Become a
water keeper first, and a fish keeper second
Heron to blame for fish 'thefts'
A Suffolk police
investigation into the disappearance of fish worth thousands of pounds has been
called off after a heron was found to be the culprit. Suffolk Police were
called in after 27 koi carp and seven large goldfish vanished from a Carlton
Colville home. Officers suspected a raid by thieves and issued a witness appeal
which asked if locals saw "anything suspicious" or if they had been offered
similar fish. But the appeal was recalled soon after when they found the heron
was to blame. A further statement issued by police explained: "This incident is
now being attributed to a large heron." A police spokesman said: "We take all
incidents very seriously and we were worried that someone might have made off
with fish worth thousands of pounds. "Thankfully, on this occasion an arrest
wasn't necessary." (Source BBC)
Heron Electric
FenceWe have now found a supplier who has an excellent and well
made fence that will go right around your pond. The poles do a 42
o
bend that takes the wire over the edge of the pond.
No more charging of
batteries either, as it come complete with a mains transformer.
The
system is rather unobtrusive and whatever you do see is better that heron
damaged fish on your lawn.
Pond Lights Don't put lights in
your pond. They are the cause of many a fish injury, as they attract the pond
poly-culture (insects etc.) which your fish will feed on in the evening until
they are disturbed - then they bolt away, coming into contact with the lights.
Mouth wounds are the commonest. I have not seen a pond yet with under water
lights where fish have not had trauma in the head region. Also when the fish
turn the next main era damaged is the caudal tail muscle, which is very hard to
treat. 50% of mechanical injuries are in this area. If you must light your pond
(for YOUR benefit) use a high up and over pond spot light, with bluish light to
simulate moon light. It looks more natural also gives water a fantastic look -
as if from your hotel balcony while on holiday and the moon shines on the sea.
That has to be better than to artificially light water from below - where in
nature have you ever seen that! An you will have fewer problems.
WaterfallsWaterfalls look great,
but do not allow birds to bath in a waterfall. Birds drinking from them is
fine, but always provide a bird bath when waterfalls are in use.
A bird
that bathed in a infected pond will come for a clean in your waterfall, thus
infecting your fish.
Barley Straw All that needs to be
said is "it's rubbish" - an old wife tale. It only works when it's rotten and
you need 3 BALES per 1000 gallon in moving water.
Most gardening
programs seen on TV, apart from watering plants, know as much about water and
its problems as I do about nuclear fission. Enough said!
Pond CareA 4000 gallon pond 2/3 completed. Note how far
the water is from the coping stones to prevent fish catching themselves (see
health
mechanical damage).
A pond being
cleaned out. If you do this without saving 4/5th of the pond water, and then
just put the fish back into mains water (de chlorinated or not), the fish will
suffer pH shock - i.e. toxic shock ( see ponds
pH crash), and 2/3 of them will die, as
happened here.
When cleaning
your pond out, this is far enough - DO not jet wash, as the spray will damage
the liner - just rinse it down. You should not sterilize the pond
liner.
A 1000gal support pond. I always use these ponds when having a
system cleaned or enlarged, so fish and water are stored on the client's
property. Safe for guarding the fish and for water storage. No pH problems can
arise and with the fish being kept in good condition. This removes any problems
that are found when the pond has been emptied, as there is no need to panic or
rush to put the fish back, and the pond revamp can be done properly, at our
pace, without the worry of the fishs' health> With many ponds we do need
more than one of these ponds.
So called
nature ponds. This is the result of dirty ponds in warm weather -
mostly happens at night when the oxygen level is at its lowest. Small dirty
filters and small pumps, or even worse - pond and stream or just a water fall
without filtration. It's a waste of time - you will end up with a sewer and
that's cruel to put fish in. Having a sponge on the end of your pump is NOT
filtration.
All 22 fish died in this pond. If you're not turning your
pond total gallonage over every hour - that's a minimum - and no more than 5%
water bound sediments, then don't put fish in it. These gardening programs tell
you to dig hole, line it, then half fill with soil then chuck some plants in
thay will oxygenate the water. I have never heard such rubbish. If you don't
believe me try it. Minimum for static water, to support fish long term, in GOOD
health, based onCO2 exchange, is 50,000 gallons and NO koi. A wild life pond of
500 gallons done this way, then don't add fish for one year then goldfish only.
Stock level 12 FISH only.
Lilies grow
better in a pond when fish cannot get at them.This one is supported in a
hanging basket and protected by pond liner on outside of the basket.
A koi pond can be turned into a woodland
pond with careful planting. All the plants are growing outside the pond BUT you
would not know to look at this pond.
Also the pond lights to light
up waterfall are under glass domes so there is nothing for the fish to catch
themself's on.
1000
gal garden pond with waterfall and planted. Stocked with goldfish, tench, rudd
and orfe.
Japanese native conditions.
Water condition. I fully understand that every koi keeper tries to
replicate water conditions found in Japan. The problem is, we do not have their
climate at the moment. Maybe in 10-20 years, the way the climate is changing.
Maybe we have one big problem. Most koi you buy now are not from normal
Japanese native conditions, they are raised to produce good fish, and have
spent very little time in their native waters. Their parents may have, but you
are not buying those.
Most fish for sale in this part of the world have
never seen or been in cold water like a English winter, and our winter
temperatures now resemble yo-yos - never too cold for long periods, with warm
mild days. Warm days and cold nights - a Japanese's fish's nightmare.
This why a lot of koi ponds are heated - to support Japanese
fish.
If they where not heated, most fish would not make it through the
winter. This is for one reason - fish in Japan no longer reside in native
waters So why keepers try to bring their ponds to Japanese specification
bemuses me, as there is no such thing.
All koi, well 90%, are raised
for colour, body shape and are for sale in under 2 years. So where is this
native water thing.
If raised in native waters for the fish's welfare,
and not their colour or shape. Most never see cold water, they spend their
winters in green houses, not outside in their so-called native waters.
The Japanese winters are far colder than ours, but for a much sorter
period. We would not need heated systems. Heated systems are because of the way
they are raised, not because they are Japanese fish.
Remember these
animals started out as food. 500 years on, that's out the window now. So all
the talk you hear about having the right conditions for Japanese fish - what
conditions there are, are all man made. If you must replicate the native
condition - remember, the fish have not been in their native condition. They're
a million miles away from native conditions.
So, if you want to keep
FARMED Japanese fish, you need heated systems. I know you will say 'what
rubbish', but you tell me where, in their 2 years of life in Japan in mud ponds
and greenhouses, is their native condition? Japanese so called native waters
run at a pH of around 4. This for stock levels, so no ammonia problems and most
fish see many a syringe (and more than once) for so called preventative
measures. In fact I'm surprised they don't have their own darts team.
Getting the picture?
It's not because this fish are the worlds
best the Japanese have cracked the system, its got nothing to do with native
conditions. A whole world of products have arisen to keep Japanese fish
healthy. Why, because there not Japanese fish - they're farmed fish, and if you
don't support their raising condition, they will die.
Low sock levels
and perfect water is a sign you are dealing with a hybrid inbred animal which,
over time, will lead to the extinction of the animal. That's the chaos theory.
Remember Jeff Goldbloom's Jurassic Park? Well Japanese fish are going down the
same path.
You need for ever better filters etc. etc. Eventually, it
will end up with a blank gene pool, and you will need a total sterile pond to
keep these fish. In years to come you will have an intensive care unit not a
koi pond.
Have a look at our other ponds pages for information about
aeration and oxygen,
nitrification and our own
demonstration pond with it's exposed
filters, an of course the
filtration
page.
The Fish Helpline runs a full
comprehensive maintenance scheme for Koi ponds, which can include water changes
and supply of food. We can also source your Koi.Here at the Fish
Helpline, we have a fully working
demonstration pond and quarantine tank.