Koi driving me nuts!!!!

[jmajid]

ditto above - we are using the floating planter rings that koiguy described.
We also have a few of the regular planters up above the milk crates that are used for their houses and in those we have large rocks.
Our koi are not interested in the lil pads so far...they are smaller - anywhere from 4" to 8" (ish), but the previous koi didnt seem to bother the plants either and they were in the 14 to 16" range.

 

[Priscilla]

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/floating-planter-rings.2581/
solution above for the hyacinth and lettuce problem

Thanks I had seen this and plan to do something like this. Just have to find the right netting.

 

[mrsclem]

Priscilla- My big girls are Big Mama and Moby 1. Both between 24-30". Big Mama is the boss of the pond and protects everybody especially from the dreaded net!

 

[callingcolleen1]

I have very very big fat hungry koi too, I have no problem keeping water lilies.... in the other connecting ponds.... ha ha ha Sorry, they will rip them all apart, make a connecting pond just for plants!

 

[sissy]

I had to be creative in keeping plants .My home made plant pockets window screen and fishing line used to sew them together pool noodles with window screening

 

[koiguy1969]

the plastic hardware fence and dollar store hoola hops is all you need. oh and some zipties. regular netting and/or screen does NOT do near as good of a job.a net is soft and flexible, so can easily be pushed up for root access. the rigid plastic fencing is not. it allows much better water flow thru the roots than screen, and fry can come and go, using them as safe haven.

 

[jmajid]

the fry can come and go - until they get a LITTLE too big and get stuck... experience here....
but yes, we use the rigid plastic fencing from home depot

 

[koiguy1969]

When your fry sre big enough to get stuck in the fencing, theyre big enough to not need to be protected any more. mine swim with the big guys at 1" or so. and i raise them by the hundreds!

 

[Priscilla]

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/floating-planter-rings.2581/
solution above for the hyacinth and lettuce problem

No luck finding the right kind of stiff but not sharp netting. I added a rock to the bottom of the net I have now, it might help.

I had seen a lot of discussion on your post about using window screening, maybe I could do patches of window screen on my existing net. Leave gaps for water flow, but making it more challenging for the koi to get to the roots. Just a thought.

 

[Priscilla]

I had to be creative in keeping plants .My home made plant pockets window screen and fishing line used to sew them together pool noodles with window screening

Sissy, I had seen a thread saying the window screen wouldn't allow for enough water flow, would get blocked with algae. But your plants seem quite happy. If it works for you, it should work for me!

 

[sissy]

I never have much problem with algae .You can float plants als in baskets that you put that spray foam stuff on .I saw someone do it on here last year .I am going to try it this year .With some of my fiberglass screening I puncture larger holes in it in several spots .I just use a screw driver .concrete mixing tub for extra plants .my water filter tank .I put plants in both my filters so it helps clean the water.It works for me but not for every one

 

[Tula]

I'm anxious to see how my lilies do this year, since I made big changes to my pond last fall. I planted my lilies in plastic water pots and completely covered with fine bird netting and zip tied them shut. I recently bought a floating net thingy, to try water hyacinths again. I have now ideas for arachnea plants.....koi just gobble them!

 

[Andy41]

The edge of my pond is Stones/gravel with plants set in it, which means the roots trail out into the water. The Koi attack these with a passion, but at the moment they're leaving the other pond plants alone.

The plants that are in baskets i've replanted this year, and used some old pond liner to stop the roots getting out through the holes, and placed largish stones on top with space for the plants to grow through . Seems to be working so far.

I'll try that floating planter ring though. Thanks for the link.