a bit of new growth right? May move them to a shallow tub in a sunny spot to speed them up. We're closing up a pond this weekend so will be moving them anyway. Probably chuck in a bit of papyrus for some height and then something small submerged underneath...maybe some lilaeopsis/myriophyllum to catch the eggs or some oxygen weed if mine would ever grow enough to take some cuttings from!! Hmm.. have a feeling I'm gonna want this lady's urns for myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 They wont breed outside down here until near on xmas so no rush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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