Lost koi over this winter

[Norfolkpond]

Awww... don't give up! We've all suffered losses and whether they were our "fault" or not isn't really the issue. Things happen. Stick with us and we'll help you re-gain your confidence!

I really would encourage you to stick with goldfish - comets, fantails, shubunkins... they're all pretty and easy to care for and will be perfect in your pond!

Thank you! This is a great idea!

 

[Norfolkpond]

This was last year or the year before.......View attachment 137069View attachment 137070View attachment 137071View attachment 137072View attachment 137073

So beautiful!!

 

[Norfolkpond]

Very sorry for the loss of your koi. Maybe when you start over, stick with shubunkins? They are very beautiful, similar coloration as koi and quite hardy.

I have 4 koi that are around 17 years old. Each winter I fret and make plans for how best to over winter them.

Great idea!

 

[Norfolkpond]

Unfortunately We are talking wild animals and they live and die at the hands of nature. obviously your system was working well for a few seasons. or they would not have got to that size. there is no dinner bell in nature nor is there a dr's office sounds to me you did your best and obviously care to try to do your best for them. This was a heavy snow load and cold for many parts of the country I know my ice was over a foot thick. I lost so many frogs and some baby koi as the areas they were in were only a foot deep and they can't stand waters down to 34 degrees they can't get frozen in ice and survive. so if your pond is also shallow that could have been a factor as well not sure where you are located

Thank you so much for your note and comment! We live in Boston . You're right, our pond is too small for my grown-up kois. Pehaps they survived in the past few years just because they were smaller. We'll start over. So glad to join this forum group !

 

[GBBUDD]

Boston your my home . Though no longer in MA Ill always consider myself a proud mass-ole I left when they started the big dig and haven't been back since shame on me. got to the Mrs. on a ride to Quincy market this summer

 

[SueConk]

We also mysteriously lost fish over the winter. When the water gets cold they stay in the debris on the bottom about 3 ft down. We really don't have any predators. Have never seen a heron, a hawk a couple of years ago, but our dogs tend to scare them away. We are in SC, so sometimes the pond freezes, but it didn't this winter. Our fish just started to come out last week and we are missing 5 small koi and 2 large comets. It's a mystery to me as we never find any bodies.

 

[GBBUDD]

sounds like a mink or weasel to me

 

[brokensword]

sounds like a mink or weasel to me

GB; I doubt that as minks and weasels won't stop until the pond is empty, and certainly they're more able to grab the larger fish than the smaller. I've lost fish and never found their bodies either. Sometimes they just get lodged under something and decay away. Sometimes they jump out and you don't think to look in the landscaping all around. And a lot of times, they're just good at hiding and you'll suddenly see the missing ones later.