I've Found Heaven On Earth

[Chuka1212]

Pretty cool

There is a pond like that a few hours from me also. I went there alot when I was younger. Same type of fish...koi, chichlids, guppies, and some that looked like eels


I just don't agree with you catching and keeping them

I respect your opinion, but I really can see no difference in buying fish from a store and keeping them... In fact, some tropical and many marines are caught from the wild and either sold or bred for the pet trade. Also, for some of the fish it is a better life in the home aquarium than in the pond. They don't have to worry about their next meal or about the many predatory cichlids that inhabit the lake. The water conditions in that pond are also not optimal for some of the species living in it, whereas we can create their parameters much better in a tank. And if you have read the thread, conservation of the population is ALWAYS a number one priority of mine and would never hurt the population there.

Yes, I actually did take the time to read the whole thread

I'm aware that some fish that are sold in lfs are wild caught; doesn't mean I agree with it any more than I did two seconds ago

I really wasn't trying to start a debate here. Just giving my opinion

I wasn't trying to debate, well maybe I was a little. I was just throwing out my viewpoint/side of the story since you added yours in my thread. And like I said, I value your opinion and can see where you are coming from.

 

[thegnu]

I agree with SoCalMom, if everyone took some out, soon their wouldn't be any left and other people in the future wouldn't see or hear of this phenomena

 

[K.J.]

And that's why we should be fortunate someone responsible stumbled upon it

 

[starrynightxxi]

actually, i very much agree with fish being taken out.

On one hand, none of these fish are native to the area. Introduced species are a huge problem in many environments. Now, the temperature change may be keeping these fish in one spot, but things could happen to change that. Obviously these are animals that adapted to less-than-ideal situations to begin with, so it is feasible to believe that they may some day also adapt to cooler temperatures, leading to the destruction of the native aquatic life. Who knows what they already pushed out of that hot spring.

On the other hand, these fish are working on so much inbreeding that if anyone were truly concerned about their well being and continuation in the area, they would remove specimens and replace them with new blood

 

[SoCalMom]

I also don't think its cool to catch them and sell them at an lfs

EDIT: Didn't make any sense at all...lol

 

[poopsydrew]

actually, i very much agree with fish being taken out.

On one hand, none of these fish are native to the area. Introduced species are a huge problem in many environments. Now, the temperature change may be keeping these fish in one spot, but things could happen to change that. Obviously these are animals that adapted to less-than-ideal situations to begin with, so it is feasible to believe that they may some day also adapt to cooler temperatures, leading to the destruction of the native aquatic life. Who knows what they already pushed out of that hot spring.

On the other hand, these fish are working on so much inbreeding that if anyone were truly concerned about their well being and continuation in the area, they would remove specimens and replace them with new blood

 

[Fishy412]

What people don't seem to realize is if this was there since '64. Then most if not all of the fish in there were born into the wild. It would be the equivalent of tossing a tank bred fish into the wild, its basically the same concept.You're disturbing its home.

 

[clinton ><>]

omg they are amazing lol

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Wow I would love to go on vacation to visit that pond and snorkel> Can you tell me where it is please??

 

[kpintheshed]

awesome your so lucky

 

[Chuka1212]

Wow I would love to go on vacation to visit that pond and snorkel> Can you tell me where it is please??

Maybe for a fee I could be your tourguide... Of course you would have to be blindfolded on the way there...

 

[SoCalMom]

If someone really wanted to find out where it was they could track your IP, then try to figure out where to go from there using your pics to try to establish in which area it could be


That's only if someone REALLY wanted to know where it is lol

 

[aquaticadmirer]

To everybody that's going around yelling conservation, have you stopped to think that conservation is important to the fish that were native to this pond originally? They are no doubt being run out of their homes by foreigners that would not even be there were it not for the tampering done by human beings. Personally, I would call Chuka a conservationist since he's removing non-native species and getting this pond that much closer to its original state.

Just thought I'd stick up for the REAL natives of this pond since everybody seems to be forgetting about them!

 

[PRW1988]

Rightyo... I think I'll change this pace up a bit... The picture of the gold fish and the cichlids, the gold one looks to me to be a 24kt gold Molly and the Cichlid seems to be a rather large male Convict cichlid.

Also, the eyes on the Cichlid, are they actually red like that? or was that from the camera?

 

[starrynightxxi]

PRW1988, that doesn't look like the result of the camera flash to me. red eye is usually light reflecting off the pupil.