Question for Long Beach, CA area pond keepers

[Dsybok]

I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.

It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too big
for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone without a
trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other Long Beach area
ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their fish?

Should I net this pond?

I keep a plastic owl for other reasons, but if it was a Heron who swiped my
fish. I have had only one other unexplained dissappearance in 4 years.

Response, except by idiot bible pounding troll pond scum appreciated.

D

[kathy]

I'm not in your area but a heron is a good bet.
They are year round residents in coastal states.
They are live here, in SE WA, all year.

Suggestions for fishing and wading birds
are

~ electric fencing, both the fido fence or the
over the pond version, check on Froogle.com.
~ motion activated sprinklers
~ bird netting
~ stringing fishing line around the pond area

ALL these methods work
(a pre-emptive strike for the prosaic post that netting and only
netting works... believe us, other methods work...)
The trick to each method is how your particular pond and yard are laid
out, and the particular bird who is fishing in your pond.

In my blog, in the April archives, I have an article on the blue heron.

Sorry about your fish!

kathy :-)
www.blogfromthebog.com
new this week ~ turtles

[Mark and Kim Smith]

Dsybok wrote:

>I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
>ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
>same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.
>
>It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too big
>for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone without a
>trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other Long Beach area
>ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their fish?
>
>Should I net this pond?
>
>I keep a plastic owl for other reasons, but if it was a Heron who swiped my
>fish. I have had only one other unexplained dissappearance in 4 years.
>
>Response, except by idiot bible pounding troll pond scum appreciated.
>
>D
>
>
>
>

Are you close enough to the beach for Pelicans??

[Reel McKoi]

"Dsybok" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
> ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
> same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.
>
> It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too big
> for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone without a
> trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other Long Beach
area
> ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their fish?
>
> Should I net this pond?

## Netting is the ONLY way to keep the predators out and your fish safe in
my opinion. Besides large birds, there are also large snakes and turtles
that will enter a pond and do away with your fish.

> I keep a plastic owl for other reasons, but if it was a Heron who swiped
my
> fish. I have had only one other unexplained dissappearance in 4 years.

## You're lucky. We were losing several fish a month, then a week,... then
we bought the nets after trying the strings etc. The fake owls and snakes I
had didn't scare anything away for long. :-( Some people claim the
water-sprayer works for them. But if the hose pops or something goes wrong
and you're not at home - you can end up with a huge water bill.

> Response, except by idiot bible pounding troll pond scum appreciated.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Elaine T]

Dsybok wrote:
> I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
> ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
> same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.
>
> It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too big
> for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone without a
> trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other Long Beach area
> ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their fish?
>
> Should I net this pond?
>
> I keep a plastic owl for other reasons, but if it was a Heron who swiped my
> fish. I have had only one other unexplained dissappearance in 4 years.
>
> Response, except by idiot bible pounding troll pond scum appreciated.
>
> D
>
>
There are a few ospreys in Southern California. I've read they migrate
so you might be the victim of a snatch-and-run. So far, I've had no
fish losses in So. Cal, so I can't say much more.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[KoiDave]

Well,

I live about 10 miles up the coast from you. In 12 years I have seen 1
heron. What you do have in your area, and may not know it, are large
raccoons. I am next to LAX and we have raccons, skunks and foxes here.
PV is loaded with them. The raccoons are quite the pests. My pond is
too deep to have real problems, my neighbor's is much shallower and the
raccoons are getting fat.

Now raccons usually leave parts of the fish laying around and uproot
plants. Have you found the plants disturbed?

Another possibility is a thief. How accessable is your pond and who
all knows you have Koi?

I have never had a problem with sea birds.

I hope this is your last loss ever!

KoiDave

[Reel McKoi]

"KoiDave" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well,
>
> I live about 10 miles up the coast from you. In 12 years I have seen 1
> heron. What you do have in your area, and may not know it, are large
> raccoons. I am next to LAX and we have raccons, skunks and foxes here.
> PV is loaded with them. The raccoons are quite the pests. My pond is
> too deep to have real problems, my neighbor's is much shallower and the
> raccoons are getting fat.
>
> Now raccons usually leave parts of the fish laying around and uproot
> plants. Have you found the plants disturbed?
===================
Those who I know had good success with electric fences to keep coons out
of their yards and away from their ponds. Our 3 dogs keep the coons and
other animals away from our place.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[San Diego Joe]

"Dsybok" wrote:

> I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
> ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
> same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.
>
> It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too big
> for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone without a
> trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other Long Beach area
> ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their fish?
>
> Should I net this pond?
>
> I keep a plastic owl for other reasons, but if it was a Heron who swiped my
> fish. I have had only one other unexplained dissappearance in 4 years.
>
> Response, except by idiot bible pounding troll pond scum appreciated.
>
> D
>
>
I have a heron come by about once a month. I have some wire strung around
my pond as well as a motion activated sprinkler.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the pond gods, find me a young virgin... oh,
and bring something to kill"

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>I have a heron come by about once a month. I have some wire strung around
>my pond as well as a motion activated sprinkler.

So the string and sprinkler are working, but the heron just keeps checking
in, or they are not working? ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Derek Broughton]

Reel McKoi wrote:

>
> "Dsybok" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
>> I have kept koi of various sizes over the past two years, in mainly small
>> ponds. Upgraded to about an 800 gallon pond last summer. I have kept the
>> same 5 koi and one comet since then until today. One is missing.
>>
>> It was a good sized fish, my largest at 12, maybe 16 inches. Fat. Too
>> big for the average house cat or animal to carry off. Its just gone
>> without a trace. No body anywhere in the pond vicinity. Have any other
>> Long Beach
> area
>> ponders had problems with large birds, herons etc carrying off their
>> fish?
>>
>> Should I net this pond?
>
> ## Netting is the ONLY way to keep the predators out and your fish safe in
> my opinion. Besides large birds, there are also large snakes and turtles
> that will enter a pond and do away with your fish.

All other options exhausted, a net might be necessary. But it should makes
for an ugly pond. I've lost fish for weeks at a time though. They've
either slipped through interdimensional gateways, or found an unsuspected
hiding place in the pond. Don't be too certain it's gone.
--
derek

[San Diego Joe]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote:

>> I have a heron come by about once a month. I have some wire strung around
>> my pond as well as a motion activated sprinkler.
>
> So the string and sprinkler are working, but the heron just keeps checking
> in, or they are not working? ~ jan
>
> ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


Sorry, never newsgroup after three margaritas! Yes, they work fine. I think
he just comes by to check.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the pond gods, find me a young virgin... oh,
and bring something to kill"

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>Sorry, never newsgroup after three margaritas! Yes, they work fine. I think
>he just comes by to check.
>
>San Diego Joe

To come in here lately it take at least that many. ;-) Actually my kill
filter is working very fine, overtime, but very fine. Took a look at RP
thru Google, and can you say "OMG!" nasty cartoons included.
~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[San Diego Joe]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote:

>> Sorry, never newsgroup after three margaritas! Yes, they work fine. I think
>> he just comes by to check.
>>
>> San Diego Joe
>
> To come in here lately it take at least that many. ;-) Actually my kill
> filter is working very fine, overtime, but very fine. Took a look at RP
> thru Google, and can you say "OMG!" nasty cartoons included.
> ~ jan
>
> ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

Yes, mine as well. Once you screen them all out, it's actually pretty good.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.

"We need to make a sacrifice to the pond gods, find me a young virgin... oh,
and bring something to kill"

[Dsybok]

Well I've actually lost two fish, my largest yellow gold koi and a beautiful
all black butterfly koi with silver fins, really a stunning fish. I have a
hard time believing that a ground animal could have taken the latter one at
night, you can barely see it during the day.

I have never seen a Heron around here, although there are occasional egrets
and hawks and other birds , and I am very near what passes for a river basin
( cement flood channel, San Gabriel River).

I now have 4 remaining fish , a longfin comet and 3 under 12" Koi. I guess
whatever bird took interest didnt want appetizers, instead the 18" main
course. I have a plastic horned owl, which seems to do absolutely nothing,
the little songbirds dont worry too much about it, I very much doubt a Heron
would.

Had to be one big bird to take the big fish.

I do not relish a net, and have cats which occasionally go outdoors under
supervision so motion sensor high frequency would not be desirable but I
could work with it. If anyone has a brand name, source or link to anti bird
apparatus I would appreciate it. For now I am monitoring further losses and
preparing to take immediate action.

D

"KoiDave" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well,
>
> I live about 10 miles up the coast from you. In 12 years I have seen 1
> heron. What you do have in your area, and may not know it, are large
> raccoons. I am next to LAX and we have raccons, skunks and foxes here.
> PV is loaded with them. The raccoons are quite the pests. My pond is
> too deep to have real problems, my neighbor's is much shallower and the
> raccoons are getting fat.
>
> Now raccons usually leave parts of the fish laying around and uproot
> plants. Have you found the plants disturbed?
>
> Another possibility is a thief. How accessable is your pond and who
> all knows you have Koi?
>
> I have never had a problem with sea birds.
>
> I hope this is your last loss ever!
>
> KoiDave
>

[kathy]

Try www.froogle.com
and enter scarecrow motion detector sprinkler
or fido fence or pond fencing

kathy :-)
www.blogfromthebog.com