Help! My Koi Won't Eat!

aimeerose

Hi-
I too had a unfortunate accident with a great blue heron that ate all but my 2 biggest koi. Now they won't eat. They seem scared to come up to the surface. Anyone have any ideas?

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bmor

sorry aimeerose, that's awful.
those heron can sit there and eat all day if not careful. what i'd suggest are hiding places. ie: take a few pieces of thin flagstone and sit them up on pots or something to give the fish somewhere to hide when the heron comes for dinner. once the heron knows you have fish, you can bet he or she will be back for more. netting over your pond is an unattractive but somewhat useful endeavour to keep predators out. your options are really based on the size of your pond too. netting over a huge pond doesn't work cost or effort wise but over an average back yard pond, it'll help with the heron until he gives up. my little jack russell helps guard the pond but that's only when she's outside. one more agressive technique is using a slingshot wiht pea gravel or acorns if he or she is so bold to stay with you present.
best of luck.
bill

aimeerose

Thanks for your condolences. I just went out to feed them and the big grey one ate, but none of the other ones did. We bought 6 more small koi and 4 goldfish type. They are all really small though and I would like them to eat so they'll get bigger. We are considering netting for the top of the pond and we drained it and put in lots of hiding places with rocks before we refilled.

BTW, do you bonsai also (I assume you do)? I live in Zone 5, and I'm curious as to if I can/should keep my new bonsais outside. It sounds like you are in a similar zone and may have some suggestions. I have a Serissa foetida, a jasmine and a gardinia. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

bmor

i'm sure the koi will resurface (so to speak) when they feel safe and sound and in due time. sounds like your efforts will help.
re: your trees---i too have serissa and would only bring it out in june, july and august when no chance of frost and temps in the teens (metric here in canada). can't speak for the jasmine nor the gardinia, but i'd suspect the same rules apply. not sure of your temperature extremes in flagstaff. when do the frosts end for you and more constant temps take hold? serissa's are nasty leaf droppers and seem to do so, for me anyway, with the slightest environmental change. plenty for you to read about serissa's here and on the net to help educate yourself more thoroughly.
best of luck
bill

TreeBay

When they get hungry enough, the brave ones will start eating and the others will follow them. Right now, they're doing the smart thing and lying low. Koi can survive for weeks without food. They really need to build up fat reserves in the fall to survive the winter, though.

Deep ponds help a lot. If you don't have the depth you can make some hiding places with cinder blocks and things like that will make them more secure. Floating plants help with the feeling of security. For the heron, netting or wires stretched every couple feet can be helpful.

Regards,

Matt

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paul11390

Joanie

Paul, it's always a good idea to check the date up in the left hand corner of a post.... you've revived a thread from May of 2004! Let's hope the fish are eating by now!

If you want to add something to a thread, or ask another question on a similar subject, then reviving a thread is a good idea.

Joanie

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paul11390

Joanie

Stop!! The importance of the fact that it is a old thread excapes me! My comment about the overhead net is new. And may be a new idea to someone, I hope it is of help to them.
Paul

Joanie

Oh, all right, I didn't make the connection that you were adding the net idea to the thread.... I thought you were answering it as if it were new!

Joanie

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