Do comets attack

[Hev]

Hi, my first post as new to this forum so I do hope someone out there will answer my concern.
We have a pond that is 2.4 m square and about 4 ft deep which has housed fish for 10 months.
We currently have 1 koi, 2 goldfish, 3 comets and 3 shubumkins. Just today I spotted the 3 comets what looked like they were attacking a shubumkin they were chasing non stop and the comets were coming at all directions and what can only be described as head butting ( sorry not quite the right term I'm sure) is this mating or is this aggression as really concerned me and the comets were the latest to arrive in the pond about 2 months ago.
We lost shubumkin about 2 weeks ago and now I'm worried that this may have been via an attack and not natural causes, what does anyone think?

 

[Lisak1]

That's fishy love. It looks aggressive and sometimes it really gets wild in the pond. Our comet is the most aggressive when spawning time rolls around - not sure why, but we've observed that as well.

 

[Lisak1]

Sorry I missed the part about losing your shubunkin - were there any visible signs of injury to the fish?

 

[addy1]

It almost looks like they are trying to kill the female, a trail of men chasing her, slamming into her sides.

 

[Lisak1]

a trail of men chasing her, slamming into her sides.

Sounds like my younger days....

I KID! I KID!

 

[Dave 54]

Sounds like my younger days....

I KID! I KID!

Hev I think you have the ratio of males to females all wrong in your pond and there are far too many males this is why they ganged up on the shubunkin.
The head butting ws probably the male rubbing his matinf tuberculs on the female to turn her on.
Koi when they mate have been known to force the female clear of the water and in some cases out of the pond , then theres the damage split fins missing scales even eyes missing it can get that rough.
Ou are going to have to catch the fish look to the gill casings and leading edges of the pectorals if the have little white bumps on them then thats a male .
Try to reduce the ratio to three males per female or add extra females


Dave

 

[Lisak1]

I don't think the "turning on" is working...hence the rough ride! We've had our shubbys go over the falls trying to escape the amorous affections of our one comet. He's a real Romeo!

 

[C-Note]

Very sorry you lost one in the ordeal! Definitely sounds like the spawning process, and so it won't go on forever. Keep an eye out for fry! Always a bit exciting to see the new tiny ones in the pond. Again... sorry you lost a lovely shubunkin. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Hev]

Hev I think you have the ratio of males to females all wrong in your pond and there are far too many males this is why they ganged up on the shubunkin.
The head butting ws probably the male rubbing his matinf tuberculs on the female to turn her on.
Koi when they mate have been known to force the female clear of the water and in some cases out of the pond , then theres the damage split fins missing scales even eyes missing it can get that rough.
Ou are going to have to catch the fish look to the gill casings and leading edges of the pectorals if the have little white bumps on them then thats a male .
Try to reduce the ratio to three males per female or add extra females


Dave

 

[Hev]

Thanks for that Dave and all of you who responded.
Dave can I ask a question, which will totally show my ignorance of fish but you said ratio is wrong, slightly embarrassing but how do you know if male or female ?

 

[Hev]

Very sorry you lost one in the ordeal! Definitely sounds like the spawning process, and so it won't go on forever. Keep an eye out for fry! Always a bit exciting to see the new tiny ones in the pond. Again... sorry you lost a lovely shubunkin. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Hev]

Thanks for your kind words and will keep my fingers crossed

 

[Hev]

I don't think the "turning on" is working...hence the rough ride! We've had our shubbys go over the falls trying to escape the amorous affections of our one comet. He's a real Romeo!

That's fishy love. It looks aggressive and sometimes it really gets wild in the pond. Our comet is the most aggressive when spawning time rolls around - not sure why, but we've observed that as well.

 

[Hev]

Thanks Lisak nice to know it may be spawning and not sprawling I hope so anyway.

 

[Dave 54]

Thanks for that Dave and all of you who responded.
Dave can I ask a question, which will totally show my ignorance of fish but you said ratio is wrong, slightly embarrassing but how do you know if male or female ?

You are going to have to catch the fish look to the gill casings and leading edges of the pectorals if the have little white bumps on them then thats a male .
Try to reduce the ratio to three males per female or add extra females