3rd time lucky?
We'll find out tomorrow morning, because I'm taking advantage of the sunny spell and kicked off another spawning this afternoon - it's showa. I've actually lost count of how many times I've tried to spawn this showa this year, but it's at least 2 and perhaps 3.
I was on course to finish the kohaku selections today, but cut that short to kick off the spawning; and now that's started I am staying out of the polytunnel to give them some piece. The IP cam is proving invaluable, and I have been watching the spawning vat from afar which has given me the chance to check the oyagoi have settled in and observe their general behaviour.
It looks promising, but I've been there before this year and it's just been tough with the showa's.
I inspected the females before choosing which one to run with today, and the Takeda one felt like she was in better shape for spawning - so I'm running with her today.
Funny thing happened while I was selecting through the kohaku's. I went through many pan net's worth of fry, but one turned out to be more eventful than the rest. There was a particularly large one amongst the 20 or so in the pan net and I was focussed on it's nose pattern, looking for some white on the nose - when it jerked in one direction and when my eyes focussed on it next there was a small tail protruding from it's mouth. Quite alarming to see predation like that at such close quarters.
I'll finish the selections off tomorrow, and second selection won't be far away considering how fast the keepers have been growing. The patterns are starting becoming easier to see as they grow and when I'm at the fry tank for first selection, it's very easy to be distracted by the keepers from last week instead of doing what I'm supposed to be, which is getting through first selection.
Keeping everything crossed for the Showa spawning this evening.
I was on course to finish the kohaku selections today, but cut that short to kick off the spawning; and now that's started I am staying out of the polytunnel to give them some piece. The IP cam is proving invaluable, and I have been watching the spawning vat from afar which has given me the chance to check the oyagoi have settled in and observe their general behaviour.
It looks promising, but I've been there before this year and it's just been tough with the showa's.
I inspected the females before choosing which one to run with today, and the Takeda one felt like she was in better shape for spawning - so I'm running with her today.
Funny thing happened while I was selecting through the kohaku's. I went through many pan net's worth of fry, but one turned out to be more eventful than the rest. There was a particularly large one amongst the 20 or so in the pan net and I was focussed on it's nose pattern, looking for some white on the nose - when it jerked in one direction and when my eyes focussed on it next there was a small tail protruding from it's mouth. Quite alarming to see predation like that at such close quarters.
I'll finish the selections off tomorrow, and second selection won't be far away considering how fast the keepers have been growing. The patterns are starting becoming easier to see as they grow and when I'm at the fry tank for first selection, it's very easy to be distracted by the keepers from last week instead of doing what I'm supposed to be, which is getting through first selection.
Keeping everything crossed for the Showa spawning this evening.
