Shy fish

[dbarnes]

Morning all. Our new house came with a much smaller pond (3l x 2w x 1d) than my previous ones. I've started with half a dozen shabunks since last summer. In my other ponds they've been great; very visible and happy. This lot are miserable. The water's clean and well-oxygenated, and the food disappears (when nobody's around), but they just hide all the time. If I go out there after dark with a torch I see them best! Their hiding places are few but effective and that's where they'll be. The only scare they've had is the occasional heron dropping by, but so far I haven't lost any. Any suggestions how to make them more sociable. I admit there may be too few fish, but I don't want to crowd the pond with fish all desperate to hide. Thanks

 

[HTH]

How long have they been in the new pond. It can take a while for them to get comfortable in a new home.

 

[dbarnes]

Thanks for your reply. They've been in there for more than a year now, and in fact were better when I first got them. It seems they've become shy over the winter oddly.

 

[HTH]

Mine come up in the spring on warm days looking for food. Even more so once they have been fed a few times.

It maybe as you said that something is scaring them.

Generally after I move fish to a new tank or pond they get comfortable in a month or less.

 

[Dave 54]

Have you got any preditors in Richmond i;e herons if so that explains them going low but not keeping low , what are your water perameters ?

rgrds

Dave

 

[dbarnes]

Hi Dave. Yes, heron from the Thames nearby, and this is my main concern. However, they don't often 'visit', and i have floating heron nets. But, as you imply, there's not a lot I can do about them - it's illegal to shoot the buggers round here! Does anyone agree that a few more fish, perhaps simply goldfish might cheer things up?

 

[Dave 54]

Though so I may have the answer in nets that will keep Herons out made by a company I've had the pleasure to do business with in the past.
Does your pond have an edge that a net can be affixed to around the pond ?
If so I would recomend the 6mm hexmesh with bungy straps the hexagonal mesh is very tight and a dubt very much if a heron would ever get its beak through.
Check out their website they are qquite resonable with their prices and the work they do is second to non :-

http://www.norfinenets.co.uk/

Ours ties around the pond via bungy strap but more importantly it has a bungy strap across the center of the pond holding everything tight thus the herons beak wouldn't get through the mesh being tough nylon type mesh.
Have a chat with them via the phone is best as they can get a better idea of what your after, as you can see even though its a fine mesh you can veiw your fish through it







rgrds

Dave

 

[dbarnes]

That's really helpful. I'll look into it straight away. I have tried the netfloats which do work, but despite the advertising, are rather unsightly and quickly clag up with weed. Does anyone have experience of the automatic "scarecrow" sprayers that are activated by movement and are supposed to frighten off predators?

Regards

David

 

[nancyp]

I have used the motion sensor scarecrow. It didn't work for me and my pond. My three koi were lunch for a heron while the scarecrow was on. I have no idea why it did not spray and scare him. I had it all set up. I had to test it myself over and over to get it right - and still my koi are gone.
Also, I did not like the idea of leaving my water supply on all the time, night and day. It was prone to dripping, even after changing the washers and tightening the hose.
And I noticed that the little wild birds did not come to my feeders as much while it was there. It scared them away, it scared my dogs away, but the heron? No.
Now, I use a net. I feel much better about that.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

You didn't mention what you have for plants in your pond. When my plants fill in, my fish are a lot less skittish. Large natural cover makes them feel less exposed, I guess.

 

[addy1]

The fish love having the lilies fill in. I feed them in the center of the pond, so the dummies won't come running if a heron walks up.