Why do some Koi

[Esther]

root around in the lily pots and some don't? Mine never have bothered the plants. They have been purchased at probably 4 different places so aren't from the same place. They do nibble on the watercress and water celery that leans over the edge of the pond but I don't mind. I see them rooting/nibbling on the bottom or sides of the liner. These fish are mostly between 6 and 2 years old, good sized.

[HOWELL]

i dont know i had some goldfish that bothered the lillies but they died, so i just actually have one koi and a goldfish but none of them bother the roots maybe play in the gravel, but what i saw is that mosquito larves get into the gravel to hide and the fish goes and look for them, but yeah this fished havent bothered the lilies

[Sunbeam56]

All koi root around if they can, at some point. The fatter they are, the less likely that are to look for hard to get food.
All mud has algae in it. Koi eat algae.
But our prepared foods are higher in calories (can you say chocolate?) and so they get accustomed to the nummier food.

Koi, from carp, are actually bottom feeders. They suck on the mud and roots. In a mud pond they wallow around (which helps keep their skin clear of pathogens).
The LIKE it.

[Esther]

Yah, but mine don't bother the soil in the pots of lilies to the point of making a mess or uprooting them. They never have. My soil is just plain clay and I have never put pebbles or stones on top of the soil.

[HOWELL]

my new ones havent done that either and they have aquatic plant soil on top because the clay by itself makes a mess, and yeah my lillies are fine they never uprooted them and they are doing more than fine

[bunny56lbc]

My butterfly koi don't mess around with the lilies I have in their pond BUT I had some of the other koi & I swear they played badmitten with the lilies..... ...so I found some nice new homes for them....to some really good friends 

bonnie

[PondmaninAL]

When I first put my koi in with the water lilies, they didn't bother them until the koi got bigger and then I had to take the water lilies out.

Happy ponding,
Scott