Two Sceneries of Winter Days. To Snuggle Up to the Rhythm of Life.
When you look into the aquarium on a cold morning.Is there energetic swimming that seems to have forgotten the season ? Or is there a quiet sleep where time seems to have stopped ?
Juane * here.Hello.
How goldfish spend the winter varies depending on the house and the goldfish.Today, I would like to talk about the "winter rhythm" carved in each place.
Unchanging Daily Life in Warmth
The room is warm, or the water temperature is maintained by a heater.Goldfish spending time in spring - like warmth swim lightly and show us their energetic appearance even during winter.
Power to Wait for Spring in Silence
On the other hand, goldfish in the natural cold are now quietly hiding and "sleeping in winter".Slow down the heart beat, deepen breathing, and reduce energy consumption to the limit.That figure that does not move at first glance is a very smart and powerful survival strategy they chose to survive the severe winter.
When I gaze at that quiet appearance where time seems to have stopped, I feel that the weight of life just "being there" is transmitted gradually.It is a precious time of "charging" to swim powerfully again in spring.
It's lovely.
Care to Believe and Watch Over
For goldfish in hibernation, especially, the best gift we can give may be "doing nothing".At low water temperatures where digestive functions almost stop, refraining from feeding leads to protecting their bodies.
You may worry "Are they hungry?", but believe in their natural rhythm and just do not disturb their quiet sleep.That may be said to be the most luxurious "care" that cannot be done unless you truly trust the power of the other's life.
Each Winter, Each Light
Winter swimming energetically, and winter enduring quietly.Both are irreplaceable figures where goldfish are living hard in the time called "now".Beyond the cold, when the light of spring comes in.While waiting eagerly for the dynamism of life to shine again, I want to cherish and watch over the time flowing at each pace now.
We, Jun * Juane, also hope to continue to reflect such quiet atmosphere of winter days and the trembling of life waiting for spring in our works.
Physiological Function as Poikilotherm: Goldfish are poikilotherms whose body temperature changes according to the surrounding temperature.When the water temperature drops, enzyme activity and metabolic rate(Q10 coefficient) drop significantly, and heart rate and respiratory rate are minimized accordingly.
Digestive Mechanism of Agastric Fish: Goldfish do not have an anatomical "stomach", and the efficiency of digestive enzymes depends strongly on water temperature.Since digestive ability hardly functions when the water temperature falls below 10°C to 12°C, feeding at low water temperatures becomes a direct cause of rotting in the intestines and swim bladder disease.
Definition of Hibernation(Dormancy): The state of stopping activity at water temperatures below 5°C to 10°C is strictly closer to "dormancy", but is generally called "hibernation".It is known that avoiding stimuli such as unreasonable feeding and water changes during this period adjusts the hormonal balance toward spring and makes the individual stronger.
Difference in Management by Environment: If kept at 15°C to 20°C or higher using an aquarium heater indoors, hibernation does not occur because metabolism is maintained.On the other hand, leaving it to natural temperature changes allows hibernation, which is also a traditional fish farming wisdom that makes it easier to switch on spawning next spring.
