Killing with Kindness

13 years ago

I decided to go down to our koi pond where I had decided the blue heron had eaten every comet and koi I had through the end of summer and fall to scoop out some of the millions of leaves. Our 175-foot pond is fed with fresh spring water pumped from a creek and feeds back into the creek at the very end. I got my long pole and large scoop and started the task of leaf removal from the bottom and lo and behold, I scooped out a comet or two and unearthed a tadpole and a koi. Evidently, they are bedded down in the leaves for warmth and, as ours is an 'open' fresh-water system, the leaves may not be creating methane as they decay. I stopped scopping and left it alone. I'll clean them out in the spring when I add more fish. Anybody have any thoughts on this?? And Happy belated Thanksgiving!!

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Comments (3)

joraines
Original Author
13 years ago
By the way, we are in Upstate SC where temps have been below freezing some nights and climbing toward the low 60's lately during the day. Zone 7a.

Jody
User
13 years ago
Jody,
I was wondering about your pond. You put pics up last sumer when you were working on it, right?
I would leave the leaves, you have a very big pond.
I tried to get the leaves out of my small little pond hole,
but left some on the bottom I am sure, i can't see it(the bottom). The water isn't clear at all now, bu the little goldfish are certainly alive, so I guess they will be ok.
You have the pond lined, right? Are you leaving the pump on all winter?
I hae my pump on, the water isn't freezing at all, so I am going to play it by ear.
Hope everything lives over the winter, we will see in March I guess.
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joraines
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for your response! Yes, the pond is lined and I am going to play it by ear also. Went down two weeks ago to scoop out some leaves and again scooped out a fairly large goldfish. They ARE hiding it the leaves so I am leaving them. And yes, we have the pump on and although there is some ice on the surface some mornings, it's not a thick coverage and there are some holes in it so I'm going to 'pretend' it's a natural pond which happpens to have goldfish (and hopefully some koi that have survived the heron) and I'm going to let nature take its course. Happy New Year, by the way! And thanks again!

Jody