DId we all survive the long winter?

[waynefrcan]

This really is not a great spot for ponds. We were frozen solid for almost 5 months. All the fish have to be strong and healthy to survive that in even the best conditions. I really might consider the inside setup for next winter.

Thks Colleen, I have a burial plot lined up for them. :frown:

 

[pecan]

I always loose comet fry to the filter each year and they get buried ceremoniously under my rose bushes... The rose's love them

 

[callingcolleen1]

Oh my, deep dark guesome garden secrets, never before revealed!! Sadly some are just too big for the the toilet! He he.

 

[waynefrcan]

Pecan I forgot your location. Your yard photo looks like a mid summer day. Your camera and ability must be above average also, as my day light photos are not as crisp, colorful or bright. You did win a few monthly photos contests I remember.

 

[pecan]

I am in Utah in Salt Lake valley. As far as the camera it is just a cheap Nikon cool pix. It really doesn't take great pictures. I think it is more about the lighting. When I took that picture the lighting was really good so I ran out and took it.

As far as sun though, we average almost 100 more days a year of sun then most of the country. It is always sunny here unless it is snowing it seems, even when it is cold. Which is why we hardly get any rain.

 

[capewind]

Everything looking good with the exception that I am apparently "missing" several comets and shubunkins from the upper pond:-( I know they hide between all the lily pots, but the best I can tell, about 3/4 are missing ... Really sad, we had them awhile ... these were all in the 8-10" range. I also had a dozen or so 3-4" comet babies out there in the fall, and can only find a total of 4 ...

 

[j.w]

Oh no CW maybe they are just really good hiders hopefully! If they are truly gone you gonna put a net up or what?

 

[pecan]

Everything looking good with the exception that I am apparently "missing" several comets and shubunkins from the upper pond:-( I know they hide between all the lily pots, but the best I can tell, about 3/4 are missing ... Really sad, we had them awhile ... these were all in the 8-10" range. I also had a dozen or so 3-4" comet babies out there in the fall, and can only find a total of 4 ...

I lost an 8" comet once for about 3 months then all the sudden he was back in the pond. I suspect he just took a vacation or something maybe yours are just on a vacation.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Capewind if they were dead you would most likely have seen them by now floating. My guess is they went down stream to the bottom pond and are now hiding really well.

There is the possibility that they have also changed colors too.

 

[waynefrcan]

Yes sad, but some might pop out yet. If no dead ones spotted, it's a good sign. I don't do a accurate head count until water is warmed up and they active. Some might be alive but sick from the overwinter as well.

 

[capewind]

I'm hoping they are hiding, but I am a non believer that so many could hide. The upper pond is supposed to be a bog eventually, so other than a bit of gravel down one end, and 2 rows of lily pots, there isnt anyplace to hide but around the lily pots, which is right below one of the bay windows, so a clear view... I could miss finding a few, but not this many.

I can only find a total of three shubby's out of 7. Had 8, but lost one to something over the winter ... found him next to the pond with what looked like claw marks on one side. Never found any tracks, so dont know what got him ,,, Had 8 big red long finned comets ... found ONE .. Had one comet, that looked like these red ones, just as big but was dark brown with gold edging ... cant find her ... Found the little white lipped, short fin red comet... Had a white long fin comet with a red dot (almost like a tancho), it's missing ... oh, and found the 12" white feeder goldfish ... 3 baby comets still in the upper pond, and another moved to KoiVille last week.

No chance of any others in the lower pond, I already looked ... and no pots to hide behind either:-(

 

[capewind]

Hubby said last week when another comet baby moved to KoiVille (the lower pond), that he is just going to move all the comets and shubunkins down to the bigger pond (that will eventually be MY comet/shubunkin pond - he says THEN I can add all the goldfish and butt wigglers I want), so that he could work on finishing the upper into a bog ... told him to wait til we got another pond in, as when the comet pond becomes a bog, we will be overstocked (9000 gallons will be reduced to 6500) ... He is starting another in the next few weeks for the babies in the basement (grow out area), and then was going to get started on the next KOI pond by summer... REALLY glad I kept some of the comet babies inside for the winter to watch grow. Hubby isnt fond of them, but they are about as red as I am going to get, and love watching them as a school... The shubby babies I've been growing are boring in colors. No where near as pretty as the missing adults. There is only two in the basment that I wanted to keep. I want to throw on some shorts and go move the lily pots around.... Can want anyways ... No way I am moving around 8 five gallon nursery pots:-(

 

[capewind]

There is the possibility that they have also changed colors too.

I know they can. Mocha was a 4-5" red comet when we got her, but then changed to a chocolate brown color with a gold belly, and gold edging on her fins ... I was hunting for her, so if anyone else changed like she did a couple of years ago. I would think I would have found them ... I can see the bottom clearly:-(

 

[waynefrcan]

The dead ones will either be floating or laying dead on the bottom in open view. Rarely did I ever find one dead that was hiding before death. Gees it's like I'm a dead fish corpse expert lol. In my area the water is too cold for them to decompose entirely over winter.

I think not as many dead as you think, give it time to warm up.

 

[capewind]

Okay, so I was NOT getting in 52* water ... took the pole from the net (extention pole that you get for painting) and throroughly pissed off every fish around the lily pots .... Found one more red long finned comet (so have 2 out of 8), found Mocha (the brown long finned comet), and a grand total of 6 babies ... Other than those already mentioned, there isnt another fish, alive or dead, in that pond ... Double checked the lower pond ... just the comets that I already knew were there. No place for them to hide there ... and Koi are accounted for ...