My guys and gals just eat the roots... all the way down to
- up to? - the main bulb. I've never seen them bother the bulbs
on the WH.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"zookeeper" wrote in message
...
Lee, I've also wondered how the koi decimated the water hyacinth, and
how they managed to take such large, round bites out of the bulbous part
of the plant. Then I saw the koi either pinning the plant against the
edge of the pond or with a koi on either side, then they just "slurp"
out a chunk and munch away. When I first saw this damage, I thought it
was caused by raccoons, except there where no teeth marks. Pretty
ingenious fish, eh?
--
Kathy B, zookeeper (OR)
3500gal pond

Lee Brouillet wrote:
Well, I went on an "illegal" harvest this weekend and grabbed a bag of
water
hyacinth ...

Now that I have my ill-gotten gains, how do I care for them?

... For something that doesn't have teeth (OK, pharyngeal
don't count), how do they take out those big bites???

Ah HA! Cooperation between the fish . . . who'da thunk it? I've heard them
suckin' rocks (the ones around the edge of the pond), but didn't think about
sucking on the bulbs. . . I took a hoola hoop and covered it in black duct
tape (it was bright blue and bubble gum scented!), tossed it in the pond,
and then tossed the WH into the hoop, to keep them corraled. My thoughts
were to offer shade . . . but they eat the durn things, instead! First the
roots, then bites out of the bulbs and leaves. I'm going to the AFKAPS
seminar this weekend, so all bets are off regarding "extra time". But next
week, I'm going to sew a net around the hoola hoop and THEN put the WH
inside. Then the little buggers won't be able to get to them (I hope . . .
G) I pulled the WH that was in the pond originally and put it in one of
the waterfall ponds to recouperate, and put watercress in the hoop . . .
normally they eat the leaves but leave the stems behind: this time they ate
everything, stems and all. Will they eat fresh spinach???

Lee

"zookeeper" wrote in message
...
Lee, I've also wondered how the koi decimated the water hyacinth, and
how they managed to take such large, round bites out of the bulbous part
of the plant. Then I saw the koi either pinning the plant against the
edge of the pond or with a koi on either side, then they just "slurp"
out a chunk and munch away. When I first saw this damage, I thought it
was caused by raccoons, except there where no teeth marks. Pretty
ingenious fish, eh?
--
Kathy B, zookeeper (OR)
3500gal pond

Lee Brouillet wrote:
Ah HA! Cooperation between the fish . . . who'da thunk it? I've heard them
suckin' rocks (the ones around the edge of the pond), but didn't think about
sucking on the bulbs. . . I took a hoola hoop and covered it in black duct
tape (it was bright blue and bubble gum scented!), tossed it in the pond,
and then tossed the WH into the hoop, to keep them corraled. My thoughts
were to offer shade . . . but they eat the durn things, instead! First the
roots, then bites out of the bulbs and leaves. I'm going to the AFKAPS
seminar this weekend, so all bets are off regarding "extra time". But next
week, I'm going to sew a net around the hoola hoop and THEN put the WH
inside. Then the little buggers won't be able to get to them (I hope . . .
G) I pulled the WH that was in the pond originally and put it in one of
the waterfall ponds to recouperate, and put watercress in the hoop . . .
normally they eat the leaves but leave the stems behind: this time they ate
everything, stems and all. Will they eat fresh spinach???

Lee

Hi Lee,
My fish would simply go over the edge of the hoop after I
put the net onto it, then I had to get them out. Hope it
works better for you ;-)

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

"Lee Brouillet" wrote in message
...
snip
...and put watercress in the hoop . . .
normally they eat the leaves but leave the stems behind: this time they
ate
everything, stems and all.
snip

If I buy a bunch of watercress from my grocery store and just toss it in my
55 gallon aquarium. It will all be gone within 2 weeks. The fish LOVE it.

BV.

Oh rot! I didn't think of that. That's all I need, someone the size of Big
Red or Bertie (they're 24-26", for sure!) caught in a net with the WH! Fish
are smarter than we give them credit for (grumble, grumble, grumble).

Lee

"Bonnie Espenshade" wrote in message
...

Hi Lee,
My fish would simply go over the edge of the hoop after I
put the net onto it, then I had to get them out. Hope it
works better for you ;-)

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/