#hibuna

[fourteen--steps]

More wet idiots but this time they're pretty

[aligerouswayfarer]

May 2015

[coolfishnetwork]

Most of the pictures I post aren't my fish, they're just fish I think are cool or want some day. BUT... these guys are mine! I'd had to temporarily leave them in the hands of a close relative after hurricane Florence. I've finally gotten them back and I'm delighted to be reunited with them. The hurricane forced me to permanently rehome all my fish that needed heated water, but thankfully I was able to hold onto my goldfish and dojo loaches. The aforementioned family member was kind enough to let me store them in a 100 gallon stock tank under a shelter in their back yard. So, like I say, I just found a good home for my tropicals. #goldfishunion #goldfish #goldfishofinstagram #hibuna #coolfish #fish #fishtank #aquarium #freshwaterfish #freshwaterfishtank #freshwateraquarium #aquariumhobby #aquariumhobbyist https://www.instagram.com/p/BqszljhBhE9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12i4b8m40m0xe

[magdela]

Pond feesh #hibuna #dandyorandas #tamasaba

[magdela]

Took my ranchu medallion from @jthompsonranchu out by the pond for a photo shoot. We've got Sinker (#hibuna) on the left, Dr. Spaceman (#fantail) on the top, and Saltine (#ryukin) on the bottom right.

[goldfishgalaxy]

A few more of the willing models from the pond.

[goldfishgalaxy]

A few of my hibuna and comets during pond maintenance last Friday. They’re all pretty large although not done growing. Even though my pond is fitted with a heater winter is still a slower time of growth for them, so all my outdoor fish age and grow differently than indoor fish. The fish on the left is Shokin, who you may remember from this post showing his transformation from skinny feeder fish into a vibrant and thriving adult. The center fish is his son Izoku; whose mother is a calico ryukin named Kai. As you can see Izoku inherited the deep body of a fancy, and while not as long as his father is much heavier. He also never lost his fry color which makes him look like a wild carp! You can see many pictures of Izoku as a fry here, here, and here. Finally, the fish to the right is Orange Peel, who was picked out of the petco 15cent feeder tank by Rob. OP is a really pretty comet with big flowing fins; compare his growth to this video taken 03/15/13. It's amazing how fish grow and change as they age, and although singletails are not seen as valuable to many I personally love them. 

[goldfishgalaxy]

Life After The Feeder Tank

This is Shokin, and he is a fairly typically hibuna (common) goldfish. His name comes from the Japanse word 賞金 meaning prize; because that's exactly what he was. A petstore in my area has a gumball machine, you put a quarter in and if a yellow gumball comes rolling down you get a fish out of the feeder tank. I just so happened to get a yellow gumball and out of the tank of overcrowded feeders I took home a skinny, pale, and underfed common. Shokin is my prize, but not because I won him, but rather because he has grown into such a beautiful fish. A bright and active fish many guests mistake him for a small koi when they visit the pond. Last June he weighed a petite 6g, and even through the harshest winter on record he's managed to increase his weight sixfold.

Contrary to popular belief feeder fish are not inherently more sickly or less hardy, in fact it is quite the opposite. The fish that do survive being shipped in a bag with hundreds of other fish and then often kept in less than ideal water conditions are the strongest of the strong. Shokin arrived most likely on a tuesday in that store, packed in less than a gallon of water with 150 other feeders. I won him on a friday, so that means not only did he survive nearly a week in a feeder system but he managed to avoid being netted and sold as food. In may of last year he spawned with my calico ryukin Kai and his son Izoku (who you can see below) is not even a year old and already weighs as much as his father:

So this is a friendly reminder that while my main focus is fancy goldfish every goldfish keeper should be able to appreciate a common goldfish, and what many feeders go through only to end up as a meal. Just because a fish is free or bred to be food for another fish does not render it's life worthless. Any fish when well cared for can turn into a lovely adult and goldfish have an amazing biological capacity to rebound from periods of severe neglect. On behalf of Shokin and all his feeder brethren that do not get a happy ending in a big pond, consider taking a feeder home with you if you have the space and resources.