Bad News Everyone

[spackle]

First I want to thank everyone who offered their help and advice to my last posting "EMERGENCY: Need Some Advice." The good news is that I managed to capture two of my Koi. One of my oldest and largest Calicos, and one of my medium sized Silver butterfly.The bad news? I just went out this morning to check on the other three and try to capture them but I was too late. One had suffacated to death over night, and one (my largest, oldest and most shy) that I called "Moo Cow" was on the bank half eaten. The other is missing and I presume has been eaten or I simply cannot see him. I am really, really bummed out. They all had their own personality and I looked forward to seeing them everyday. When I think of all the hard work I have done to keep them happy, healthy and alive. Netting the pond and keeping watch when the Herron comes every September. Constantly plugging holes from critters to keep the pond from draining in the wind, rain, ice and snow. And now all it took was one drought and they are all gone. I am grateful that I have been able to save two. Now I just need to keep them alive until the rains return. And to add insult to injury it looks like it is going to be a massive fish kill event. Even the small natives are dying. The whole pond is going to have to be re-stocked. Really, really bummed. :sad: :sad: :sad:

 

[cajunmeme]

I am so sorry for your loss. Hopefully the 2 you save will thrive.

 

[Fishylove]

so very sorry Spackle
best of luck with your other two.

 

[sissy]

sorry to hear but if you have two of them and they are safe and sound you are at least a little ahead .It is hard to get rid of critters that are hungry .

 

[Mucky_Waters]

The whole pond is going to have to be re-stocked. Really, really bummed. :sad: :sad: :sad:

Are you sure that is wise?
If that natural spring fed pond is subject to repeated droughts, that you have no control over, it seems by restocking you would be setting yourself up for disappointment again sometime in the future.
Perhaps, at the very least, stick with some feeder goldfish or something you won't get so attached to.

 

[spackle]

Thanks everyone. Here are a couple of photos of my pond to give you an idea of what I was talking about.



Normally the water should be 3/4 the way up to the top of the rock with the umbrella stand.



The water should also be right around the frogs feet.



Here is the normal level for summer.





Here is "Moo Cow" in better days. RIP

 

[spackle]

Are you sure that is wise?
If that natural spring fed pond is subject to repeated droughts, that you have no control over, it seems by restocking you would be setting yourself up for disappointment again sometime in the future.
Perhaps, at the very least, stick with some feeder goldfish or something you won't get so attached to.

When I said restocked I meant with native fish and like you suggested some feeder fish. The history of this pond is actually still quite new. According to my landlady it was really nothing more then a glorified wet spot up until about seven years ago. She had workers come in and dig it out and line it with clay to make a proper pond.. They swore it would never leak. So in the five years that I have been here I have never seen it get this low. Like I said in my earlier post, I have observed the level is highly dependent on the water flowing down off the mountain. And to think last August we were drowning from Hurricane Irene. I told my landlady about the problem but she doesnt really seem to care.

 

[Shoestring Ponder]

How very sad. We have been terribly dry until this last week...we have had 3 storms in the past week, but I would have gladly given you 2 of the storms to save your fish

:goldfish:

 

[Shoestring Ponder]

Mucky, I love my feeder goldfish as much as you probably love your Koi, and someone else may love their native fish. It is sad when things like this happen to innocent creatures, makes no difference what you initially spend on they...the investment we have in our fish trancends their specific name and what we paid for them.

:goldfish:

 

[spackle]

Mucky, I love my feeder goldfish as much as you probably love your Koi, and someone else may love their native fish. It is sad when things like this happen to innocent creatures, makes no difference what you initially spend on they...the investment we have in our fish trancends their specific name and what we paid for them.

:goldfish:

I agree 100%.

 

[addy1]

I have read that a lot of natural lakes in the mid west are drying up and all the fish dieing, this drought is really affection all creatures.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky, I love my feeder goldfish as much as you probably love your Koi, and someone else may love their native fish. It is sad when things like this happen to innocent creatures, makes no difference what you initially spend on they...the investment we have in our fish trancends their specific name and what we paid for them.

Shoestring, my observation was strictly from a practical point of view. Nobody wants to see their fish (or other pond critters) die, but that's what has happen here. There was a problem with Spackle's pond that lead to the death of the fish, some of which she was obviously very attached to. The problem, or at least a real potential for the problem to happen again, still exist. So to avoid future disappointment it makes sense to either find a solution for the problem (before re-stocking), or simply restock with fish that she may not mind losing so much, both emotionally, and financially.

As for you loving your feeder goldfish as much as my koi,,,,,, I hope you love your goldfish a lot more than I love koi, because I don't have any koi, and don't really want any, I prefer goldfish.

 

[Mmathis]

So sorry to hear, Spackle! You tried so hard to save your friends.

 

[j.w]

Sad news and wish there was something you could do so that it won't happen again. Maybe it needs to be deeper or more clay added to keep it from leaking? I'm just grasping here and sad for you losing those pets :sad: