The Great Koi Round up of 2019 is Underway !

[Tula]

I chickened out on removing my adult koi from the pond, so am doing it the way I do every year, except I'll be adding Pond Prime to the pond water as it lowers, to help keep the water parameters better as the adults sit in a small volume of water.

I've already removed 4 ( I think ) to the deck pond over the summer, but am curious how many I'll catch today. I for sure want to get the one that eluded be in 2018.....it's quite large and all black !

Hubby is in process of emptying our ugly blue 55 gallon barrel of it's media, so that we can inspect what is clogged. We have all new media and are keeping our fingers crossed the filter operation improves. We have learned we didn't use enough media originally, so maybe running the water through less media has contributed to the clogging.

I'll soon be donning my waders and start fishing

 

[j.w]

Happy fishing

 

[Tula]

Well, the numbers are in.....drum roll .....34 ! That includes the 4 I caught during the summer. I had such a rush of adrenaline when I finally caught the big black koi that eluded me last summer !! I came close to catching him twice, but he'd flip and fly away - ugh ! When I finally caught him, I made hubby come around the pond to get the net....no way I was taking a chance of him jumping back into the pond !

Truthfully the pond was gross, gross, gross I used a fine pool net and even a small aquarium net for crevices , to remove the gobs of organics ....just awful ! Hubby power washed the water fall slab as it was thickly covered in age. We also lifted the "predator" slab from the pond and power washed it too.

Hubby emptied all the old media ( really yucky ) and we took a look at the filter. Man, tons of rocks has slipped below the grate and the baffle with drilled holes for the air to blow through when back washing it, was filled with gunk We gave it a really good cleaning and put in all new media. We went with slightly larger rocks for the first and second layers of media and am hoping this helps keep them from slipping beneath the grid.

I'll report back later how the filter runs, the water level still isn't high enough to start it.

 

[Lisak1]

I will never understand how you get so many babies every year... you're doing something right!

 

[Tula]

I will never understand how you get so many babies every year... you're doing something right!

I detest the babies - LOL 44 in 2017 / 27 in 2018 and 34 this year !!

 

[Tula]

The sand & gravel filter is up and running...positively gushing from it's return line! Fingers crossed it stays this way. I'm a little nervous with such a big water change ( I did fill a live stock tank with pond water and returned it to the pond ) and new media.

 

[cas]

I'm also trying to catch some fish to lower the number in my pond. To find homes for them last time, I used craigslist and got lots of replies. This year, none. Now I am trying to find where I can rehome the fish before I catch any more. I'm really concerned going into winter with an overstocked pond.

 

[Tula]

I'm also trying to catch some fish to lower the number in my pond. To find homes for them last time, I used craigslist and got lots of replies. This year, none. Now I am trying to find where I can rehome the fish before I catch any more. I'm really concerned going into winter with an overstocked pond.

I hear ya. For years I was able to give them to fellow pond owners in our subdivision and a local pet store, but no more. Fortunately we have a nice landscape nursery with a huge outdoor pond and they've let me release them there for the last few years. A fellow GPF member @Nevermore44 is interested in seeing them, which would be great I need to get them to their new home quickly as my deck pond is small.

I was nervous about my four adults from the "trauma" of being in so little water .....they were pretty stressed I ran an aerator and added Pond Prime, but the water was filled with organics I ran out to the pond at first light this morning and was so relieved to see them all looking good and settled in again. They've just grown so large over the years.....the pond looks smaller every year !

 

[mrsclem]

Dreading the spring cause I'm going to have to round up dozens of 2-3 year old koi and find homes. I asked hubby for a 300 gallon stock tank for Christmas! Always have good luck with Craigslist but I do get a few who are looking to just resell.

 

[Tula]

Dreading the spring cause I'm going to have to round up dozens of 2-3 year old koi and find homes. I asked hubby for a 300 gallon stock tank for Christmas! Always have good luck with Craigslist but I do get a few who are looking to just resell.

My tank is only 110 gallons, wish it was larger! I feel like I've done battle this morning from all the "pond gymnastics" I did catching those babies yesterday......feeling my age !

I told hubby, I just know I'll look out one day and find I've missed one......there is always that elusive ONE ! ha ha!

 

[JamieB]

If I ever get my pond dug and set up, I’ll be looking for some pretty fish! I want shubinkin and butterfly koi, I dream of crossing them to get mid sized calicos with long tails!

 

[Tula]

If I ever get my pond dug and set up, I’ll be looking for some pretty fish! I want shubinkin and butterfly koi, I dream of crossing them to get mid sized calicos with long tails!

That sounds like a beautiful combination, shubunkin and butter fly koi All my koi are standard fin koi. At this point I just want to care for my four adult koi. Why don't we have spay and neuter programs for fish ??!!

 

[cas]

So far I think all my koi are male. And most of my goldfish were male, except for one female who keeps repopulating the pond! Now I have some female babies that have been spawning. Ugh!

 

[Tula]

So far I think all my koi are male. And most of my goldfish were male, except for one female who keeps repopulating the pond! Now I have some female babies that have been spawning. Ugh!

Oh dear ! Lucky you to have only one female. Any chance you could put her in a nice aquarium till you find a home for her?

 

[poconojoe]

What was the reason for catching all your fish? Maybe I missed something. Was it to clean out your pond?