I would like to see my fish more...

[Usman]

lol @Lisak1 true it happens too , if no one goes near pond for few days this happen withme , may b thats why its said fish memory is short , some scientist should do research on there behaviour , i have noticed when its windy day they are at bottom , may b scared of wind or moving plants & water surface .

i go to one hospital sometimes where they have very large pond like tennis court 3000sqft , its 4ft deep , they have many types of fishes i saw some type of blue and pink gouramy 1st time in pond they were huge also many koi , i saw no fish was friendly and all were at bottom standing still which was surprise for me as i see my fish and in videos of koi totally diff and active , i advised the caretaker to have some plants or lotus so they feel homely secured as its totally plain no hiding places , i was talking with the caretaker he was saying they only come when i feed them alone , other time they are at bottom scared of crowd , it was bad to see such a beautiful large pond but the real beauty and flavor of interaction and active koi was missing , we cud hardly enjoy there beauty and presence .

 

[bagsmom]

Mine are just weirdos. Very shy and afraid. They go down to the fish cave and never come out. They have excellent hiding places -- that's the problem. It's 3 1/2 feet to 4 feet deep, so you'd think they'd feel very secure.

 

[cajunmeme]

You said you could not see your fish in a pond that is 12" deep. I am assuming the water clarity is poor. Try adding hornworts to your pond. An aerator is a great idea. Since I added it to my pond, I feel my fish are much happier. I feed my fish a little each day. Sometimes I give them a little in the afternoon. I sit next to my pond to drink my morning coffee and during the day to enjoy my back yard. My fish just about jump out the pond when they see me come out in the morning. They also follow me around the pond at times. Good luck with your pond and fish. Once you really get it right, it will bring you peace and joy.

 

[Mmathis]

Hey guys,

I inherited a pond a little while ago and have been learning on my own how to take care of it. There's about 7-8 goldfish in there from the previous owners, but they rarely come out unless they are eating. I almost never see them otherwise. I would like to see them a little more and have been trying to find ways to get them to come out more often. Does anyone have any ideas?

Pond Info:
- approx. 48''x48''x12'' in size (shallow from what Ive been told, but that's how the previous owners built it and dont think theres anything I can do about it at this point"
- usually keep about 1/2 the pond covered with lilies and hyacinths.
- waterfall with a 6-8 inch drop
- feed fish every other day
- located in Baltimore, MD so temps can get rather warm June-August
- not positive on the type of fish but I theres 2 shubunkins and 5-6 small skinny fast guys in there, no koi

Any help or advice you can give me is greatly appreciated!

Zach

Can you post some pictures of your pond, and the surrounding area?

 

[Usman]

You said you could not see your fish in a pond that is 12" deep. I am assuming the water clarity is poor. Try adding hornworts to your pond. An aerator is a great idea. Since I added it to my pond, I feel my fish are much happier. I feed my fish a little each day. Sometimes I give them a little in the afternoon. I sit next to my pond to drink my morning coffee and during the day to enjoy my back yard. My fish just about jump out the pond when they see me come out in the morning. They also follow me around the pond at times. Good luck with your pond and fish. Once you really get it right, it will bring you peace and joy.

she meant that the fishes are hiding , not from the visibility perspective

 

[sissy]

They are scared and feeding them tiny bits at a time will get them more used to you .It takes longer for goldfish to be friendly and some never are .KOI and other fish need to be hand fed from tiny babies to get used to you .Mine all eat out of my hands and I have no place for them to hide so that helps