Hi, arrived last night - back in Florida.
The pond is amazing and crystal clear. Will take some shots. I have fish in there I didn't know I had. Two black koi. Can they be all black? Or did someone drop some whatevers in there?
More later.
Fred
I'm back
My pond at the deep end is between 3.5 and 4 feet deep. I can see every pebble down there. It's amazing and no UV.
Here's a random shot
Fred
I have two of these black fish I've never seen before. Do they look like Koi? The camera didn't focus in on them clearly. It can't see them either. :-)
The lilies obviously don't do well without food.
WOW! Great crystal clear water. It looks wonderful. And welcome back by the way. I think you've got gold fish in there. If you dont see barbels, otherwise know as koi wiskers, than its goldfish. They can hitch hike in as fertilized eggs on plants or as tiny fry in the water the plants may have been packed in. They can even come in on bird's feet. Goldfish multiply faster than rabbits. They can spawn four times a season up here where we have winter. Someone down your way who has gold fish can tell you what to expect in your region. I love them in my small goldfish pond but I consider them a horrible nuisance in the koi pond. Four can get you 100 in about three years time. It happened to me. I'm still trying to get them all out. I have about 25 left of the approximately 120 I had last summer. Anyway, what great looking water conditions you have there. And every thing else too!
I am glad to see that you are back Fred. Looks like the new filter system is doing a great job with your water clarity. It is amazing to me how quickly the pond has come together for you. Just beautiful!
Hooray!!! That's so funny, I've been wondering about you and your pond today! I told you you could have clear water, and I'm so glad it is. I also have one of those black fish, and it is a gold fish. I got it from one of my ponding friends. I love it, actually. You have a big pond...so do we, and so far we haven't been concerned about the mix of goldfish and koi (but who knows how I'll feel about that next year). I'm not sure what kind of filtration system you have, but here's a link to my thread on cleaning out our filter yesterday... you'll probably be really glad you have professionals to care for yours if you have a similar filter! Your pond looks awesome!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/772477/
looks like your type of filter is a lot more work then mine. I don't have all that material to wash just pads of scrubbing material which is wound around a water source to collect the algae muck. The water then goes into biofilter tanks and then into a natural bio filter (two 150 gal skippies tanks). Then it runs through a creek of bog plants and their roots into the main pond. I guess those round bio filter tanks contain the little balls which make for a bio filter and need to be backwashed one of these days. The pond people told me not to even bother them for a few months.
So you guys think I have gold fish cohabitating with the koi. Maybe but darn if I know how that can be. In the very beginning I had tow shebunkins in the pond but I thought they had died while the water was still highly alkaline from the curing concrete.
One of these days I'm going to have to take inventory but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.
Just a question - what does one do with excess fish or fish that don't belong? I know I'll have to find myself a rather big net to even have a chance at catching anyone. There is no place to really corner a fish. It's all so open they can always get away but try I must - one of these days.
fred
Several threads had said to bait a floating trap with bread and the fish will go in to each it and cannot get out. You might try that. I would not even remotely suggest you go after them with a dip net unless you are more interested in getting a good workout than getting fish. Although if you had a mind to take some video of the experience I am sure we would probably not mind and find it highly entertaining.............. :^)
It's that bad catching them? I thought maybe a fairly big net might do the trick but you may be right one needs a trap of some kind. I wonder how they get koi out of the ponds where they raise them for sale?
Hmmmm. I don't know much, (but I've learned a lot)... I'm thinking maybe those bio filter tanks with the little balls (which are probably your "media") will, in fact, benefit from backwashing. We were not told anything about maintenance of our system when we bought it. Unfortunately, the store we bought it from has an owner that (still) knows absolutely nothing about the system he sells. We didn't backwash initially (weren't told we needed to), then we did, but didn't fully read the directions, so didn't know that we should "rinse" after backwashing, and that we should backwash for about 1 minute (and then rinse) three times... each time. It has taken calling the manufacturers and other pond companies recommended by the manufacturers to finally figure the system out and know how to keep it running well. I think had we been better aware of the backwashing maintenance, we wouldn't have had quite so much of a mess.
Anywhooooooooooo...let's see more photos of your pond! It looks great. How many gallons have you got there? Love the rock work.
Brenda
Catching big koi is actually easier than those little goldfish. It takes a big wide long handled net and come up from underneath and scoop upward.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/3216
If you drag the net in the water from the side or from the top its practically impossible. But scooping upward from underneath actually works much better. I didn't discover this. I read it in a recent issue of KOI magazine. I can't catch a goldfish though, except by accident, to save my life. We have used a sein net. Got most but not all. Have to do it again soon.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/3314
finally got my desktop running again. Didn't want to run here in Naples. Removed the wireless antenna I used in NJ to capture my neighbors broadband connection and now all is well. Wierd.
Anyway, Snapple, you'll have to explain this sein net thing. What is it? The picture doesn't tell me much. Expensive nets you pointed me to. Yikes.
Still don't know what to do with excess fish. I don't have the heart to let them die. For now I'm not doing anything but sooner or later something will have to be done.
And to Brenda - I have between 9 and 10 thousand gallons in my pond. I think you can search the forum for other posts by a forum member. I have pelnty of shots out there somewhere.
Fred
A sein might not work in your pond Fred. It depends somewhat on the pond configuration. The net has weights on one end and floats on the other. Drop the weighted end into the pond. The weighted end has very long cords attached so that you can use them above water to drag the weighted end across the bottom so that the net is covering the bottom of the pond. One end stays on top because of the floats. If I've managed to describe this right you have the net under the fish. Two or four people can then pull up the net and the fish are caught with no place to escape - almost. I caught around 100 goldfish this way at one time. We quickly removed the koi and placed them back in the water. We dumped the goldfish from the net into waiting buckets of water and drove them out to a farmers pond of about 1/2 acre in size. We were kind of akward at handling the net as this was our first try and some of the goldfish found a way under the weighted end and escaped. The koi were stressed and so were we. However 100 goldfish is way, way to many and we had to do something. Some people swear by traps. I just don't seem to be able to get them to work. But I would definitely try a trap first. If it works it would be a lot easier on you and the koi. Boy, your pond is just beautiful.
Fred... I know, I've seen pics of your pond, but it's soooo pretty I want to see more! Especially now that you can see your fishies! Pretty please!
Brenda
Yeah Fred! More pictures!
Gosh, I go away for a few days and the clamor for pictures surprises me. Actually I didn't go away, just didn't check this forum for a while. I'll let you guys in on a secret - I'm trying to get all the stuff I started finished. I have a tendency to go off and start new things without finishing the old. So I have this 60W x 80L garage I built and the rear portion (60w x 30l) is being fixed as a two story fun and games place. No, not that kind of fun but rather an upstairs library and space for my stuff most of which is still in NJ. I brought a trailer full of books and some other items with me but there is much more where that came from. So I need cabinets and lots of shelving and the place upstairs needs carpet and on and on. Downstairs we are just about finished except for the furniture part. I need to get a pool table, a bar and such things. My wife's hobby room, the kitchen and bath are finally done. So I'm busy and the main reason is the upcoming mile stone of my 70th birthday. I mean to celebrate that I made it (knock on wood till December) and have company coming from all over the place including Germany. Now you know why I'm so silent on the fish. There's also all that other work in the garden or what some people call a park. All my orchids really need to be transplanted but they'll just have to wait. Lots to do and so little time.
I also have to get prices from contractors to enlarge our house and outside living area. I'm finished with the architect and now the hard part starts. This little project also includes a pool, spa and another koi pond just in case I ever have to shut one down and need a second home for the koi. But that is next year's project.
Not much is blooming in the garden right now. I have some plumeria, hedychiums and blue ginger but in general it's quiet in the garden. Flowers (annuals) still have to be planted for the winter months. It never ends.
Anyway, it's time to hit the hay. The pic shows how badly my lilies need food.
Fred
One more shot real quick. I dug some umbrella plants in my wet lands area and sunk them into 25 gallon pots and sat them onto concrete blocks next to tha waterfall. They seem to like it there and adjusted nicely to growing in the water instead of on land.
fred
That's some restful retirement you've got going on there Fred. Puts the rest of us to shame.
The umbrella plants next to that waterfall are stunning.
Fred, Koi fish have two whiskers. Do your black ones have them? A Koi is also a jumping fish so good luck catching them. Bev
Very beautiful, Fred! I love the umbrella plants. Thanks for sharing... feel free to post more pics when you have time. The game room and library sound awesome, too!
Fred....I use a larger drag net (actually it's bird netting for trees) and then scoop what I want out with a larger hand net. You can list your fish on Ebay or CraigsList, and if you prefer to not ship them, you can list them as "local pick-up only". Many people do this with their larger fish once they begin to get too large for their ponds, and keep the smaller ones. I've purchased many this way, as well as haven gotten rid of some this way. Then you know they are also going to good homes if someone is willing to come pick it up.
I have 2 solid black butterfly koi, so it's possible that you have some. As everyone has mentioned, look for the whisker barbels.
Anytime you want to unload that orange and white butterfly, you just let me know!
:)
MerryMary, thanks for the ideas. I've about 200 koi fry zipping around. Those that overwinter successfully will have to be dealt with next spring. Any body know the age they start to show color? It seems I have plain brown, black or white. They are all about two inches at this point. They are all koi as I finally managed to remove all the gold fish - at last.
I've seen 3 inchers beginning to show color variations (not perfect ones yet, but at least an idea of orange, white, black, etc) If you don't want to over-winter them, I've seen them listed as "10 assorted 2-3 inch" for a certain package price. Usually at that size, there is no color selection, only what you decide to scoop in a net. "Unculled". If your pond is deep enough, you can let them hibernate and work with slightly larger ones come spring time.
Hmmmmmmm. I think I'll wait for spring. Curiosity about color and how many are butterfly is greater than the desire to thin the herd. The pond will hold them through the winter. It's 3 1/2 feet and the heaters don't let the water temp drop below 40. If they fatten up enough they should survive. I've been feeding them extra flake food in a feeding ring behind some lilies to allow them to eat without competition from the big ones. I scooped a few today. I found a couple of butterfly loooking like they will be either light yellow or white. Spring will be exciting. There is also a local pond store that sells koi. They expressed some interest when I mentioned that there was an unusually good hatch.
MerryMary - I appreciate your info. I didn't know you could sell them. Duh!
Let me know once spring comes, take pictures....I'd love to see them as they advance! Expect a good many to be bland boring brown, but it's fun to see the good ones! :)
I have had koi before and my nieghbor still does. We do not heat the water. My pond is just 18inches deep and all I do is put a stock heater in to keep a hole in the ice. I do not feed my fish after Oct till April bbecause they go into suspened animation and do fine. Bev
Ah, dragonfly62 - If I could get them to wear them I'd knit sweaters for the koi! The koi I have would not make in 18 inches. They are in the 18 to 24 inch category. When the surface of the water would freeze there wouldn't be enough depth in the unfrozen water for them. Koi also incur significant stress at temps below 40. While they "survive" it they are weakened and their overall life span is shortened. The "heaters" I use are really stock tank heaters too. But they are 1500 watts ( real electricity hogs) and two of them keep 2500 gallons at about 40 even in the worst sub zero temps. So, its either the heaters, or knit one, pearl two.
I think you are right on. They would freeze soiled poor babies. They are really beatiful fish. My nieghbors have lost some real pretty ones when they let thier pond freeze. Thanks Bev Good Luck M=Name one after me. Dragonfly that is LOL