I Failed My Fish

[PondJunkie]

So my daughter comes running up to me this morning as I am getting up and tells me that we have a heron in the back yard. Little does she know the dread this statement inspires.

Sure enough, it has been busy snacking away, and has managed to take every last one of my goldfish!!

I now have until spring to come up with a permanent solution (I like the net frame DrDave has mentioned), but in the meantime....









Tonight I set out the claymores!













Joking aside, this really sucks. 15 fish from 3 to 6 inches gone. I had recently created a cave like hide site for them with the vegetation die off, but I guess they hadn't gotten quite used to it yet.

 

[rdk]

I just finish setting up Dr Dave anti- racoon fence cover for my pond. On top of that I use my pond net. I think that is the way to go year round I am sad to say if we want to save our fish.

 

[koidance]

You just have to have frames,but perhaps your pond was a wiggly shaped one? All mine are rectangular and raised,none are flat on the ground.I had frames made in 2 x 2, 2 frames per pond, then covered in green windbreak,something like gardeners use as a windbreak.It is wonderful stuff,as the light is not obstructed and it stops the wind force and too much sun -- but the latter is a joke where we live:banana:,we haven't seen the sun much of late.

If you are in the garden you just remove the frames for visibility.

Mine are covered still further now with double thick bubble wrap,and white tarpaulins,this is to keep the heat in.

No fish pond can survive without a cover.Either cats or Herons will get them.Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[koiguy1969]

live and learn my, friend ...live and learn.. i dont think theres to many of us that havent had to count our losses due to one of many preditors out there. i lost a dozen fish myself. 3 of which were my nicest koi

 

[D&RW]

Here's the frames I build after some losses. I'll have to build new ones for the wider pond. Like Koidance I used 2 X 2s which are cheap, but I glued and screwed them so they'd hold together better. then I stapled plastic netting folded twice over the frame. I was concerned that the heron could just poke through it, but i think just having the frame on discourages them. I only put them on when we weren't going to be home

 

[D&RW]

oops, forgot to upload the fotos

 

[koikeepr]

Sorry to hear about your loss PJunkie! I was just telling folks last week about my heron sighting! Thankfully the pond was netted for the leaves, but I can only imagine what a quick meal it would have made of my fish had it not been covered.

You can try some fishing line zig-zagged across the top, too. It might be a little less noticeable--but, of course, if a heron can get it's beak through a gap I wouldn't be surprised that it would try!

 

[D&RW]

BTW pondjunkie, my heartfelt condolences. i lost 6 fish last summer to diseases and it was very hard. It's funny how attached we can get to fish. But like you said, you know to a large degree you're responsible so you feel really bad. But, on the other hand you have to realize you ain't perfect and like koiguy said, we live and learn.

 

[koikeepr]

ooh! nice job DRW! No heron is getting through that!

Is that just in place for the fall/winter or all year round?

 

[chilligirl]

I had a heron find my pond this fall, although luckily didn't lose any fish. My pond is partially above ground (water level is 2 feet above ground), which is a big deterrent to preditors. The problem is, the heron stands on the cap board (8" wide), sticks his head under the water, and just waits. I've got to figure out a way to make the cap board uninviting as a perch for him come spring...Right now the pond is covered and the fish are at the bottom (6 feet down), so he's not a threat at the moment...

 

[newday3000]

Isn't pond depth the best way? if the bird can't stand in the water or reach the bottom. Won't this help a lot?

 

[koiguy1969]

they will fish from shore also they will sit, stand, perch or whatever and do it motionless untill the fish forget about him, or feel secure. theyve been known to stand on one leg in a strike pose for 20 minutes.

 

[newday3000]

no defense against that much patience. I assume any pond that allows the bird to wade in or stand in the water increases the odds they will get fish sooner or later.

 

[DrDave]

no defense against that much patience. I assume any pond that allows the bird to wade in or stand in the water increases the odds they will get fish sooner or later.

With netting in frames they cannot get past that no matter how patient they are. Raccoons will also sit and wait until they can swipe one out with a single stroke.

 

[rdk]

Doctor Dave; In the Spring can I change my anti-raccoon fence that I now have ,for pond netting as a guard against racoons? Should I use the fence year round?