Koi digging

[kougs]

Well, looks like I crawl into the pond this weekend. found the water lily rhizomes floating on top. Bad Koi dug it out of the planter.

 

[sissy]

mine do that and I put lava rock on the top and try to spank them when they come near the pots .lol teach them .They are sneaky guys and gals .I have mine planted in pea gravel and I got the cloth planting bags and used fishing wire to sew parts of them closed here and there .

 

[kougs]

holy smokes sissy. that's extreme. but most likely what I'll have to do. I have mine in the all clay kitty litter.

My koi just look at me and laugh.

 

[sissy]

as you can see by aggie's face she does the same .I had a talk with her and Bert but it does not help :razz: It takes a lot to keep them out of the plants as it is instinct for them to root and dig

 

[CliffandJoann]

take a wire plant basket, remove the moss, invert the pot and wire it to the lily basket...
it's fool proof!

 

[pondlover]

That's a great idea Joann. Definitely something I'll be putting on my yard sale list to pick up!

 

[taherrmann4]

Or just tie a rock around the tuber and sink it, I do this with mine now. No soil or rock to get knocked over on the bottom and it is cheap.

 

[kougs]

Don't they need fertilizer?

 

[addy1]

Don't they need fertilizer?

They can live on fish poo, I haven't had a good fish load, yet. Fertilizing helps them bloom more.
I like being able to grab them in the oil pans, with my grabbing tool when it is cold etc, easy to pull out and groom. Others do well with just weighing them down and putting into the pond.

 

[CliffandJoann]

Or just tie a rock around the tuber and sink it, I do this with mine now. No soil or rock to get knocked over on the bottom and it is cheap.

taherrmann, this does not solve the problem of the koi eating the roots on the lily,
which is our problem
with the big koi.
We plant a lot of stuff -- bare root on our shelves, but they are firmly
tucked in and behind big rocks and slate rocks.

Big koi are impossible to control, they'll devour all plant matter except taro...taro tastes
like glass to them.

 

[CliffandJoann]

dug up an old story...it's long, but true and amusing to those with
these extraordinary little beasts!

It's Not Easy Being "Moss Green!" ​

June 5, 2001 story, seven ​

"IN A WORD". . . "Extraordinary!" ​

A Fish Story. . . Words, words, there are a lot of them, and many ways to use them. There are many words to describe koi. The first ones that come to mind are... amazing and spectacular, that best describes their aura. Words to define their beauty... striking and magnificent. As far as words that best describe their demeanor... regal and majestic, I think say it best. Words that best portray their personality, well I guess that would be... friendly, and curious. To wrap up all these words and put them together "in a word" that best describes koi, my pick would be... "extraordinary!"​

Having said all that first, I would now like to tell you... what these #$%@#&% fish are doing to my plants! Starting with my various floating plants, they are always munching on them. The intense sounds of the gnawing and chewing resonate loudly in my head! These fish are really beginning to get on my nerves! After they devour all my floating plants, my potted plants such as my beloved water lilies are under attack! They love to dig in the pots. Why? I don't know why! I can only imagine they are digging for worms. They are crazy for worms! Which, I give them practically everyday. But, no! That is still not enough! They still have to dig and dig with their heads buried deep in the muddy pots, tails flip flopping wildly back and forth in a frenzy! I tried putting stones on top of the dirt in the pots, only to have these beasts suck them up, wash them around in their mouths and spit them out! Helplessly, I watch as my beloved water lilies float topside. It calls for desperate measures! Like a madman, I jump in my pond and rescue my cherished lilies, replanting them and putting big, big, rocks on top of the pots! This is war, I declare! It's me against them! man vs. beast! Who posesses the superior intelligence!?! I remind myself, as I place anotherbig rockon top of my lily pot! Let me see them suck up these boulders and spit them out! ...​

They are beginning to plot against me, I know it! After that, they seemed to band together like little soldiers, and begin their assault on my precious moss-rocks! Oh no! Not my moss rocks! I love my moss-covered rocks! At the risk of sounding like I'm whining . . . It took years, under the most absolutely perfect conditions, just enough moisture and sunlight for these rocks to look so awesome, snugly blanketed in lovely "moss green!" They are so beautiful that even a color was named after them! Oh my moss! My beautiful moss! These... striking koi actually have to lift themselves up halfway out of the water in order to reach the rocks, so that they can rip the moss from the rocks! I mean, ripping it off like a bad toupe! Then they have a tug of war, which in itself would be an awesome sight, if it weren't for the fact that they are ripping and tearing my precious moss to shreds! Shimmering boldly through out the water, they continue to tug and rip my beautiful moss. . . then they eat it! ... ​

So... like there is no plant life left in the pond for the eggs to survive, you know, when and if they can stop eating long enough to get amorous, that is! I begin to get worried . . . maybe I'm never gonna have spectacular little koi babies! So, I wonder what can I do? A simple plan, yes, I need a simple plan, I think! Alas, I come up with an ingenious plan! I'll float some of my leafy Euonymus plants in the pond. What a great idea! When they spawn, the eggs will be attached to the leaves, and than I'll simply pick up the plant and gently place it in my small pond to hatch! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, I smugly think to myself! I cut off several leafy branches and toss them into the pond at sunset! Ah! Something new, my couriouskoi think, as they fearlessly approach the unfamiliar foliage, weaving and bobbing around estatically, boiling the water in excitement! ..Ah ha! I think to myself, they get the idea already! Maybe my majestic koi, are finally having thoughts of amour! ....​

Early the next morning, I return pondside, full of anticipation and eager to see whatzsup!. . . In utter amazement,I watched asmy regal andmagnificent koi, were boldly weaving throughout the pond, with the large and "now leaf-less" Euonymus branches firmly positioned in their jaws!!! I was just flabbergasted at this sight! All I could do was stand there totaly astounded by these amazing koi, watching them lug around the stripped branches, while in my head, I swear I could hear the background music to that movie, ya know, the one with the killer shark! ... thun, thun, thun, thun!.. thun, thun, thun thun!... I'm beginning to wonder (?) maybe I'm loosing this war! After all, I'm just one mortal man, and there is an army of them!... Who wants amazing little koi babies anyhow?...and yes, what best describes koi "in a word"... "extraordinary!"... This is a true story ...shrug... Cliff&Joann​

 

[j.w]

I had a couple tiny little leftover tubers too small to give to anyone so I threw them in the bottom of a floating plant ring and they sunk. How come I didn't have to make them sink w/ a rock? I thought they would float and they do have little pads so they aren't dead. Going to see how they do w/o a pot. WARNING........This is a test,lol!

 

[j.w]

Neat story Cliff and I only have my lovely goldfish so none of that rif raf stuff going on in my pond.

 

[bkrgrm]

ME TOO! all my lilys were out of the clay/dirt I had put them in last year and pretty sick looking! nice natural clay from a clear creek, fertilizer tablets, tuck small rocks all around and.... now I can;t even see my fish they r digging so much my pond water is clay colored, I have found some of the lily rootts floating. tried feeding them a little more but that didn't help. now running 2 filters and 2 UV lights still isn't clearing up much! need plants for shade, but the fish won't let them grow! if I just sink them they look sick or maybe stunted is a better word, some I have had for 5 or more years and they look like trans plants someone elses cuttings. If nothing else these postings helped me to not feel so alone and thinking I was doing something wrong! Thanks!

 

[HARO]

You realize, of course, that two UVs are twice as useless as one when it comes to clearing clay from a pond.
John