Doing a water change today

[tracey_shafer]

I was doing a water change this morning in the calico tank and noticed one of the orange and black ones looks like it is getting a tancho spot. One of my favorite things about having the calicos is how much they change.

[miguynmkoi]

Your wakins are so pretty!  How big are these ones?  How old?

[tracey_shafer]

These were from last summer and most of them are about 4 to 5 inches. The black and white one is getting to be 6 inches or more.

[jw]

How do you keep the heron from getting your slower moving fish?

[tracey_shafer]

Wakins are not really slower, that is one of the reasons they are a preferred pond fish. They have the beauty of the double tail but the speed of the single tails. It is still a good ideal to do preventive measures with your pond though, since we were getting many visits last year with the heron trying to figure out how to get to them we put wooden stakes around the pond and stringed fishing line about a ft. up all around the pond. Herons don't like their legs messed with so don't try crossing the line since they can't see what is interfering with their stride.

[jw]

Well where can I get some of those little buggers? Do you have to order them on-line? I will have to do a search on them and see what I can come up with as they are really pretty. That's a good idea too about the fish line. I just yesterday bought a bunch of those Shepherd hook stakes that you can stick in the ground and hang wind chimes or plants or whatever from them. I hung wind chimes on them as I had so many of them on hand and stuck them in places around the pond thinking that the heron wouldn't like that. But I could string some fish line from those stakes all around the pond also.

[tracey_shafer]

I sell them in all price ranges although I don't have a picture of the really low price reds on there right now. I am the only person in the US who breeds the rare colors of them. My web site is www.ladyfishwakin.com and I am having a sale until the end of the month everything is 30% off.
And as mentioned in the other thread there is Steve in Hawaii I think it is raingarden.com he does red and whites only.

[jw]

Thanks for the info. I checked out your site and the fish are beautiful. Right now I will stick with the goldfish I have and if the heron stays away someday I may get some of the cheaper Wakins. Can't see me spending the big bucks in this time of economic down time. What do the cheaper ones sell for when you have them?

[tracey_shafer]

LOL, I have lots of them I just don't have pictures up. And the sell for just $8.00 each. They are the mostly reds, if you want for slightly more I can get the oranges from the calico parents and you would have calico babies in your pond down the road. They run $15. each.

[jw]

Thanks again and yes maybe down the road a ways I may want to get some but right now I want to make sure I have the Heron problem solved before I start putting in fish that are more than just your average Freecycle goldfish. The Wakins are just so very lovely I will have to get some in the future from you. Do they live through the cold winters here in the P.N.W. We got down to -6 last winter which was very unusually cold for here. I lost half my fish but I think it was mostly due to not cleaning the filter in fall and draining some of the water and adding clean water so they could have nice clean water to get them through the winter. I will do this from now on! Janice

[tracey_shafer]

They do fine in the winter under ice, as with any goldfish you should leave a hole in the ice for co2 exchange. But I have never lost any in the winter.

[pegs pond]

Janice, I'm also in Washington and I bought some of Tracey's wakin late last year.  We had snow and ice on top of the pond for at least 3 full months.  I put a little deicer in to keep a hole, hubby had to dust the snow off of it once in awhile but all but one wakin made it thru the winter.  Tracey, I have 3 smaller orange ones now and didn't buy any small orange ones! (haven't got a good look at their tails as I do have 4 shubunkin in there too but they are all calico) Did they change color?  Do I have babies? Giggle what is going on?  Now I know Chubby was quite fat when you sent him..........hmmmm maybe it's not a him but a her?  LOL
Peg

[jw]

Ok that's good to know and I will try to heron proof my pond in the mean time so my fish won't be somebodies din din. So if the regular goldfish mates w/ the Wakins or Shubunkins what most likely will the fish look like? Just wondering if the regulars are dominant.

[tracey_shafer]

Ok that's good to know and I will try to heron proof my pond in the mean time so my fish won't be somebodies din din. So if the regular goldfish mates w/ the Wakins or Shubunkins what most likely will the fish look like? Just wondering if the regulars are dominant.

They are called watoni and look like this http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f101/madeyna/romeo2.jpg

[jw]

Well they are just beautiful also.

[tracey_shafer]

Janice, I'm also in Washington and I bought some of Tracey's wakin late last year.  We had snow and ice on top of the pond for at least 3 full months.  I put a little deicer in to keep a hole, hubby had to dust the snow off of it once in awhile but all but one wakin made it thru the winter.  Tracey, I have 3 smaller orange ones now and didn't buy any small orange ones! (haven't got a good look at their tails as I do have 4 shubunkin in there too but they are all calico) Did they change color?  Do I have babies? Giggle what is going on?  Now I know Chubby was quite fat when you sent him..........hmmmm maybe it's not a him but a her?  LOL
Peg

Black changes into orange as they age but if they are extra's then they have worked fast Peg. I did not expect babies until this summer. And sorry you lost a babie with winter. It must have been weak. Or something go it. If you ever order again I still owe you a free fish.

[pegs pond]

Thanks Tracey, no worries about the one fish and yup I will order more soon.  I want one with a lot of yellow, been eyeing the one with the "tail flaw"!
Hugs Peg

[tracey_shafer]

I have lower shipping rates now & have been running a 30% off sale. I will be ending it soon.