I have been keeping medaka in my bathtub pool to help eat the mosquito larvae. The white medaka stand out more than the black ones in the pool, making them easier to spot. This summer was extremely hot, with a long spell of dry weather. Even though the water level dropped, as it is a small pool, adding too much tap water all at once would kill the medaka, so I could only add a little at a time, which led to a deterioration in water quality. In summer, the water lily leaves grow thick and block out almost all the sunlight, but even so, the water temperature rose considerably. Only just a few medaka managed to survive the harsh summer. When I feed them, they come up to the surface to eat the food scattered across the water. If you watch them closely whilst they’re eating, they look rather cute.
バスタブの池には蚊の幼虫を食べてもらうためにずっとメダカを育てています。白いメダカは黒いメダカより池の中にいても目立つので確認が容易です。今年の夏はとても暑くて雨の降らない日が続きました。水量が減っても、小さな池なので水道水をいっぺんにたくさん入れるとメダカは死んでしまうので、少ししか入れられずに、水質の悪化もありました。夏は睡蓮の葉が茂って日光はほとんど防いでくれますが、それでも水温がかなり上昇していました。厳しい夏を乗り越えられたのはわずか数匹のメダカたちです。餌をやると、水面に広がった餌を食べに上に上がってきます。食べている姿もよくみると可愛らしいです。
