Author Topic: Pond thawed Saturday, all koi dead (Read 2052 times)

perplexed ponder · « **on:** April 08, 2008, 05:28:15 AM »

The goldfish have made it through, but every koi was dead. I have been tiling my kitchen so I have not had a chance to do a water test yet. I wonder if when we had 2 really cold snaps and the heater just couldn't keep up had something to do with it. I worried all winter about them, couldn't see through the ice and snow, but now I know.

My biggest koi would have been 4 this summer, he was a good 12 inches long and would eat from our hands. I will miss him.

Last fall I just KNEW I should bring them inside, but I couldn't get a big enough tank for a good enough price.

I think I may be done with koi. Between the herons pickeing them off and all the other issues, I think I will stick with goldies and let whatever happens to them, happen. it's too much stress.

Double S · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2008, 06:43:28 AM »

I'm so sorry!

How cold does your water temps get? Nobody around me that I know, (zone 6, so not as cold as you) brings fish in NOR uses a heater to water warm. Mine was covered in ice most the winter..and all survived. We did keep the falls going, so there was a hold in the ice. But thats it. Now I'm wondering if I got lucky.

crazyfishlady · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2008, 07:40:40 AM »

I am so sorry to hear of your lost fishies. Our pond too was covered in ice and snow from early Dec to mid March.

This was my first year with the pond so I was very concerned. I would have been so sad if I came home to a pond without fish. I had only a small hole created by the stock tank heater. We found 2 comets that died, but one plain goldie and 2 koi just disappeared. Four fantail goldies lived, and they are supposed to be more fragile than the comets or koi. My remaining 10 koi seem fine, but they too are smaller.

I wonder, if when my fish grow if it will be harder for them to live with all those contained gases and stuff. Makes me afraid to buy any more.

JoshS · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2008, 07:58:46 AM »

Bigger fish are always the first to go. They have higher oxygen demands than smaller fish. Plus goldfish are just more tolerant of adverse conditions than koi.

This winter has been very hard on fish...both in backyard ponds and natural bodies of water. A heavy blanket of snow is not a welcome insulator for a pond like it is on our flower beds. Even though the plants are mostly dormant, there is still algae that lives and even grows all winter long. In the dark, the algae uses oxygen and carbon dioxide is released. A blanket of snow blocks all light from reaching the algae, creating a dangerous situation for the fish. In extended periods of darkness, the algae dies and decomposes – depleting the oxygen even further.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #4 on:** April 08, 2008, 08:10:20 AM »

It's seems this winter was tough on many ponds. Sorry for your loss, Kathy.

That info's good to know Josh.

Ruthie · « **Reply #5 on:** April 08, 2008, 09:05:18 AM »

This winter has been terrible. I am so sorry for your loss.

barb · « **Reply #6 on:** April 08, 2008, 09:07:07 AM »

What a shame, I am so sorry!

tranquility · « **Reply #7 on:** April 08, 2008, 09:48:03 AM »

I'm soo sorry....
Lawanna

Bonnie · « **Reply #8 on:** April 08, 2008, 11:53:26 AM »

Kathy so sorry to hear this...

SueSTx · « **Reply #9 on:** April 08, 2008, 03:31:37 PM »

Sorry to hear about your fish

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #10 on:** April 08, 2008, 05:59:52 PM »

I'm so sorry .

bonnie

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 08, 2008, 06:36:52 PM »

I'm sorry too

tinkster · « **Reply #12 on:** April 09, 2008, 10:53:07 AM »

sorry to hear that... I to am thinking of not doing koi anymore. Goldfishes are so easy... never had water problems with them.. filtering is much easier. I can have many more of them without worry how big they are gonna get and most important I dont have to watch them eat my lililes.. but I do so enjoy watching the butterfly koi.

tinskter

Julles · « **Reply #13 on:** April 09, 2008, 02:18:05 PM »

Man, that's sad, Kathy. I know you loved and enjoyed your fish.

I thought koi were winter-hardy. I never dreamed it would be so cold up there as to harm them. Sorry.

marla · « **Reply #14 on:** April 10, 2008, 09:46:41 PM »

I'm so sorry, it was a very hard cold winter, and we in the north are pushing the envelope when it comes to keeping fish, especialy koi in our ponds. The bigger the koi the larger the opening you need. All our koi in the main pond made it through the winter, and then this last Sun we had one (14") die. All others at the moment seem fine, but I'm keeping a very close eye on them. Big hugs, and hope this tragedy does not put a long lasting dammper on the rest of the ponding season for you

Esther · « **Reply #15 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:36:14 PM »

Wow Kathy, sorry to hear that. My pond is only about 10' X 13' and 30" at it's deepest. All I did was keep a hole in the ice with a DIY lightbulb deicer and have never lost a fish due to winter. This is maybe the 6th winter. My water is yucky from string algae growth during the winter too so you'd think the water quality wouldn't be very good. I almost feel like I'm tempting fate when I say these things. The only fish deaths I've had were from herons and one 14"er got up in the bog somehow and was out of the water too long. I had to euthanize him.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2008, 04:53:11 AM »

Thanks everyone.

Josh, I hadn't thougth about the snow/algae! I be that was the major contributor. We had a blanket all winter. Then when the temps got too much for my heater, I bet it did them in. the falls are shut down around thanksgiving, so they didn't have that oxygen either.

I am trying to take a more casual approach to the fish. le tthe goldies breed and take what i get. Let the heron have what it wants, and not stress over it (yeah right!) the holes in the liner from heron strikes won't stress me out?!

marla · « **Reply #17 on:** April 12, 2008, 12:05:55 PM »

Keep saying it Kathy and maybe you will come to believe it. If not, as with most ponders you will try again, don't beat yourself up to bad, it is hard to winter them up here and Mother Nature is not always kind.

Esther · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2008, 12:32:30 PM »

Did you see on the news about the fish kill in Lake Michigan this winter? The township/country officials actually placed a dumpster near Holland/Grand Haven/Muskegon so that people would have a place to dump the dead fish when they cleaned up their beaches.

Vickie · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2008, 06:40:02 PM »

My deepest pond is about 23 inches. I have 10 ponds. The only fish I have lost is some gambusi. I cover my ponds with plastic and leave 1/3 of it uncovered. I left pumps going. We had a cold winter and more snow than usual. So far no koi or goldfish lost. I swear buy koi clay for healthy fish and making water clear.

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #20 on:** April 13, 2008, 04:38:16 AM »

Wow Esther! I did not see that! Did they give any reasons for the high kill?

Vickie, We were going to try the plastic, but couldn't figure a way to support it well enough for the snow. Our pond is pretty large and odd shaped. we do have a deep spot of 3 feet. It wasn't frozen all the way down. I like koi clay too, but in winter when everything is frozen over and buried in a foot or so of snow, I don't do anything with the pond except pray! This is the first year we have lost fish like this.