Finally new pond complete *PHOTOS* So disapointed!

[Damon0306]

Finally have my new pond complete. I used to have a 220-gallon pre-form pond, but now the pond is around 7800-gallons.

I have a severe Blue Heron PROBLEM. A few years back I lost all of my KOI from a Blue Herron.

The birds are here to stay. I guess because I have a HUGE Lakes and rivers less then 5-minutes from my home, that this could be the problem.

On my smaller 220-gallon pond I have it netted after losing the first batch of KOI.

But trying to net this MUCH larger pond is close to impossible. Plus it really kills the looks of the pond.

Right now I have all my beloved KOI that I raised for the past 3-years in a 300-gallon holding tank.

I am doing water changes every other day and have them on wheat-germ. They are getting skinny and I want to get some weight on them before the long winter is here.

I dunno what to do. I am afraid the bird will come and eat them as soon as I place them in the pond.

I put in 2 tester fish from my local garden center. They were swiming around and doing good.

Now they just HIDE. I know the bird has been back. I find the feathers in the pond and around the pond.

I just dunno what to do at this point. I finally was able to afford my dream-pond but I cant put the fish in it!

I swear I am ready to get up every morning at 4AM with my pellet gun and start shooting. I must have a high concentration of these birds in my area.

In the evening hours before sunset you even catch a glimpse of them flying home to roost.

Any ideas on something that WILL WORK would be greatly appreciated.

The people who installed the pond want there holding tank back already. Its so crazy but I am about to special order one of the 300 gallon tanks and move my fish into the basement of my home.

Here are some photos of the OLD 220 gallon pond and some photos of the new 7800 gallon pond.

Here they are living in there new 300 gallon holding tank. Hey atleast its bigger then the original 220 gallon pond they were in.

The fish you see in the new pond are decoy plastic fish. The 2 baby tester KOI hide in the rocks and really never come out.

 

[ScarFace]

Have you tried putting a load of chicken wire around and above the pond ......... and wire it up to a 12V pack ?

 

[willtang3000]

herons never feed in the same place as each other which means only 1 heron will ever go to your pond at a time so you could get one of those plastic herons as a dummy and you shouldn't get one eating your fish again o and by the way those koi are to die for

 

[Cat]

i can see your problem,no were for the fish to hide and the sides look like they slope so the koi can wade in,have you thought of making a gazebo to go over the top,you could pin a net over the top and perhaps put fancy trellis on the sides,seems a shame to not put them in after making it.

 

[William]

Get a plastic cat/fox/predator and put it beside the pond It would work far better than one of those plastic herons.

 

[houndour]

all I can say is wow!!! That is an incredible pond. And you have some absolutely gorgeous fish.

On the heron side of things, we suffered years and years of herons eating our fish, we've had unsightly nets, tried the plastic heron(!), and things that make noises if anything comes close...

But nothing worked. In the last redesign of the pond, my dad build it so that it had steep sides, with only one shelf for the pump and plants that we used to keep netted. The steep sides mean the heron doesn't have anywhere to stand except the ledge and the fish can swim out of reach. We havent lost a fish since. Or maybe we've been lucky. But that doesn't help you. Sorry.

 

[bribones]

the sides look like they slope so the koi can wade in

i know what cat means lol that pond is a herons dream ,sloping sides the birds will just wander on in and help themselves,cracking pictures by the way ,try fishing line around the sides of the pond and strung from side to side it may deter the birds ,the chicken wire isnt abad idea with the 12volt you can buy purpose made low voltage electric fences like the ones used to penn cattle in harmless but effective it depends how much you want to spend

 

[Paul_MTS]

thats a gorgeous pond but i just can't see there belig almost 8k gallons in there. what are the measurements?

I'm afraid I can't make any suggestions with the heron problem I'ved always netted my ponds, it aint nice but the fish are still there!

There's some very nice colours on those koi but I'm afraid I don't like buttefly koi!

 

[femmeartist51]

Hi, those slopping sides are a problem. It is better to have straight sides, down into the pond. No ledges would be great. We had a heron by our pond for a few days, we have straight sides. The bird couldn't catch a fish at all. I love your pond though, it looks great. Do you have a liner, under that gravel and rock?? We are making a mud pond next. Well good luck Lynda

 

[J_acon]

What a nice pond and very nice collection of KOI.

Would be a shame having to net the whole thing, It kinda beats the purpose. But i guess there is no choice.