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orcuttnyc

weekend pond?

orcuttnyc
18 years ago

I live in the city and have a weekend place. It has a large pond. I only feel comfortable putting in koi that are about six inches or larger because of herons, king fishers and various predator fish.

The six inch or bigger size are pretty pricey tho. I'm looking into getting a hundred gallon tub from my local feed store, pump and filter and start with small fish by them selves in the tub until they get big enough for the natural pond. I've read where koi can go a week to ten days with out pellet food. I would only be there on weekends to feed and tend them. I'm pretty sure they would get bugs falling in through the chicken wire cover to suppliment the weekend feedings.

What do you all think? Will my little experiment work? Any one know where to get babies on the cheap? I've heard wallymart might have inexpensive small frys? I'm looking for the basic orange farm kinds, nothing too fancy. I just like seeing them eventually in the big pond. The big ponds attrition rate is too high to try and have delux models. I can only imagine my prized expensive, multi colored, beauty koi...skewered in the beak of a heron..sheesh!

Thanks for your opinions in advance!

Comments (4)

  • karalyn
    17 years ago

    Hi,
    Baby koi can last in a tub, especially since you will have a pump in it. You can get some feeders for the fish. Automatic ones or try the goldfish ones they have at Petstores.

    Get some goldfish, they spawn like crazy, and what the koi or goldfish don't eat, you can have more babies to grow out to supply your pond. Koi take longer to spawn, at least that has been my experience or they just ate their eggs before I knew about it.

    Buy the feeder goldfish and soon they will be bigger and will start making babies for you. For the koi to get bigger they really need nutrition or supplementation.j

    Good luck. Also maybe a pond club in your area might have some extra koi that are the UGLY kind. lol

  • norah_s
    17 years ago

    How did you get predatory fish in the pond? Is it connected to natural waterways?

    It is illegal to introduce exotic (non-native) fish such as koi and goldfish to wild waterways.

  • orcuttnyc
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I purchased an auto feeder. Goldfish will never get large enough to avoid pickeral and the other pred fish. Birds, like ducks, heron and kingfishers inadvertantly bring various fish eggs with them from pond to stream to ponds.
    BTW, my big pond is about two acres. All kinds of critters in it. Above mentioned birds, along with migrating ducks, geese, occassional sighting of rare green herons. Beaver, mink, muscrat, racoon, bear, turtles, ect. I love it.
    As far as 'wild water4ways'? I agree. My pond has a flow stream which is gated. I talked to the same DEC guy about koi, that I received the trout and triploid grass carp from. As long as they are contained properly.

  • norah_s
    17 years ago

    I sometimes find goldfish fry in my Skippy biofilter. They actually have to go through my pump and find their way up through 150 gallons of filter media. I would think your gates would have to filter very finely to keep all fry from escaping.

    But of course you can do whatever is legal.

    BTW, it must be wonderful having a 2-acre pond! I'm in heaven with my 7000-gallon one.

    Good luck.

    Sharon

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