Need some answers from pond pros! :)

[Amy]

Hello all! I just joined this group with hopes to get LEGIT info! I don't really trust the "experts" around here since I get different answers from everyone about different stuff in the past. I don't trust the employees in pet shops either since in the past they have told me stuff I KNOW to be FALSE!! We have a lot of fish here, a 180 gallon tank of African Cichlids, a 90 gallon community tank, and a 40 galloon cube of.....misfits I guess you could say! There is a large cichlid who gets beat up till near death each time we try and put him back in the 180, a large pleco and 2 large red fin sharks in the cube. I know they are not meant to live together but they do I also know its a tank not supposed to work but it does!! I think the smartest thing to do with my questions is to turn to you pond EXPERTS with ponds! I am pretty amature in the pond world I'd say. My first pond was about 150 gallons and I had great success with my goldfish as well as various plants in it. We sold the house and we took our fish , worried the new owner would let them die over winter (Ohio). In our new place we FINALLY got a pond in the last week of April. It is about 1000 gallons and is 3 feet deep in the deep end. We were able to re-release our goldfish we had to keep in a small 90gal tank for toooooo long once the temp was right! Yes water changes were a B! Anyway our goldfish were doing great and we got 2 koi...........then we find a Blue Heron, who we have been told is a BIG problem around here! Unfortunately it picked off a goldfish that was about 6inches long head to tail with only 1 eye! I had had this fish for about 5 years I bet that damn bird got him from the side he had no eye!  It also got a fantail I assume could not swim fast enough to get away as well as another goldfish about 5 inches long that escaped...as it is missing scales now! The deepest part of our pond now is 3 feet....we put a net over the deepest part and that damn bird has not had a meal since! That is where we stand now, I just wanted to say hi to you all and explain our situation. The heron is taken care of but I have many more questions that never came up in my previous pond and I am hoping you all can help!

[jw]

Hi Amy and welcome  Yes the heron is quite a problem and he used to come visit my pond regularly til I put up a little fence and also some metal staffs with wind chimes hanging on every one. Also planted all kinds of stuff around the pond so he couldn't get real close. Have lilies floating their pads and some duck weed and azolla for the fish to hide under. So far so good  . Glad you have taken the steps to stop him from getting your fish. My pond is 2500 gals and about 3 & 1/2 feet deep and I just love it. I could sit out on my front porch and gaze at it all day 
I've been a member here for just a few months and I'm very happy I found this forum. Lot's of good people w/ lots of good info. I've learned a lot in just the little time I've been here. So anyways.......... and come back each and every day  Janice

[PondmaninAL]

Welcome to AP, Amy. Ask away. There are people with experiences with all sorts of ponding. Mine above ground ponds and marginals.

[Amy]

Hi Amy and welcome  Yes the heron is quite a problem and he used to come visit my pond regularly til I put up a little fence and also some metal staffs with wind chimes hanging on every one. Also planted all kinds of stuff around the pond so he couldn't get real close. Have lilies floating their pads and some duck weed and azolla for the fish to hide under. So far so good  . Glad you have taken the steps to stop him from getting your fish. My pond is 2500 gals and about 3 & 1/2 feet deep and I just love it. I could sit out on my front porch and gaze at it all day 
I've been a member here for just a few months and I'm very happy I found this forum. Lot's of good people w/ lots of good info. I've learned a lot in just the little time I've been here. So anyways.......... and come back each and every day  Janice

[Amy]

Welcome to AP, Amy. Ask away. There are people with experiences with all sorts of ponding. Mine above ground ponds and marginals.

Thanks so much! I do have questions so I appreciate your willingness to help!

[Amy]

Hi Amy and welcome  Yes the heron is quite a problem and he used to come visit my pond regularly til I put up a little fence and also some metal staffs with wind chimes hanging on every one. Also planted all kinds of stuff around the pond so he couldn't get real close. Have lilies floating their pads and some duck weed and azolla for the fish to hide under. So far so good  . Glad you have taken the steps to stop him from getting your fish. My pond is 2500 gals and about 3 & 1/2 feet deep and I just love it. I could sit out on my front porch and gaze at it all day 
I've been a member here for just a few months and I'm very happy I found this forum. Lot's of good people w/ lots of good info. I've learned a lot in just the little time I've been here. So anyways.......... and come back each and every day  Janice

Thanks so much! I appreciate your response! I have tons of questions and truely appreciate your willingness to help!

[frloplady]

welcome!!

You have 2 koi and with your goldies your pond has enough inhabitants..especially with the goldie propensity to procreate themselves rapidly!!!  Your koi WILL grow and get large.  Both are "dirty" fish when it comes to filtration.  I have a strictly koi pond, no plants and play with plants in wading pools with the goldies, but in a greenhouse where the big *#(#*$ blue bird cannot get to them.  I have had a weasel or raccoon bother them, so be aware of that threat if they are in your area.

Ask questions, even if you THINK they are dumb as the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.  And if you don't know the answer then the question is NOT dumb!!  We all started somewhere as newbies!

[mcp]

Amy, A big welcome to you ! Glad to have you here at AP! Ask all the questions that you wish.  There are many people here who will be able to any question you might have. We love pictures here and they do help in problem solving of your questions. 

[Esther]

Welcome Amy. Sorry you seem to get different info from different people, but sometimes that is the way it is with us too. Our experiences seem to differ greatly from person to person. What works with me may not work with you. But like the others have said, we have people here varying from ones who are ponder wanna beeeees and some with ponds the size of lakes. Some are totally homemade DIY types and some are totally professionally installed. Some have had ponds, fish, marginals, water plants, turtles, wild fish, for many years and some are just getting started. One fun thing is that we are are so different with different backgrounds, jobs, and interests so usually there is someone here who can give an opinion or answer a question about most anything your little ole heart wants to know. Sometimes they give an opinion even when we didn't ask for one. LOL. But basically, we have a pretty good bunch here. Jerry and Sean keep a good eye on us and make us behave. By the way, don't be afraid to ask questions about anything, someone here will try to answer.

[Jerry]

Welcome and have fun!

[Julles]

Glad to have you, Amy.  And glad you beat the #@*&%!! heron!

[miguynmkoi]

Welcome Amy!  Spotted my first egret this year standing over my pond.  I now have nets way above the ponds and on the them too.  I now don't notice the netting everywhere and feel more secure about my koi and goldies. 

[Amy]

Thanks everyone!

[LeeAnne151]

Amy, your assumption that the fantail couldn't swim well enough to get away is true. They are cute but they are very easy prey. They wiggle on the pond's surface so enticingly that even animals like cats and dogs that don't normally fish will go for them.

Sorry that you learned the hard way. Welcome.

[Julles]

I have a cage / basket within my pond, with water lilies and fancy fantails and goggle eyed goldfish.  Last week, one of the smaller fantails came up with her tail all but gone.  No marks on the fish, but her tail was almost totally gone.

It's slowly - and I mean sloooowly - regrowing. 

The point is, something got at her, probably because she is too wiggly to swim fast and couldn't escape.