koiguys wintering pond update

[koiguy1969]

4 years of use as a wintering pond and fry pond and still absolutely trouble free! alot less fish in it than previous years being my koi are in the 17 - 20 inch range. there are 5 koi in that size range and 20 in the 4 - 6 inch range from last years spawn. been keeping the water at 56* - 58*f all winter and am going to start slowly raising the temp to around 68* to see if i can't induce a spawn indoors this year. rather than outside and bringing them in
[ame]

making some new spawn mops and a nursery cage...would be nice to get an earlier spawn, instead of mid to late June....we'll see!!

 

[rintintin]

Very cool! I'm in michigan too. How many koi do you have? What are the dimensions of your 1200 gal pond?

 

[koiguy1969]

I have 5 koi in the 17" - 20" range and the about 20 in the 4" - 6" in the pond video. none of my fish winter outdoors, except some of the fry if their to elusive to catch....i think i got them all this year...but ive thought that in the past and come springtime i find some missed. my out door pond is an eggish shaped oval @ 11' x 15' roughly. 24" - 28" deep....70 gallon stocktank filter.

 

[addy1]

Like the lizard!

 

[j.w]

Hope it works for ya and you have a nice collection of fish there Koiguy :lol:

 

[koiguy1969]

They've been in the basement pond since September......they will enjoy getting out in the bigger pond and have some more room. about 6 months now!!

 

[rintintin]

I have 5 koi in the 17" - 20" range and the about 20 in the 4" - 6" in the pond video. none of my fish winter outdoors, except some of the fry if their to elusive to catch....i think i got them all this year...but ive thought that in the past and come springtime i find some missed. my out door pond is an eggish shaped oval @ 11' x 15' roughly. 24" - 28" deep....70 gallon stocktank filter.

Thanks, that's interesting. What kind of plants have you found do good here? Or since you have Koi, do you not do the whole plant thing? lol

 

[koiguy1969]

pond iris, water lillies, water hiacynths, frogbit...if your gonna have koi you need to protect the roots of floating plants so...
these are a good idea: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/floating-planter-rings-t4154.html the hiacynths are in the rings, the shorter plants with them are water lettuce...at 15" last year, my koi started eating my lillies also we"ll see what happens this year

heres some videos of my outdoor pond:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/pond-update-6-21-2010-a-t5774.html
the plants in the rings are frogbit, of course you know the lillie pads, the tall plants are iris
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/pond-update-august-13-2010-a-t6411.html
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/fish-and-pond-july-4th-t5901.html
good luck

 

[rintintin]

pond iris, water lillies, water hiacynths, frogbit...if your gonna have koi you need to protect the roots of floating plants so...
these are a good idea: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/floating-planter-rings-t4154.html the hiacynths are in the rings, the shorter plants with them are water lettuce...at 15" last year, my koi started eating my lillies also we"ll see what happens this year

heres some videos of my outdoor pond:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/pond-update-6-21-2010-a-t5774.html
the plants in the rings are frogbit, of course you know the lillie pads, the tall plants are iris
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/pond-update-august-13-2010-a-t6411.html
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/fish-and-pond-july-4th-t5901.html
good luck

Thanks!

 

[sissy]

my fish destroy plants and I will be trying the ring this year and made 1 that floats but is long enough to go down around the lillies and see if that will protect them .The ring at the top is bigger than the ring at the bottom and I hope it works

 

[j.w]

Just watch out sissy cuz if the fish get the notion to start jumping nothing can keep them out of the rings unless you are going to build a dome over the top of the ring
I have had my goldies jump in especially around spawning season but I just check it now and then and get my long net and scoop them out

 

[sissy]

:dunno:I was wondering about that and will check them a lot at first .I was in the dollar store the other day and happened to see those food nets that sort of fold up and you put them over food to protect the food from flies and stuff I bought 2 larger ones and wondering if that will work .I bought them for a picnic and happened to be staring at them on the table after you posted this and thought they may work .They have metal ribs and you unfold them and they make around circle or dome .What do you think of that idea jw .Think it will work or not .

 

[j.w]

I would think if you can get it to stay around the edges then they wouldn't be able to get in. Hey if one made something out of screen for just around the edges that stood up like those protection fences they put around kids trampolines that might work if it was higher than the fish could jump.Then you wouldn't have to cover the whole top. It only has happened to me at spawning but then how often do they spawn? You'd think if they can jump in there then they'd jump out sooner or later but nooooooooooooooo, they make me chase them around in there amongst the plants the little buggers