Pet Lovers

[ccassaday]

We sold our KOI and goldfish last year in anticipation of our move this year. My mom always says she misses going out and feeding them. We had one really big one we called big daddy. He was white and huge.

[ccassaday]

We once had a koi come up missing. He wasn't in the skimmer box or their house. We have seen a blue herran a couple of times back there. We think it took it.

[gardenman]

Herons are notorious for attacking and eating koi. They'll even poke the really big guys with their beaks injuring and in some cases killing them even if they can't eat them. Raccoons will fish out even large koi given the chance, and if you've got bears in the area, the koi pond can be kind of a buffet to them with tame koi rushing to the surface for food when they see movement only to find themselves pulled from the pond by a bear. Snapping turtles and snakes can also prey on koi. 

With some koi costing tens of thousands of dollars, most koi keepers work to limit the intrusion of predators. Electric fencing around the pond deters most walking pests, and netting above the pond deters most herons or flying predators, but from time to time you'll find an especially adept heron sneaking under the netting and over the electric fencing to gorge, but by and large those two methods help to deter predators. (A very large number of koi keepers inadvertently test their electric fencing while doing routine pond maintenance. If you live near one, you can tell by the sudden scream and the muttered, sometimes not so muttered, cursing that follows. That electric fencing can give one quite a zap.)

[Keeper of the koi]

We have  very limited bear here . our house in adks Holy smokes lots. We  planned our ponds surrounded by trees , hard for heron and large birds to land . they  like open areas.More work but   safer.Our pond builders personally had mink problems, they cleaned out the ponds over winter. Ours  is tinted , keeps visual down. Happy our guys are big harder  overcome, also a good depth  and hiding spots is  something that  was planned out ...It takes many years to learn all  thats needed to be successful . The cost is  very high for the proper food and suppliments, clay for the water .   looking forward for march, the pond will be opened  and our big bullfrogs  will  be looking for love, My pretties will start to fatten up with their shrimp and veggies, colors  will   glisten, until than ,lean times at the pond..Maryanne