Despite being home to a healthy male paradise fish, I noticed quite a few black mosquito larvae floating on the surface of my lily pot. Now that the water has cooled down, I am assuming the fish isn’t as hungry as usual, and not keeping on top of the wrigglers. To solve the mosquito problem I bought two more (hopefully female) paradise fish during the week.
I wouldn’t normally introduce tank-reared subtropicals to outdoor life in winter, but paradise fish are pretty tough. So I thought they would be fine. I placed them in a bucket of warm aquarium water and left them inside overnight to let them gradually become accustomed to a lower temperature. The next day I floated them out in the pot, and after 15 minutes released them into their new home.
These are very cryptic fish, so apart from the odd dash to the surface for a gulp of air, I haven’t seen much of them. But I’m sure they’re fine. The pot has 4 potted hardy (now dormant) lilies, a floating lemon-scented Bacopa, some hornwort and a pot of curly pondweed and giant vallis, so they have plenty of refuges if any squabbles break out. I am hoping that when the weather starts to warm up I will start seeing some breeding activity, and no more mozzies!
At the same time I bought the fish, I also picked up a narrow-leaved Vallis (Vallisneria nana). I have previously grown this vigorous species in my aquarium, but this one was destined for the new pond; where it provides a perfect refuge for small fish. It should multiply rapidly, meaning I can divide it and produce multiple plants in time.
