What to do with all these babies??

[sissy]

I wonder you paying her by the hour or for each fish

 

[WhiteNoise]

I wonder you paying her by the hour or for each fish

I pay her in hugs and kisses. Works every time. She caught 4 more tonight.

 

[Tula]

Well, my plan for this year's babies has changed! Each year I give them to a neighbor who has a 20,000 gallon pond. I ran into his wife this morning and she told me every single one of their fish died

Some of their fish were quite large and she said her husband buried them in the yard - about 70-80 and it smelled and attracted wild life that came to dig the remains up - ugh !!

I felt queasy just hearing about it and so sad for the 2 adult koi I gave him 2 years ago...the babies I wasn't bonded to, but I'd named the 2 adults.

I'm thinking he's not as interested in the pond as he used to be, from some of her responses.

 

[WhiteNoise]

That sucks dude. I sure hope he didn't make them dead...as he tired of caring for them. Did she say what happened?

 

[WhiteNoise]

I'm thinking he's not as interested in the pond as he used to be, from some of her responses.

A little back story: (long winded sorry)


I do not have a special attachment to my fish. Honestly I never wanted a koi pond. Back when I met my wife she had one of those little mini fish tanks and she had one fish in it. The water was nasty. I had never owned a fish tank but common sense told me my wife had no idea how to care for a fish. It was so big that it couldn't swim due to the small size of the tank so it would sit at the bottom, then float up to the top, then drop down again.

So I started reading about fish, tanks, equipment, etc. I bought a larger 50 gallon tank, did everything right and gave him some buddies to swim with. I provided Fred (the wife named him) a good life until he finally died. I spent countless hours researching, and taking care of Fred, the tank, the filtration and all his tank buddies. I spent more money than I would like to admit.

I guess I enjoyed it to a point but for me it was more that I felt responsible for providing that fish a healthy home. Sure it is just a fish but it is a living being without any control over it's life. I did what i felt was the right thing to do and that is what I enjoyed more than anything.

So after having this tank w/ Fred and friends for a few years (and after Fred died) I eventually said...ok I'm done. The fish are gone and I can finally leave this hobby behind.

Fast forward another year...I'm fish free and happy. Then we decide to buy a second house and rent out our current home. Well guess what? The new house had a koi pond. and in that pond was one koi. Over 12" long to boot.

So the process started over again but now I had to learn about koi ponds and though I had a lot of knowledge from my past experience; a pond is quite a bit different. That is around the time I discovered this site. So that pond was rough but I brought it back to life and of course the wife wanted more koi. I agreed that the one large koi needed friends so we bought a couple here and there and here I was again...taking care of fish. Though I admit that I enjoy the koi and I have not felt put out by the added work at all.

So then of course we decide to sell the new house after living in it for a couple of years and I can't just leave all my koi behind and if I'm honest I cannot trust a stranger to take care of them because I'd worry about their health. So I built a new pond back at my old house and just then all these babies came and I had to build yet another pond.

So I never wanted fish, but I have grown to enjoy them and I do take pride in their health and happiness. I assume they are happy the way they look at me. That just might be wishful thinking though I'm sure.

Attached? In some ways maybe...though not like I am to my dogs. I wish I could have a huge pond to let them live in but I doubt the wife would want that. I am already taking about putting in another one though that off-shoots from the smaller one I just built. Will it ever end? lol /sigh

 

[Angel]

@WhiteNoise I am kinda in the same boat with you. I have always wanted a pond. Wife not sure. But we transplanted my wife's grandpas pond from pa to nj liner fish rocks and all. Even thought it's my pond it's more for her to have a touch of g-pa. A few of same fish. I also try to keep with sammys depression era ways to keep it going. Currently my/our pond is to keep fish alive and go from there and upgrade enlarge as needed. Mentally it's fish/function over looks/form

 

[Tula]

My pond is so small compared to my neighbors....mine is 1700 gallons and he put in a 20,000 gallon pond, where they used to have a pool!

I always felt good about giving him my off spring, as they'd live in such a big pond. A few years ago he had a big heron problem and I told him if his pond was too big to net, to make a net, of sorts, from ropes. He did and it solved his heron problem.

Anyway, he retired a little over a year ago and has more time to pursue some of his other interests. His wife told me she's hoping he won't get more fish, just keep it as a large water feature.

I fret and fuss over my 4 koi and feel very attached to them.....and my 5 dogs My neighbor went to out local fish hatchery and spent about $400 on some pond meds, but they continued to die. I may have to take a little stroll over to visit him and see his pond.

 

[cas]

I wonder what caused all his fish to die @Tula. You will have to let us know if you find out.

 

[Tula]

I wonder what caused all his fish to die @Tula. You will have to let us know if you find out.

She said the largest fish died first, which leads me to suspect an O2 problem. This began during a time of high heat and humidity. They have an aerated bottom drain and a small waterfall from their skippy filter.

In my opinion, his pond worked for a long time, but his fish grew and multiplied....might have needed more filtration and O2. I asked her what the dead fish looked like and she seemed genuinely horrified by my question.

 

[Sushi Prohibited]

This is my first year to have baby survivors.
I have around 30 babies that are 2 months old.
With seven 18"+ adults, they share a 4,500 gallon pond with a strong filter, pump and waterfall.

At what age should I give them away?

How many can I keep without jeopardizing the whole pong?

Any advice/help is appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Tula]

This is my first year to have baby survivors.
I have around 30 babies that are 2 months old.
With seven 18"+ adults, they share a 4,500 gallon pond with a strong filter, pump and waterfall.

At what age should I give them away?

How many can I keep without jeopardizing the whole pong?

Any advice/help is appreciated.
Thanks.

I think you can give them away now, mine that were born this summer, swim and eat with my adults. A good rule of thumb is around 500 gallons per koi. You can't get by with less, but make sure you have good filtration.

I guess I'm going to have to post my koi babies on Craigs List this year.

 

[Tula]

Ugh....no interest on CL...little wonder...there is someone selling beautiful butterfly koi almost a foot long for one dollar!

I finally was able to introduce myself to the man in our subdivision that has a large koi pond. He took hubby and me around back to see it. Although it's a large pond, he's not interested in more, as he's very over stocked. I noticed a small dead koi, floating around

I called my other neighbor to revisit what happened to his pond, causing the fish kill earlier this summer. Turns out he still has about 14 smaller koi and thinks his pond turned over, but he doesn't want any more fish.

I called the man who built our pond. He doesn't know of anyone who can take them and said he has one customer with over 200 koi to re-hom - yikes!

I'm going ahead with the great koi round up this week end and hope I'll get a response from CL.....if not, I'm looking at humane culling

I wish they'd invent fish birth control! Next season, I'm making DIY spawning mats, in hopes of removing many more eggs from the pond. If that doesn't work well, the following year, I'm going to have to go to a single sexed pond.

 

[cas]

@Tula , the pet supplies plus store by me has a bulletin board that you can post adds - maybe post the baby koi there. Also, have you checked with a local pond store? They might take them off your hands.

 

[Tula]

@Tula , the pet supplies plus store by me has a bulletin board that you can post adds - maybe post the baby koi there. Also, have you checked with a local pond store? They might take them off your hands.

I will check with PetsMart and Petco, to see if they'll allow me to post something. Before Complete Pet Mart was bought out by Petco, they took some fish once, but the following year they said their policy had changed.

We also used to have a local, family owned chain of pet supplies that took mine one year, which was fantastic, as they had an indoor pond!! Well, they were bought out and they removed the indoor pond and built an indoor dog bathing station.

We have a local fish hatchery, which is where I bought 3 of my 4 koi. They will not accept fish either, but do have their own mud ponds were they raise and grow out, koi.

Tis a vexing problem. Hubby is wondering if we could remove the koi next year, to spawn in a live stock tank, but I fear that will be very stressful to them and they could be injured, as they've grown so large.

 

[Tula]

OMG, I'm sooooooooo HAPPY ! Hubby had an appt. this morning and while in the waiting room he said " What about that nursery we like across town, that has that huge outdoor pond ? "

I called them immediately and spoke with the owner who said " Sure throw em in the pond !"

It's a very large, outdoor pond that originally caught my eye, as it's filled with gorgeous lotus during the summer. I realize there are predator threats, but at least they have a good chance, in a beautiful pond!!!