Emergency: Need Some Advice

[spackle]

Hi. I live in upstate New York and have a natural spring fed pond. Due to the lack of snow last winter and near drought conditions this summer my pond is drying up rapidly. I think I will need to rescue my 5 koi within the next 48 hours. I have two large koi and three medium size. I cannot fill the pond as it will just drop again quite quickly as it is dependent on the water table. I need to give them a temporary home for at least the next six weeks until the rains return. Anyone have any advice? I already have an aeration pump that I use in the pond when it gets low. I have almost no money to spend. I was thinking of going to the home depot and getting a large plastic container. Thanks.

 

[HARO]

A cheap 'kiddie pool' at end-of-season sale at the nearest Walmart or HD.
John

 

[spackle]

Pondcrastinator. Thanks. I have thought of that. But that also presents another challenge. Keeping the critters out. Especially at night. I have a family of raccoons who take a daily tour through the property looking for food. Not to mention the occasional bear, cat and heron. Sadly I dont have to room to keep it inside.

 

[HARO]

A cheap 'kiddie pool' at end-of-season sale at nearest Walmart or HD and a pit-bull from the Humane Society! :ugh:
John

 

[j.w]

Take thin boards and lay around outside of pool on ground w/ little nails in them pointing up. They don't like stepping on them in their bare feet and neither do I so be careful! Can also sprinkle Cayanne pepper on the boards for extra precautions. Also put a net or screen over the top and place heavy stuff on it to hold it down. It won't look so pretty but will help keep your fish safe till the rains come again maybe.

 

[sissy]

buy a liner and make a area you can dig up to put a liner in .Put window screening over the top use to pieces of electrical conduit and use fishing wire to sew sleeves like a curtain and slide the conduit into it and lay rocks along the edge .

 

[ididntdoit99]

Tubs, or stock tanks big enough for "large koi" (I'm not sure what you consider large) are pretty expensive, Kiddy pool is probably the way to go. Or 50 gallon rubbermaid tanks, but you would proabbyl only want one per tank so even that could get quite expensive.

Your cheapest bet is the kiddy pool, but the thing you will have to watch for with the big shallow pool is the water temp getting too high. If you can put it in the basement or something its going to be a lot less work for you.

 

[sissy]

The cheapest stock tank they have at tractor supply is the 100 gallon one for 69 dollars and rubbermaid one is 79 and then you go up to 150 gallon 229 .Liner smaller one lowes has is 79 dollars for a pvc one .

 

[ididntdoit99]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Sunshine-120-x-72-x-22-Deluxe-Family-Inflatable-Swimming-Pool/19336118

266 gallons. $25

Some people worry about the fish poking holes in an inflatable pool, but I kept mine in one for a winter, and I believe others here have done so too. Not saying it couldnt happen, but mine were fine, and you could throw down an extra layer of plastic tarp or something before you fill it with water just to make sure.

 

[Waterbug]

How large is a large Koi? And the medium ones?

 

[Mmathis]

As already stated, monitor the water temp very closely if you go with the kiddy pool (or anything shallow).

 

[gardengimp]

I have met folks down here in Florida who have ponds made from the used billboard tarps. Here is one 10x36 for $30. don't know about shipping. might be able to find a vendor in your area you could pickup from. Maybe you could figure out a way to carve out a part of the natural pond and line it. A lined pond within the bigger natural pond. Then you will have a below ground-level spot to keep the koi whenever the water gets too low. Ground will help moderate high temps. My first pond was an open unused PVC liner I got for $10 at the Habitat restore.

 

[Waterbug]

Shipping for a 14x48' billboard tarp to Phoenix was a bit over $50, so $113 total. Just ordered one.

 

[spackle]

Thanks everyone. My pond has dropped another half a foot since yesterday. What water is left is really warm and choked with lilypads. I am going to have a very hard time even getting near my Koi as you go up to your knee in mud a mere foot from the shore. Sadly, I am a renter so I cant dig any new holes in the property. I think I am going to have to go with a rubber maid for my two oldest and biggest. The rest I am probably going to have to give away to someone in the area with a nice deep pond. It is breaking my heart but I just dont have the money or energy to do much else as I am disabled from a back injury. My two big guys are four years old and measure a little over a foot long and the rest about 8 inches. My main concern with the kiddie pool is the predators. To really keep them safe at night I would have to cover it with sheets of plywood. At least with the rubber maid It is small enough where I can lay some window screens on top of it weighed down with some stones. Or maybe even punch some holes in the plastic lid and use that overnight. I will keep you all posted. Thanks again.

 

[Neo]

I have the 110 gallon stock tank from Tractor Supply and it's saved my butt a few times already. I kept my koi in the utility room of our house all winter, now I use it for a lily pond and when the hose fell out and almost drained the koi pond I used water from it to refill without adding chemicals.

Definitely don't regret buying it so far.