Last but not least were the kiddy pools,
you could occasionally find them "out in the trash" on garbage
collection days. These made great breeding pools for livebearers and for
growing plants. I was
able to breed enough plants and fish to help support my hobby almost to
my satisfaction and to my mother's distraction.
If you looked most things were free, such
as gravel (free) just pick it up ,wash it etc.
place a layer on the bottom of the kiddy pool then a layer of composted
sheep manure, finally another layer of gravel.
You would not believe how fast and lushly the plants grew....Amazon
swords,vallisneria,
Aponogeton, Cryptocoryne ,Cabomba anything you planted took off like
mad.
There was a place in Audubon Park way in the back where there was a pond
with tons of anacharis (elodia) in so no need to grow it AND the strands
were 6 feet long
and beautiful especially when blooming.
See even a"KID" can improvise and have fun ,make money and support the
hobby.
I sold to the pet stores around town so much the gave me discounts on
the fish and equipment I wanted. Another trick was when a shipment of
fish came in they would call me and I would go to the
pet shop and "check out" the new arrivals.
I always checked the tank with Egyptian Mouthbroders for female with
eggs in their respective mouths, these were the one's I bought put them
in 5 gal. tanks OR the outside pools grew them up to saleable size then
sold them BACK to the fish shops......they never caught on <BIG GRIN>.
There is more than one way to skin a cat, so having little money one
needs to improvise.
One other thing, there was an open drainage ditch between Orleans Parish
and Jefferson Parish ( New Orleans ) That "someone" threw some Red
Paradise fish in. They were breeding like mad....so I caught some and
sold them to the pet shops as well. Didn't cost me a red cent. These
were probably the first introduced exotic fish in this area.
The rather belabored point I am trying to make is that adapt and
improvise is the key to most anything, hobbies or life. End of tale.
Leo
************************************
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler'
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