My shubunkin fry are now about 3 1/2 months old and they have been moved from their 10 gallon to an outdoor 30 gallon tub which is heated and filtered by an old Fluval. Here are some pics from earlier today. They have only been out here about a week and receive a few hours of early morning sun, and I swear already their colors are more intense!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/jsrtist/frytub.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/jsrtist/frytub2.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/jsrtist/frytub3.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/jsrtist/100_0981.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/jsrtist/100_0982.jpg

Hey, will you look at that!! And how much size difference it is... WOW! They look happy out there, Jen. such cute little things! Good job...
Where did you get that big goldfish ornament from, the one all the way to the right, in the first picture?

Hehe, I picked that one up at Home Depot a couple weeks back! Dont you just love it?

Yes, that sculpture is totally awesome! Is it bronze? Isn't is amazing how we're inspired by these little creatures in so many ways!
Funny thing, afew of the goldfish sculptures I make just got posted over at NeoRanchu!

No, they are inexpensive and just hollow resin or something. I love sculpting myself and would love to do bronze someday!

I'd like to too, someday. The simplist way is probably to create the artwork out of hard wax and then send it to a foundry--they take care of the rest!

I have the little fountain one like the one in the middle, but I was admiring the one on the left, also!

How do you fasten the sceening on the tub solidly enough to keep out the predetors?

Hey Jen,the Goldies look wonderful!!! Andrea's right too-look at the size difference on some.A couple are huge!
You've done a great job.

I dont have screening on it at the moment; I just have a couple pieces of light diffuser that I got from work, and thats mostly to keep the dog from drinking out of it. It is under my patio so Im not worried about birds flying over and seeing. As they grow and get more noticeable Im going to get some netting and attach it (with clips or something) over it to both keep things out and keep them in.

I cannot get over the size difference!! That biggest green one is over an inch now and I still have some teeny ones, too. Their colors are already brighter in just the short time they've been out.

I love the ornaments too and some of those fry still look like tadpoles! When you see the difference when their so young it's easy to understand why some of my lfs fish just don't grow - definately genetic.

I'm interested in how you're heating the tub, any chance of a close-up photo of the heater situation?

Sure, I will get a photo in the daylight tomorrow. I just have an 8x10 sheet of plexiglas in there which is propped against the side at an angle and the heater is suction cupped to that. Thats how I heated my tub when I had the pleco in there.

It is gettin much warmer during the days (Im wearing shorts right now! whoo-hoo!) so it hasnt been on as much. The heater is a 200w off my old 55 gallon. I was worried that it may over heat the 30 gallon tub but it didnt. Its worked out very well!

And I agree about the genetics! It is so interesting to raise them and really see the differences. Funnily enough the parents are all culls (they were feeder fish) and some of the babies (as well as the parents) are beautiful fish!

Sounds like a good idea with the flexiglass. Look forward to seeing the picture.

I hope this pic explains it. Its actually sitting in there at an angle. Notice the nice coat of green algae! LOL

Thanks Jenny, great shot. A picture paints a thousand words and explains it perfectly.

wow. you can really see the size difference in some of them! hard to believe they're all from the same batch.