Koi Food Resource

Bonnie, I sorry to hear about Big Momma. I have been following along and really had hope that you would be able to save her.

Mary, gotta question. I know. So what's new. How long can fish go without eating. I haven't fed my fish for about a month now. We are holding the the mid 40's so I stopped even the wheat germ stuff. But they are out and about in the pond. Don't look particularly hungry. Don't come over to the side of the pond when I walk up. But really. Doesn't it weaken them over months. Sooner or later we will getr snow then ice. Then it will be middle end of March before I can get to them again and even then the weather won't be warm. Water will probably still be inthe 40's. Can they go six months without eating. Allowing of course for time under the ice when they should be totally dormant.

My babies from the pond are doing well. Growing almost too fast. I may have to bring another tank online if they get too big. No sign of barbels yet, if ever. Don't care as they are all pretty and mostly different colors. Can gold fish have those sparkly metalic scales like Koi?

Oberon,
Cleaned all filtration yesterday after emptying and cleaning B. Momma's tank and decided to vacuum ponds again also. Found the secret of picking up leaves. Roll over them and them backward strokes slowly. Picked up a lot of sand and lleaves out of larger pond. Just a little out of old smaller pond. Sure takes longer than vacuuming my house but I'm glad I'm doing a better job of it.
Wea re still going up into the 80's here which is not normal for our part of Fl. Many winters I didn't feed my fish for months and their immune system is supposed to weaken from what i've read but once they started eating they did fine. I do feed more now to bulk them up for winter without food. If we ever get winter. I'm sure it will come. Not like yours but it does get down at times here to 27. Just a few nights thank God.
BTW I have never had any goldfish with sparkly scales but possibly they can don't know.
Take care and glad your little fishies are growing.

I was doing the same thing then thought I read that you can't bulk up fish. They just eat, use what they need, and pass the rest through. Except that doesn't seem right. The salmon we catch have wide bands of brown fat on them. Tastes good. So they obviously can store up energy you would think.

Koi can gain too much weight, and it's not good for them. Their metabolism will go down with their food needs, and they can go all winter without food, because their metabolism goes down to nada. In fact, that's why feeding them when the water is cold is taboo...they don't have enough metabolic involvement to properly digest what they eat, so it stays in their intestines and begins to rot and build up internal toxic gasses.
Koi and goldfish can occassionally inter-breed. Every now and then you can get weird random scales on a fish because of it. However, usually a cross-breed fish is sterile and won't reproduce.
Bonnie, I agree...there's a certain effort amount/dollar amount that you go through with fish, before you shake your head and draw your line in the sand to say "enough". After that point, it's either meant to be, or not meant to be. I've had better luck putting the antibiotics on the wound, instead of as a dip, but I know they sell it as a dip.
I try to separate myself from them when they are really not looking good, so I can make rational decisions instead of emotional decisions. Emotional decisions can cost us a fortune!

Mary (Oberon),

I probably go about 6 months or so without feeding my fish. They are outside all winter, but I do see them in both the spring and fall eating algae from the sides of the pond. I have also at times seen them eating bugs that are on the surface of the pond in the very early spring.

It kind of flies in the face of things with the idea of the fish not eating for such a long period of time, but I think that is becuase in our minds, we are correlating our fish with mammals.

Seems like things are late this year to me - does it to any of you? Not that I am complaining because I would like it if it didn't get real cold at all. I did check some of my pictures and last year about the 25th of October, I had more leaves down on my trees than I have down now. I am hoping we have a warmer winter this year - last year we froze!

Yeah Carolyn. We are holding in the 40's and I'm loving it. Cold and wet but NO SNOW!! And I can go out and see my fish lazily moving around. I feel better now with your posts and Mary's. I have been so worried. I found a new fish place that specializes in corals but is a one man local shop. I talked with him at length. He has a small place and has the most amazing home built filtration set ups. We talked oxygenation and he said you can actually over oxygenate fish. He said if I brought in a sample I pulled form the pond around December he has an oxygen tester he would use to let me know what my DO levels are. Great place. The help is obviously home grown also. Dreadlocks and all but so much more personal and helpful that the box stores who know nothing. I was at PetCo and they had a tank with some small koi about 3". One was actually about 4+" and his tail was all ragged out and he didn't look too good. I saw another fish picking at his side then actually chewing on his tail. I told the gal there that the fish was ragged out because the other fish were chewing on it. She didn't seem too worried. I am going back to day to see it again and speak with the manager. Oh, the guy at the coral place said he gets calls to come pick up koi from commercial places that are closing down for one reason or another. He doesn't have room for them but would be glad to give them to me. If it is in the winter I don't think I can help. Some of them he said are 2' or better and some smaller. Obviously after the debacle last year with the fish from Oregon quarantine is big on my list of worries. We'll see. Wish I could get that poor chewed fish but won't pay for him. I could set up at the most a 10 gallon take with super filtration and some Nite-out II for nitrates and maybe get him through to summer then into the pond.

Nothing wrong with 'dreads'. Have my childrens' friends have dreadlocks, but they are nice kids and the thing that gets me about these kids is they are 'doer's' and 'thinkers', which makes them very special in my mind. DH tends to pass judgement on these kids because of how they look - he doesn't listen - they are nice kids and I truly enjoy them when I see them.

It has been a bit raw outside, and I have seen my fish lazily swimming around at the bottom of the pond. Soon we will be putting the deicers in and shutting down the pumps and bringing them inside. When we do that, it always seems so quiet outside. The silence to me is deafening.

I need to get myself off my dupa and start walking. I know when I walk, I tend to have more energy. Any tips for walking in the cold?

Keep your ears covered, wear gloves, don't over dress and walk briskly. Works for me.

Dupa? Are you Polish? My MIL's mother used to tell my MIL, when she asked what she should wear to school, "Dupa an yitza!" Phonetically spelled of course.

Yes, you surely can over oxygenate! Koi will look annoyed and get a little skittish when there is a hyper-saturation of oxygen. It bothers their skin and gills, then makes their insides go a little whacko. It doesn't happen often, we usually suffer from low oxygen levels, not high. It happens mostly when we try to over compensate for a something we've done wrong to a pond/fish and then go rapid fire crazy to do everything we should have done for the past month! Throw every bit of pump and air equipment we own, into the pond. Now the fish are bothered and annoyed with toooooo many microscopic air bubbles in the water. You can sometimes see little bubbles on their skin! Oxygen overload! :)

Groan. So much to learn. I wonder if when we pushed the tubes into their caves and then started pumping water through them if we just agitated them while they just wanted to sleep. I don't see that it would oxygenate them as it was just moving the water around at the bottom. This year I am building a tripod to run the hose (2" ) up and over so I have a good drop to the top of the pond, then pump from the very bottom and up. Suck the depleted water out and try to oxygenate as it drops through the air (probably encased in ice as the winter progresses but still) to the pond surface. It would draw water from the caves also I would think. The water on top is colder so maybe as it is oxygenated it would sink down through the rocks to the caves. I knew I should have paid more attention in physics.

Our big fish don't eat like I thought they would. 2 handfuls seem to be plenty. Other smaller fish in old pond eat like pigs but I still only give them 1 handful and a few cheerios. Dessert you know. They have a feeding frenzy when I just walk near the pond. Big ones eat slowly and casually. They also like a few cheerios.
Ponds have been a little ignored lately. Need to get out there and clean all filtration. Need a sunny warm day cause I usually get all wet too even though I am pressure washing all filtration material. Leaf drop hasn't been too bad yet. I get them with vac.
Got to run.
Take care all and you all in cold country make some good hot soup!!

I had stopped feeding them for weeks.

Belle

Have done, am eating. More than I can say for the fish.

Mine haven't eaten in quite awhile either. It will probably be awhile before they eat again.

Bonnie - I think the bigger fish tend to be slower than the smaller fish anyway. Although in the warmer weather, the fish's metabolism tends to be faster than in the cooler weather. I am curious - what are your water temps?

Earlier today, I went out to the pond to see if I could see through the deicers to the fish. I did see 1 fish. It is going to be along winter I think.

Water right now at 4PM is 60. Don't have new clarifier on old pond but it is crystal clear so I'm going to take some pics.
Big pond is in shade and fish are staying close to bottom but maybe can get some of them too.
Stay warm Carolyn & Oberon.

Bonnie -

today is a bit warmer and we are supposed to be back into the 50's. Perhaps if you have time youj could post some photos? I would love to see them. Perhaps you could throw a couple of cheerios into them for me ^_^

Bonnie

Just now reading about your loss, it sure wasn't from your diligence.

Jan

Small pond very clear. Large pond in shade so pics not so good.
Big ones are in there.

The big ones are all about 2 feet and a few are longer.

Bonnie...It's so wonderful to see your fish! It looks like you have both a blue shusui and blue asagi(?) I know you've wanted blue fish!
Your pond looks great! The plants growing along the edge make it look so tropical. Great job!
:)

1. big ones
2.black and white is Orca
3. pinkish red butterfly
4. group in small pond
5. bluish one and pinkish one

Those plants growing along edge of larger pond are sweedish ivy and used to hang into pond but big fish have eaten them all off wood beam.
Asagi is growing good. Other one has some bluish tint. Someday I am gong to find an all over solid blue one. I live in hopes.
M. Merry, how is your pond coming along? Been perfect weather for digging. Lots of plants blooming now. I now we will soon have real winter weather but freeze I can do without. Water was 60 today so all fish got fed.

Carolyn, They all got their cheerios for dessert. Right now all fish appear healthy. No brag just fact.

Bonnie, your fish are beyond gorgeous. In all the ponds I have visited outside and in Hawaii I don't think I have seen such beautiful fish. You are so blessed to have such beauty swimming around in your own back yard. 'Course, you have worked your A__ off to build them safe healthy homes so you certainly deserve them.

Ahhh! Orca was one I gave you as just a youngster! His tummy is light blue, and he has no scales... I wondered what he would look like when he got bigger. I still think he's very interesting!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/9-in-long-fin-blue-shusui-6-mo-old-live-koi-fish-pondgarden-GKOL-RT6-/151178618202?pt=Live_Fish&hash=item2332f2a55a

Bonnie, you may be looking for something like this. It's about the bluest of koi, with no red or black anywhere.

Your kois are pretty!!!

Orca now has all white tummy. It is beautiful. I do have 2 koi similar to the one on e-bay. Pictures are hard to really visualize correctly. However, I have seen solid blue in pictures and dark blue also. What I have either had to come from you or guy Jeff calls koi John over in Oveido.

I'm just happy when they are all healthy and that group in small old pond are really active.

Beautiful day today. Got to go feed fish and then go out back and look for used lumber. Want to build a frame to look like stable for nativity figures. I'll cover it with palmettos stapled on.
Happy ponding all.

I saw some koi on Amazon that were lovely with very low prices but all said "no shipping to Alaska." Probably just as well. The shipping would be four times (or more) than the cost of the fish.

Gorgeous Bonnie! I just love your fish. They all look so active and healthy.

MM - what type of koi is Orca? I have never seen one like that before. Love the way he looks.

It will be awhile before I can feed my fish. ^_^

Thank you so much for sharing Bonnie.

Well...Orca is a beast all his own! It would fall under the category of Kawarimono....which translates into "colors that don't fit into a specific category".....
Closest to it would be a kumonryu....which is a black doitsu (no scales/limited scales) over white. The black on this kind of koi travels around their body, cause by different temps/water conditions/food. It's really interesting as it changes what it looks like. Orca is closest to that, even though it's white is sort of a beautiful powdery light blue. I can't wait to see what he/she looks like as it get bigger and older! One of the beautiful oddities we get excited about! :)

He is a beautiful fish - so very different than the others.

Thanks for the information on the koi types, Mary. I was never very good at that.

Jeff has a Kowa in second pic. Body is white with red tail. He is growing well and eats like a horse. Travels along with his mouth open but will spit out leaves floating in water.
Orca has a little red spot on one side that resembles an old fashioned key hole. Don't know any other way to describe it.
Don't feel bad Carolyn: if I can spell it I can't say it. If I can say it I can't spell it. Doesn't really matter to me. I'm like Mary what they grow into just fascinates me. He/she has never been sick so that's the good part.
I have one over at Jeff's that I want him to bring back. Black with yellow head and is really pretty. It was a freebee from the man we bought the big ones from. Some fish we just swap around. Jeff has decided for now he can't build a new house on what is now our land so he is gong to see if he can get permission from HOA to build a pond right where he is. When he sells the house I'm sure anyone would like a pond and if not they can always use it for something else He will build out of cement blocks and a little raised out of the ground. Not bragging just cause he's mine but he is talented at blg. things. Yesterday he was here cutting out of plywood he had a little Santa Claus house for his front yard Christmas display and I guarantee it will be very nice. He is a perfectionist in many ways. His being an electrician comes in handy also. I will post a pic of it when he's done. Says it will be done by next weekend.
Finally got my outside lights up and running. Poor Charlie has to figure out the camels legs to synchronize their waking. I need to build something that looks like a manger for 3 of the figures.
Mary, maybe you could bring your grandson over one evening to see it. Lights are on by 6pm until around 11PM. Cars stop out front all the time during the season.
Take care all.

Bonnie,
Thank you for the invitation! I'm sure he would love to see the Christmas lights! (I would too, I love Christmas time!)
What if you listed yourself as a koi breeder/aquaculture person? Would that allow you to keep your property as agriculture? Even if you scooped some dirt on Jeff's lot and put gambuzia mosquito fish in...they breed like crazy and people buy them. No filteration or air pumps needed. Just a thought. You could also grow aquatic plants and water lilies to sell!
Sheesh, half the time both of my legs don't work at the same time, so if Charlie can sycnronize camels, he can work on my brain next!

When Charlie gets Mary figured out I will send him a ticket to Alaska so he can work on me! lol
It's so funny to listen to all this talk about Christmas decor in a place that never gets snow. We have one row of red lights on the house and I always talk about running a cord to the mail box to string lights on it. Haven't managed it yet. D needs the 100' foot cord to plug his truck in. I did wire a bunch of (fake) greenery with berries and pine cones just below the mail box. Guess that counts.

With no snow, sparkly lights are all we have! I'm orginally from the snow belt in Ohio, and we'd get plenty of blizzards from Canada acrosse Lake Erie. The visual was beautiful, the existing in it was not. I've been in Florida for 30 years, wouldn't go back to it unless I had to. I still visit, and love to see it from time to time, but I can do that as I flip the pages of a Hallmark calendar in my flip flops! :)

Ladies, Charlie is working with electric cords not human parts. He isn't that smart. There is a transformer that attaches to the camels legs to make them look like they are walking and it isn't easy to get it timed.
If anyone knows how to shut off Microsoft narrator I would appreciate hearing. It drives ne nuts.
Time to feed fish and get off this aggrevating thing.

Never heard of Microsoft narrator. Sounds like it would drive me nuts also.

To turn off narrator:

Go to Control Panel -> Ease of Access -> Ease of Access Center -> Explore all Settings -> Use the computer without a display. Uncheck the checkbox by Turn on Narrator and click Save.

Holy Cow Carolyn. You do have your hands full. I will send lots of positive vibes your way and be thinking of you through out the month, both before and after.

Carolyn, That is major? How long will he be in the hospital?

Belle