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Surface, middle and bottom feeders

Ian Hugo Arnott

Ian Hugo Arnott

Senior Member
From observing the fish in our tropical freshwater fish tank it is amazing how different species feed at specific levels.

In the morning when I turn on the tank's light all the fish are resting on the gravel but as soon as the flaked food is introduced, they assume their positions.

I put in a small sinking pellet which is followed to the bottom by perch like fish and then left. There are three barbel type fish which slowly materialise and feast off the bottom.

Fascinating stuff!

Regards,

Hugo



 
watch out Ian, i remember when the kids was kids and i killed the goldfish trying out amino acids, the boys screamed mum dads killed our fish!:eek::eek:
she wouldnt do nothing but mutter murderer for over a week:D
 
On this subject, in the early seventies, before the Kennet was ruined by the re navigation process, and the river had weed in abundance, as soon as darkness fell in the summer there would be frequent noises which sounded exactly like Carp 'clooping'. After a lot of investigation by torchlight I finally managed to spot, from a bridge,the culprits in the act.
They were Barbel! They were turning themselves upside down to feed on the underside of the ranunculus weed. which covered most of the shallows at the time, literally sucking on the weed.
Never gave it much thought at the time but I've never seen any reference to this sort of Barbel behaviour anywhere and I've never come across it since.
Anyone else come across this?
Cheers
Paul
 
Paul. There is evidence of the same behaviour on the Royalty.

Also featured on TV programe staring John Wilson.
 
I used to fish the GUC in Slough as a kid. The top method for catching tench was floating crust. Never caught tench on floating baits anywhere else. We would stalk them in the crystal clear water and lob a bait onto the nearest weedbed. The tench would work their way towards the bread with that lovely clooping sound. Happy days!

Steve
 
Ah, the Slough arm, very Tenchy looking place I remember. Used to fish Sabey's pool in Rickmansworth, not far from there. At night would put out a light bottom rod for Tench, flake, heavy rod, floating crust for Carp. Caught mostly Tench on the crust and Carp on the flake!
At that time the Sabey's pool club had a stretch of the Loddon at Twyford. Caught my first Tench there one new years day.
Happy days indeed.
Cheers.
Paul
 
Paul Collins said:
On this subject, in the early seventies, before the Kennet was ruined by the re navigation process, and the river had weed in abundance, as soon as darkness fell in the summer there would be frequent noises which sounded exactly like Carp 'clooping'. After a lot of investigation by torchlight I finally managed to spot, from a bridge,the culprits in the act.
They were Barbel! They were turning themselves upside down to feed on the underside of the ranunculus weed. which covered most of the shallows at the time, literally sucking on the weed.
Never gave it much thought at the time but I've never seen any reference to this sort of Barbel behaviour anywhere and I've never come across it since.
Anyone else come across this?
Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Paul,


In those halcyon days I used to catch barbel at night by casting a lump of free lined meat on to the ranunculus and letting the barbel find it.

Exciting stuff!

Regards,

Hugo
 
Originally posted by Paul Collins: there would be frequent noises which sounded exactly like Carp 'clooping'
Click to expand...

I have heard similar noises in the early hours of darkness which certainly sounded like carp, but as the river only has a handfull (at best) I was at a loss to work out what it was. Now I'll have to start thinking of a rig to hold a bait in the ranunculous although Hugo's experience shows one way of doing it!
 
Anthony,

This was on the Kennet and I held the rod, fishing weed beds close to the bank, so there was no problem with keeping the bait in place.

It was immensely exciting and worked even on moonlit nights when one could see the barbel take the bait.

Happy days!

Regards,


Hugo
 
Well done Hugo, I got as far as trying floating crust, but not knowing if it was still on, in the dark, always got the better of me. Years later I discovered that my local butchers luncheon meat, which came in large sausage form, not only stayed on the hook well,it also floated like a cork. I discovered this trying to pre bait a swim.
Would have been perfect for the job, alas the river had changed by then.
Cheers
Paul
 
Forsaking the diminished Kennet and returning to the fish tank, I have been watching tiny fish attacking a pellet. I was amazed at how these miniscule creatures are able to move the pellet some inches. There is a very slight current in the tank, but it does explain all those little twitches one gets. I hasten to add that there are no signal crayfish in the tank!

:)

Regards,

Hugo


 
[QUOTE=Ian Hugo Arnott; " I hasten to add that there are no signal crayfish in the tank"
I laughed when i heard that,about 15 years ago my cousin told me the goldfish in his young lads tank had died and they needed a replacement .The next day on the river thame a Signal crayfish took a liking to a ledgered lobworm and came home with me in a bait bucket. I phoned them and the lads thought it would be a great addition to an empty tank.I took it round that evening, his missus Caroline was not least pleased,but the two lads thought it a small water dinosaur and were well happy.The lads kept the tank in their bedroom and whilst filling it, the electric went off ,i jumped up claiming it had escaped,Caroline ran from the room screaming the house down,the two lads nearly wet themselves laughing(they had already seen the crayfish safe in the tank).Both of the lads are now in their 20's and still laugh about it,their mum has still not forgiven me.
 
Have been watching the feeding tropical fish in the tank. It is amazing how some of the fish take in a large lump of flake and hold it in their mouths for several seconds before ejecting the flake chewed into small particles.

Explains a lot!

Regards,

Hugo



 
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