wrote in message news:41741efc@padme....
Continuing the topic of the likelihood of newly introduced GF or Koi dying
within the first year. Whilst I understand the desirability of having a 100
gallon QT tanks, heaters keeping them for a year in these tanks and virtually
turning your small garden into a fish importers quarantine industrial estate
(I exaggerate for effect - but you know what I mean). Its all very well to
buy, sterilise, fill, heat, keep a watch on, maintain, fence have the fish die
anyway, etc etc, but I have got a proper job and house to rebuild to keep me
busy, and I don't have any room for tanks.

The cost and effort put into running the QT tanks needs to be assessed against
the likely hood of the newly introduced fish dying, or more worrying, existing
stocks dying.

The POLL:-

Just how many fish have people in this newsgroup bought, and have died in the
first, say, year? Both with and without using quarentee procedures. And how
many times have existing stocks been killed of by diseases carried by the
newcomer?

Year one: Bought six Koi, one adult comet, two shubukans, one white and
gold/red nearly adult goldfish, and one 14" albino channel catfish. Bought 12
feeder goldfish (comets) for the catfish. He ate four. The remaining ones grew
up. Lost one koi to an "accidental feeding by the albino cat - I threw so food
in, and both went for the same pellet at the same time: The koi lost. I lost
one small koi during the winter due to reasons unknown (he simply disappeared,
but might have become catfish food).

Year two - this year: Bought two koi, lost one (catfish?). The other is doing
fine. One of the feeder goldfish that I bought last year jumped out, but I
didn't find him until much too late. Adult goldfish and white and gold goldfish
bred, with 8 finderlings surviving (one of which is gold and white, and another
is solid white, while the rest are gold/red). All are healthy and have grown
significantly since spring.

Lost no fish due to disease. The only fish I've had that ever got sick was the
catfish, and he's been sick twice (once last year in August, and once this year
ion August - coincidence?), but albinos are more susceptible to disease than
most other fish. He's fine now, and is at least 28" long, and weighs about 8-9
lbs.

Pond - 1,500 gallon, 12'x5'x45" deep.