Bought house with koi pond/turtles- help!

11 years ago

Hi. I also just posted in the koi pond forum about this but would like to ask for your help as well. My husband and I just bought a house in Los Angeles that came with a koi pond. We thought it was going to be empty but turns out there are three turtles and tons of tiny little light colored fish. We have no experience with having a pond, turtles or fish and don't know what kind of turtles or fish these are. Will the fish stay this small or are they babies? The seller had only been there a year and left a note saying "The koi pond is a bit of a mystery, here's some fish food" next to an old coffee can filled with brown pellets. No instructions on how much or how often to put in the pond. If anyone can help identify the animals in this pond and has advice on what and how often to feed them I would be very appreciative. Here is a pic of the pond's surface. Thank you!

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Comments (4)

buyorsell888
11 years ago
The turtle is a red ear slider which is not native to California and they are an invasive pest there so absolutely do not release it/them if you decide to get rid of them.

I can't tell from the photo if those are koi/goldfish fry or gambusia/mosquito fish or some other minnow.
pat0254
11 years ago
Hello, I felt something like you a few years back. I had a boyfriend who asked if he could build a pond in my yard. He thought it had a nice slope to it and felt it would be an ideal spot. I wasn't crazy about the idea but said okay. Well we broke up and now I had a pond to take care of. It seemed like more then I could handle and I had no idea what to do and that being the case I decided to seek out the experts. I went to a lawn and garden center in my area that also had ponds. Happily they set me on the right track. Instead of all these UV things and extra expenses they told me about beneficial bacteria. So luckily all I've ever had to do is put that in, it stays beautiful and I've developed quite an affection for my pond. I'm going to be moving soon, I hope I find someone will be willing to learn about or already a pond enthusiast.
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User
11 years ago
rebsy,

All I can tell you is that I know turtles eat fish. It is their preferred dish. So, if you are going to keep the pond, catch the turtles, put them in a box, and take them to the nearest SPCA or local pet store and ask if they want them.

Then you can start working on your pond. Unless you don't want fish. Up to you.
Jeanne Berger
11 years ago
We have a slider we got from a turtle rescue years ago. Repotmin is the recommended food to give them, but ours loves fish food, so when we feed him, we let him eat that. If you have plants like Anacharis, water lilies & water hyacinths, you don't need to feed them much when those are growing. Goldfish survive off almost nothing, but not sure about koi. Sliders love meat, but that's supposed to be given in moderation, supposedly fish but haven't seen him eat them but we also don't see lots of fry (baby fish), snails & slugs (we are loaded with those in Maryland.) They will eat bread and popcorn too. We get freezes here, so once the pond gets below 50 degrees we stop feeding the fish (it is bad for them to eat when it's below 50) and the turtle loses interest in food. They slow down to almost nothing in the winter so we only see him when we have a warm spell.