Hi Robyn,
Just thought I'd update you on the progress of my second batch of Rosy Reds.
As you know my first batch of rosy reds all died practically overnight and you told me I probably overmedicated them. Well that seems to be the case, because I'm happy to report the new batch of one dozen which I bought three days ago seems to be thriving! About 14 of them are outdoors in a 30 gallon tub with a small air pump driven filter some frogbit, and they are all actively swimming. No "floaters" in three days! They even survived a very cold night....it went down to 39 degrees here this past Thursday.

The only thing I'm confused about is that they don't seem that hungry or interested in the floating micropelleted food. I've offered thawed bloodworms
and that generated a lot of activity (I guess they can "smell" the food), but I can't see if they are all eating because the tub is black and some of the fish are dark.
Are feeder fish fed lots of live food where they are bred, to grow quickly?
They mostly hang out in a tight school at the bottom but some of them get adventurous and swim around the perimeter. They are cute! I'm worried if they don't know how to eat. I'm so used to my white clouds, which are always hungry and feed right at the surface. I don't want to overfeed the rosy reds, but I don't want to starve them either. I'm keeping tabs on the ammonia situation. Would 10% water changes every three days be enough? I know the tub may be slightly overstocked, but if I do water changes will that compensate.

I really need your advice because I haven't had a newly established tank in a while. I've had my white clouds for over two years (inspired by your site) with an undergravel filter which I know you don't approve of, but I love it, I only change 25% - 30% of the water once a week and vacuum the gravel (which never seems that dirty). They don't breed, but they seem healthy. Same for my betta and albino catfish which are in a 5 gallon tank with outside filter.

I plan to keep the rosy reds in the 30 gallon tub (so I can monitor them more closely), and medicate starting next week with Aquarisol if you think that is a good idea (but not all the different meds at once, and carefully measured doses, as I learned the hard way), then I am going to slowly replace their water with the pond water over the course of a week, and then introduce them into the pond. Sound like a plan?

Also, mixed in with the rosy reds was another one larger feeder fish, a drab dark brown color, could it be a goldfish? It is shaped like a goldfish. Can I keep it with the rosy reds, eventually to go in the 180 gallon pond? I didn't have the heart to tell the fish store guy that I didn't want it, and it was already sealed in the bag. It would have been fish food in short order, anyway.

Thanks again Robyn!

I'm glad the fish are doing well this time. Don't worry yet about them not eating well. They have to settle in and are probably scared. Also, as you said, it's not very warm. As things warm up, they will eat more. They will be more apt to go for live or frozen bloodworms and other bugs. Feeder fish may be fed live foods; it depends on where they were raised. Some are bred in ponds and eat natural foods. Others are tank-raised with only man-made non-living foods. I actually don't know the predominant method.

"I'm so used to my white clouds, which are always hungry and feed right at the surface."

All the white clouds I've had have been the opposite, not really coming to actively feed. My rosy reds are pigs and dash around like mad when I put in food.

"I don't want to overfeed the rosy reds, but I don't want to starve them either. I'm keeping tabs on the ammonia situation. Would 10% water changes every three days be enough? I know the tub may be slightly overstocked, but if I do water changes will that compensate."

By seeing how much food is left over, you can figure out how much to feed. You may have to start with smaller amounts until they learn what's going on and become active feeders. Small water changes would be helpful for them. I do 50% weekly water changes in my aquariums but virtually no water changes in my ponds (go figure!). Part of the reason is trying to save well water but also ponds seem to be able to handle things better. Nature changes the water when it rains. I do top off all my ponds.

"I really need your advice because I haven't had a newly established tank in a while. I've had my white clouds for over two years (inspired by your site) with an undergravel filter which I know you don't approve of, but I love it, I only change 25% - 30% of the water once a week and vacuum the gravel (which never seems that dirty). They don't breed, but they seem healthy. Same for my betta and albino catfish which are in a 5 gallon tank with outside filter. "

It's not that I don't "approve" of the undergravel filter; I just personally don't like them. They're certainly better than nothing! They've been around for many decades and do what they're supposed to do.

"I plan to keep the rosy reds in the 30 gallon tub (so I can monitor them more closely), and medicate starting next week with Aquarisol if you think that is a good idea (but not all the different meds at once, and carefully measured doses, as I learned the hard way), then I am going to slowly replace their water with the pond water over the course of a week, and then introduce them into the pond. Sound like a plan?"

Sounds fine. You might also use an antibiotic like Maracyn because most feeders have bacterial problems of some sort or another. It's safe to use Aquarisol at the same time as I've done many times.

"Also, mixed in with the rosy reds was another one larger feeder fish, a drab dark brown color, could it be a goldfish? It is shaped like a goldfish. Can I keep it with the rosy reds, eventually to go in the 180 gallon pond? I didn't have the heart to tell the fish store guy that I didn't want it, and it was already sealed in the bag. It would have been fish food in short order, anyway. "

Is this extra fish the same size and shape as the rosy reds or larger and goldfish-shaped as you did say? If it's the same size as the rosy reds, it's probably a fathead minnow which is their normal color. Otherwise, I guess a goldfish got in there. Baby goldfish (except for shubunkins) are all blah, gray/black until they are a few inches long. A goldfish will be fine with them.

No it the odd fish is definitely not a fathead, I got some of those with the rosy reds also. I do like the rosy reds best because they are much easier to see in a black tub or black linered pond. I may eventually separate them from the fatheads so they won't interbreed. I could have insisted that the fish store personnel pick out only the rosys from the tank but I didn't want him chasing them all over the tank, they were all mixed in. If you say it that baby goldfish are dark in color, I'm pretty sure that is what it is. From the top it looks almosts indistinguishable from the fathead minnows, but it is almost as tall as it is long, about 3/4 inch in height top to bottom, viewed from the side it is very obviously a different species. If it is a goldfish will it possibly change color eventually? They are all eating food now, even the "goldfish" is doing well. I think they will be fine. Thanks very much for your advice.

I keep forgetting to log in before posting. Adding to my reply above,
I am 99% sure the odd fish received with the fatheads and
rosy reds is a young goldfish, it looks just like the ones in
this photo, and I can pick him out from the others even from the top,
he is a little bit thicker in the body.

Baby Goldfish

It looks likes there's a ghost shrimp in that photo too.

I agree it seems you have a goldfish in the mix.

Separating the fatheads and rosy reds will increase the likelihood of rosy red offspring but you'll still get some fathead babies if the rosy reds aren't "purebred" (and none really are). The mix of fish you have were probably all from rosy red parents, and you see there are some fatheads.