I am at my wit's end...

[kathleen]

We live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and put a 1000 gal pond in our back yard 3 years ago and I love it! First year I stocked it with koi and shubenkins - everyone was happy and survived. Then 2 nd summer - they started disappearing... Did find out that we had a very sneaky snake in the pond. He would hide inside a rock ledge. My husband "hunted" him and after several weeks did manage to shoot him in the head. Was a very long (3ft) one! I then get larger koi thinking that would be harder for any potential snake to eat. Then they are gone except for 1! Haven't seen any more snakes - but then they are sneaky! It was so late in the year that I opted to wait until the next spring to add more fish. So I just stocked it with 7 koi $300. worth! All good - after a couple of days, they come up readily for food when I feed them. Then one morning - 2 of the larger koi are missing and the others aren't coming up to eat... So now I have 5 - they do ok for several days and then this morning, 2 more gone! They see my movement and they go down to bottom of pond - won't come up to eat food.

I am getting VERY frustrated - the pond guys tell me that it is unusual for snakes to come after fish and that herons (we do have one white one that stays in the area by the large community pond that is outdside our backyard but have never seen it come into my yard) are probably the problem. Since I know I had one snake - I wish I knew a way to determine what my problem is... Anyone have any ideas - please don't give me the "we have to live together routine" - I do not live in the country and don't want to co-exist with snakes. I am willing to try whatever will work so that I can once again enjoy raising water plants and koi in my pond - the very reason I put it in!!!

Appreciate your input!

 

[DrCase]

Does your husband have a game camera that could watch the pond ?
Welcome to the Forum

 

[kathleen]

No - do you think it would be worth it to get one?

 

[sissy]

Welcome and a pick of your pond would help .I don't have predators but still used window screening and pvc pipe to make a frame and sewed pockets in the window screening with fishing line and then slid the pvc through the pockets .You can deter birds from seeing your pond by a shade sail .I made one myself and it cost 5o dollars to make .I did not want grommets to attach it they rip out

bonus window screen has a uv inhibitor in it .I did use 2x4's for the one side as I could lean on it to clean the pond

 

[j.w]

Kathleen
I have a wire fence around my pond so no heron can squeeze through and also have a radio that is set on talk radio set to auto come on from dawn to dusk. Haven't seen Mr Heron since I did all this. If it's a snake I can't help you w/ that. Maybe screen over your pond so none can get in somehow. Isn't there some kind of snake repellent?

 

[sissy]

bet the fish are learning a lot about people lol JW

 

[j.w]

Lol, sissy they are well rounded fish on many of the latest in the news subjects! I notice their little mouth's forming "No to O" quite often............hee, hee!

 

[sissy]

need a sesame street cd so they can learn there alphabets ,you could make a lot of money

 

[Waterbug]

No - do you think it would be worth it to get one?

Buy used on Ebay. When done sell it on Ebay. Net cost is low, you may even make a few bucks if you're careful on the buy.

 

[sissy]

The one i got was color with night vision 39.99 and hooked to my tv and today I got the old vcr out of the guest house and going to hook it up to the tv for when i go out to see anything around the house .About an hour to hook up and got a nice clear pic .Iwas amazed for that price the camera works that good .

 

[kathleen]

My son has a night game camera and is going to hook it up for me. It is always in the nighttime that they disappear. I almost hope that it is a heron because I can't find any good solutions for getting a snake out and keeping it out.... All the snake repellents I see are lethal for the pond plants and fish - I can't prevent any run off when it rains,etc. Thank you - anyone else have any ideas? Keep them coming.

 

[addy1]

We set up a dvr system, within a week of setting it up the heron started to visit the pond. The camera system made it easy to watch the bird, learn its ways and figure out the best way to fight it. So far I am winning.

and welcome to our group!

We have not had any snakes so far, I know we have large black snakes here, but have never seen one near the pond.

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forums, and sorry to hear about the problems you've been having. I hope the game camera works!

 

[kcrepps]

It happens at night. What about Racoons? Can they access the water very easily? Do you have relatively steep rocks surrounding your pond?

 

[callingcolleen1]

Had some trouble over the years too with different predators like snakes, and blue herons last year. My husband has some japanese friends and they told him that in japan they string twine with cloth streamers high above the pond to keep blue herons way.
I tied garden twine high above my head from the trees to the roof of house, and zig zagged the twine several times. Then to the twine I tied thin strips of cloth every couple feet or so. The blue herons have a very large wing span and the twine will prevent them from landing near the pond, also the cloth streamers will help scare them off too. You can use party streamers too, that way it will just look like your having a party! Theses methods worked very well for me.

It would also be a good idea to keep lights on all night by the pond, this will deter other types of predators too. Give your fish some where to hide, like under a slab of rocks, and under some plants too. Every little bit helps, good luck and let us know how its goes!