Moving fish to new home

[Spartamets]

I am not moving (yet), but my wife and I are kind of abstractly planning to move in about 5 years. We'll need probably three years to pull off the packing and actual moving part, so I thought I take these next couple of years to gameplan--and decide. Long and short of this: I don't want to leave my pond. Or my fish.

I have sort of resigned myself to the fact that I would be able to build a new and better pond were we to move, but I play the long game with these kinds of projects, and the hollywood junipers and weeping japanese maples that frame and surround my current pond, for example, should just be entering their prime when we leave. Leaving the pond right when it's fully coming together after a decade of evolution would surely sting. So I know that it would be about 10 years after the move before I had a pond again hitting its prime. I have two years to decide if I can live with that, or make peace with staying put.

But if I do move, I would need to take my fish with me, and this is the part I haven't figured out. On the one hand, I can't move gigantic koi (the rest I would, reluctantly, leave behind if I had to) until the pond is fairly well established, which would take some time after I first built it. And with a giant move happening with two people who tend to be overcommitted with happy jobs, it might take a while before I get a chance even to plan then budget then build that pond in the new place, let alone have it settle in enough to import my four koi. On the other hand, during this interval there would be a new owner of my old home, hence of my pond (a highly unsettling thought), and nothing would bind the new owner to maintain the pond properly. I've heard of people filling in ponds in the yards they inherit when buying a house because they don't want the commitment. We ponders are a different kind of animal, so I couldn't blame them for doing what they wanted with my pond. (Actually, yes I would, if I knew, which I therefore don't want to.) That means the fish, some of whom were born in the pond, could die when I move.

The only thing I can think of would be some kind of fish kennel where I could house my fish during this interval between moving and being able to build a new pond. But I don't know if they even exist. Has anyone heard of such a thing? Has anyone else ever moved away from a pond they've built from scratch? Now that I have it, I know I couldn't live without the sound of the waterfalls and stream, and watching the fish, and all of the pond-y things that you all know about. So I'm a but flummoxed. And if 10-years-ago me looked at present-day me, he'd think he was seeing a crazy man, who might put a pond before all other considerations as regards his living arrangements. Sorry for the long post.

 

[SarahT]

I am not moving (yet), but my wife and I are kind of abstractly planning to move in about 5 years. We'll need probably three years to pull off the packing and actual moving part, so I thought I take these next couple of years to gameplan--and decide. Long and short of this: I don't want to leave my pond. Or my fish.

I have sort of resigned myself to the fact that I would be able to build a new and better pond were we to move, but I play the long game with these kinds of projects, and the hollywood junipers and weeping japanese maples that frame and surround my current pond, for example, should just be entering their prime when we leave. Leaving the pond right when it's fully coming together after a decade of evolution would surely sting. So I know that it would be about 10 years after the move before I had a pond again hitting its prime. I have two years to decide if I can live with that, or make peace with staying put.

But if I do move, I would need to take my fish with me, and this is the part I haven't figured out. On the one hand, I can't move gigantic koi (the rest I would, reluctantly, leave behind if I had to) until the pond is fairly well established, which would take some time after I first built it. And with a giant move happening with two people who tend to be overcommitted with happy jobs, it might take a while before I get a chance even to plan then budget then build that pond in the new place, let alone have it settle in enough to import my four koi. On the other hand, during this interval there would be a new owner of my old home, hence of my pond (a highly unsettling thought), and nothing would bind the new owner to maintain the pond properly. I've heard of people filling in ponds in the yards they inherit when buying a house because they don't want the commitment. We ponders are a different kind of animal, so I couldn't blame them for doing what they wanted with my pond. (Actually, yes I would, if I knew, which I therefore don't want to.) That means the fish, some of whom were born in the pond, could die when I move.

The only thing I can think of would be some kind of fish kennel where I could house my fish during this interval between moving and being able to build a new pond. But I don't know if they even exist. Has anyone heard of such a thing? Has anyone else ever moved away from a pond they've built from scratch? Now that I have it, I know I couldn't live without the sound of the waterfalls and stream, and watching the fish, and all of the pond-y things that you all know about. So I'm a but flummoxed. And if 10-years-ago me looked at present-day me, he'd think he was seeing a crazy man, who might put a pond before all other considerations as regards his living arrangements. Sorry for the long post.

You are so smart to think ahead. Yes, I have experience moving away from my pond of 22 years. Spoiler alert: my story has a happy ending. The buyers professed great admiration for the pond and my perennial landscaping, and even excitedly asked if I was leaving the fish, but I chose to move my fish 1,000 miles to my new pond (it wasn't that hard, but they weren't giant fish). A week later, my former neighbors tell me, the buyers ripped out all the landscaping and filled in the pond (no fish left in it). But we are in my new home, new pond, we're healthy, we're all happy. I am enjoying landscaping the new pond, can't wait for it to grow up!
(In that same former neighborhood, new people bought a house with a small pond and filled in the pond, regardless of the fish in it. )
OK, off the sad stuff.
You have plenty of time to think through your move for yourself, either with fish or rehoming your koi. There are quite a few Maryland-area GPF members, so I'll let them weigh in. (While I grew up in the Baltimore area, I don't have ponder connections up there or I'd find you a fish kennel.)

 

[mrsclem]

Any idea where you plan to move? Since you are planning way ahead, why not try to find a home that has a pond already. I'm sure a real estate agent may be able to put that on your wish list.

 

[bagsmom]

I would be pre-planning, too! You are wise! I have no experience with this situation, but my first thought was "Team Aquascape could help with this!" Do you watch the pros on YouTube? I don't know what your budget is, but in my mind, I imagine this as a YouTube video, with Brian, Chris, Greg, Jaak, and Ed consulting, building, and assisting with the move. (Are you, by chance, a big lottery winner? ). Seriously, though, after the more knowledgeable folks on here weigh in, I wonder if you could get information from Aquascape about a certified Aquascape contractor in your area. I don't know what something like that would cost - but the thought crossed my mind. I think most areas have groups of expert koi keepers, too.
I can only imagine how hard it must be to think of leaving your garden and your pond. We gardeners and pond keepers put our hearts and souls into the dirt and water.

 

[WaterGardener]

You could use an Intex pool for temporary housing. I have used them inside as well as outside. You would need some additional lighting over them indoors.

The filtration has to be improved, adding more than what comes with them, but they are sturdy and come in many sizes. They are easy and quick to set up.

I have had a 2000 gallon one set up outside for 3 or 4 years that I use for water lilies. It has also been a fry grow out pool.

We are in zone 6 so we get some cold, snow and ice in winter. We cover it completely with a pvc frame covered in heavy plastic and it has held up better than we expected and gets no ice on the water surface at all.

Some folks use them to bring their fish inside for winter, putting the pool in a garage or basement.

Or you could build a basic pond inside to keep the fish while a new pond is being built. You could do that outside as well, building it above ground so it could be removed.

I understand your not wanting to leave your home and pond. That would be very difficult. Moving in itself is a nightmare, but is even worse with fish and other pets involved.

 

[Jhn]

Agree with what has been said, just get a cheap above ground tub and filter of some sort that can handle the fish lid until you build the pond. I moved 13 years ago and left my pond and fish there, pond was over 15 years old, but brought the turtles to the new house. Then built the new current pond the next summer, still ended up with koi in a tub for 6-7 months ( over the winter also)as a work site I was on had a pond that we had to remove to grade a cliff down to the waterfront and it had a lot of small koi and goldfish, that I couldn’t just leave to die. Had them in a 150 gallon tub with some filter I Jerry-rigged together and the fish did fine.

 

[Spartamets]

Thank you all for these excellent suggestions. Some solutions are likely impossible, like doing anything indoors (my wife has a strong voice, and I think I know where she would stand on that), but some kind of external set-up that I could buy could probably do the trick for a while. We like living in Baltimore, but we work in the county, and I would prefer commuting in from the countryside, where it is more quiet rather than deal with traffic all the time. We both want (need) a bigger house. The combo of the kind of house we need and what our budget will allow keeps me from being quite as selective as I'd like, but every time I see a house with a koi pond when I search for homes (trying to get a sense of how much homes cost with various size/feature combos), I look at it extra close. So far I've only seen one, maybe two that have a koi pond that could handle koi, so I am expecting to build. Which is actually kind of appealing.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, Sarah, which confirm that I really will need to get my fish out. While I think the pond will probably be a selling point for our home, once the new owner figures out the work involved it will lose its appeal in a hurry. And if you could leave a pond after 22 years, that shows it can be done. I will see building the new pond as a real opportunity, a chance to do some things the way I wish I had done it the first time. (Sorry, no Aquascape guys for me. I have to do it myself, although I might hire someone to dig the hole this time rather than use the shovel and wheelbarrow approach.) I appreciate all the feedback. Lots of moving parts here, and everything has been helpful. Thank you.

 

[WaterGardener]

Just a heads up. I bought all my Intex pools on eBay. They had damaged boxes, but everything inside was new and in perfect shape. They were all less than $100 each. The 2000 gallon was the most expensive, about $88 I think.

That was a few years back and prices likely have changed. But if you can find ones with damaged boxes, they might be worth looking into.

Also, prices on those pools really drop in the winter, so it might be the best time to shop for them.

Good luck.

 

[Mmathis]

Oh my, we almost have the same problem….but in reverse, sort of. We moved and brought the goldfish with us — now can’t decide where to put the pond…..and it’s been 3 years.

How big is your current pond and how many koi do you have? Also, what kind of distance are you talking about moving: across the city, or across the country? Our move was only about 5-10 miles, so transporting the fish wasn’t an issue. Plus, we had plenty of time to get everything set up ahead of time (it took us a year and a half to “move out” of the old house, while living in the new one).

We only have goldfish. I got at large Intex (I think that’s the brand) pool and we set that up in the backyard. It’s about 1200 gallons, and fine for our needs. They do make larger ones. We are in zone 8, so other than summer heat, weather and temps have not been an issue.