no pics yet
Yeah where you been dude.
busy building motor bikes and trucks and stuff.
well i havnt really had much to update on until today.
so to recap
the tank has been running all winter. the only heating in the non insulated shed is a 40 watt tube heater that sits under the tank (about 1ft under) this is only there to take the chill out the air. water temp has been fairly consistent over the colder months getting down to low teens with a couple of days even down to single figures.
the cat much like a reptile went into a reduced rate, hasn't feed since december and from my knowledge has not moved from a caved area since dec. living off its food stores from the summer. water condition hasn't changed, but the lower temps has improved to oxygen content.
from my research the temps have never been life threatening to the fish and i would have thought the highland giants would experience these temp regular through their winter months with water temps into the single figures especially with snow melting etc.
today or rather the last few days we had a rise in temp, outside air temp into the mid teens and today in the high teens. the air temp inside the shed is 24'c water temp is around 18'c. today was the first time since the rise i have checked on him and he was out moving. he has lost a bit of body mass but again he is not underweight and he feed today for the first time in nearly 4 months so won't take long to get that back on.
is this the right way to keep them??
well i dont know im not sure anyone else is doing it this way but from my reading they are much like sturgeon in that they like colder temps and lots of oxygen (may make a cool tank mate???) but i see no ill effects of this certainly the closest to natural as i can get it. the water shouldn't freeze i'm sure that is too cold and prolong temps in single figures wouldn't be good but i think the outside approach will pay off also a much more natural feeding routine of heavy feeding in the spring and summer months but during the fall and winter very little movement and slower metabolic rate which would develop from low food source (in nature) in the colder climates. would be pretty much how it goes is my thinking. starvation periods like this will i'm sure cut down on fatty deposits and the like.
let me know your thoughts. once i get regular feeding back up and can entice he out of his hiding place i'll get pics.
now to find him some summer tank mates to help clean of algae and waste food.