Pond fish not eating floating pellet food for over three weeks!

[salpatel]

Hello everyone, I am new here and have an outdoor pond that is about 1700 gallons with a pond pump skimmer and waterfall. The prior owner had built it. Bullfrogs were living in the pond for the last couple of years. This year I decided to put some fish in the pond. I have 2 koi about 6" each and 12 comet goldfish about 3" each. None of the fish are eating the pellet food or goldfish flakes. It has been over three weeks and I am getting concerned. The pond does have algae, some aquatic plants and trapdoor snails. I have seen the fish nibbling at algae but not the food.

No fish have died, but they hide in the rock crevices and do not come up for food. It doesn't appear they are sick because they will dart from one rock crevice to another. The water quality is also good. The water had a slightly higher phosphate level, but the pH, nitrites, chlorine etc. are fine.

I am assuming they are surviving on the algae, but I would like them to grow and worried the algae is not enough. I would appreciate tips on how to get these guys to eat.

 

[Tula]

I found it helpful to feed my fish in the same location around the same time and watch that it didn't get sucked into the skimmer.

Fish can be very skittish and hide when in a new environment . I would think after three weeks you'd see them out sometimes. Any chance you've had a predator visit that has scared them?

How many bull frogs do you have and are they large? They will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. I had one drown several birds trying to swallow them

 

[salpatel]

Thanks, Tula. The fish do come out of their hiding places in the evening. There are racoons around so one of them may have scared them. The three bullfrogs are not very big and the fish do not appear to be scared of them. That's pretty amazing that one drowned a bird!

I tried turning off the pump and putting food in the pond. I walked away so the fish could come up and eat in privacy, but the pellets just stay there floating...

 

[j.w]

@salpatel
Yep they are prolly scared by varmints entering your pond. Might be a good time for a net.

 

[salpatel]

Thanks!

 

[Mgessert]

I would try sinking pellets. Maybe they’re not looking up.

 

[Tish]

I would try sinking pellets. Maybe they’re not looking up.

You can gently pat the water on top of the fish flakes and the flakes sink down in wavy patterns. That may get their attention. They always seem hungrier in the evenings.