Shallow ponds and sunburn

[Dave 54]

I was reading in my newest book on koi which arrived from States side this morning its an AKCA publication called Koi written by Grant Fujita .
In it he talks of koi being brought to him with a pink tinge to the white of their backs (kuhaku's) which he treated but it would not heal even using antibiotics.
He then had a spate of others arrive all with the same problem all not responding to antibiotics but predominantly white backs the reds not being affected.
Much to say he ws very perplexed by all this and vowed to get to the bottom of this problem .....
After a lot of research as to the ponds of the owners its water conditions etc he came up with this "all the ponds where shallow and then the penny dropped these fish were all suffering the effects of sunburn
The cure was simple and he added a shaded area to each pond where the koi could go to get out of the sun within a few weeks of doing this all the koi returned to there red and white colouration with no pink tinge anywhere to be seen.
So when building your pond make sure its deeper than a foot and if you already have a shallow pond at least if you cant change things around provide them with a place to get out of the sun otherwise they will get sunburn.
This also applies to goldfish like the comet and other goldfish with any white in them

Dave

 

[RobAmy]

So when building your pond make sure its deeper than a foot and if you already have a shallow pond at least if you cant change things around provide them with a place to get out of the sun otherwise they will get sunburn.
This also applies to goldfish like the comet and other goldfish with any white in them

Dave

Good advice. I added tunnels in mine, Also have many lilies in mine. Here is a picture of the tunnels. I also have them bridged with stone so that it made a tunnel on the side of the tunnel.

 

[Dave 54]

Good advice. I added tunnels in mine, Also have many lilies in mine. Here is a picture of the tunnels. I also have them bridged with stone so that it made a tunnel on the side of the tunnel.

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Yes plenty of good shade in your pond my friend , Priscilla was telling me a few days ago now of a number of koi she's seen in the Caymans that are in full sun and in only a foot of water I'm hoping she reads this thread and tells the people involved to add shade to the pond .
We ourselves have a Parasol covering about half of the pond so our koi though in a suntrap which our back garden is in the summer have shade if they need it and our own pond is 4 ft deep .
Its better to be safe than sorry dont you think ?

Dave

 

[Priscilla]

Thanks for sharing this. Yes, a local animal attraction has a very shallow pond. Luckily it inside a bird aviary so it is somewhat shaded.

Every time I go there we engage in good conversation and they have admitted the pond was not built for the fish, it was just a wading pond for the birds, but someone needed to rehome the koi so they took them. I keep HOPING they will offer the koi to me at some point when they become too big for the pond.

I will share the information regarding sun burn in hopes of getting one step closer to rescuing these beautiful fish.

 

[Dave 54]

Thanks for sharing this. Yes, a local animal attraction has a very shallow pond. Luckily it inside a bird aviary so it is somewhat shaded.

Every time I go there we engage in good conversation and they have admitted the pond was not built for the fish, it was just a wading pond for the birds, but someone needed to rehome the koi so they took them. I keep HOPING they will offer the koi to me at some point when they become too big for the pond.

I will share the information regarding sun burn in hopes of getting one step closer to rescuing these beautiful fish.

I really hope you do Priscilla being they really should be in something deeper and its not fair on them as they get to know you as a fish keeper they may let you have them or at least look after them for them who knows you might even talk them into digging a much deeper pond now that would be really dont you think ?

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

I hadn't thought about sunburn, but I have some deep areas in my pond. But I too have sort of like the tunnels in RobAmy's pond, except mine is a Home Depot bucket with the ends cut out. I zip-tied landscape fabric to it (disguise), and glued a rock to the bottom to keep it submerged and in one spot.

 

[adavisus]

When waters are cool, cold, fish will bask in shallow water and get sunburn

Same happens where oxygen levels are low at dawn and fish are pushed into shallow water, not only sun burn is a risk so are predators that exploit that situation

Regards, andy
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[JohnHuff]

This is what I think when I read shallow pond and sunburn:

 

[Dave 54]

This is what I think when I read shallow pond and sunburn:

Hey John you been floating on your lilo in the shallow end again mate cant say I didnt warn yu my friend I think we better treat you with some malachite green or something along those lines
I also see a bad case of Pop eye and oh dear when did you buy those speedo's aged 16 I'd loose them for a pair of bermuda shorts not a pretty sight

Dave

 

[callingcolleen1]

The trees are plotting to take over my yard! I am trying to cut some of the branches away just so I can have enough sun! Then they are dropping everything into the ponds right now, but somehow the pond still looks great, have to clean out the catch nets every day right now!