2 years ago I bought a small white koi that we named "Amelia" because
it looked like a small airplane and she went AWOL for 5 days. Amelia
died of dropsy last winter/early spring. June 13th I bought a $25
platnium koi - butterfly (I think). "She didn't even circle the 2300
gal. pond before disappearing into the "bat cave." One glimpse at
midnight the next night was the last I was sure I saw her (briefly).
July 27th I bought a $45 replacement... no other pure whites
available. Called the husband to "see" the fish before I released it.
The 2 of us and a neighbor watched the new fish flutter around for
about 20 min. and then we went inside. Later we visited to pond to see
the new fish and it was gone. While we watched, the new fish
reappeared, disappeared, and reappeared and was briefly joined by
(GASP) what appeared to be a portion of another white fish, presumably
the "lost" fish that I have NEVER fed for the last 1-1/2 months since
I bought it! Had I been alone I would have surely 2nd guessed the
possibility. 2 of us now entertain the idea of group hallucination. We
think the new fish flushed out the reclusive fish temporarily. How can
this fish (in not that large of pond), without companionship, limited
filtered light (pond is in shade), exist in the outer nooks & crannies
of the limited space between liner and the outer side of the inner
rock wall? I don't have a lot of other fish or plants. Hubby is NOT
interested in rebuilding that part of the wall. I'm concerned the fish
won't have enough depth for winter. Although I doubt I'll ever see it
again, I wonder if it'll have sense enough to come out when it gets
too big for the limited space it is in. Tell me I'm not crazy.

Anyone else got a similar fish tale or is it just white koi in
general?

Spooked in VA

From my experience you have to tame your fish and you do this by feeding
them while making a bit of a fuss once they have come to eat. They get use
to your voice and associate it with food. Don't! over feed. If all of the
food is not gone in 5 minutes, you are feeding them too much.

What depth do you have? 2300 gallons seems like a huge pond to me (mine is
about 7'X7'X2.5 = 766gal). What is your frostline? I'm on Long Island -
zone 7/6. The worse winter we have puts the frost line at ~3'. My fish
have survived for years in a pond less than 3' deep (close but not quite
that deep). I do use a air bubbler in winter to keep things open but last
year due to family events I did not get it in and they were fine. Unless
you are high in the Mountains I can't imagine you having a harsher climate.
My koi grew to about 2' until son killed them off (and yes I was going to
make them a bigger pond to live in).... After a few years I still haven't
had the heart to replace them but I have grown very fond of my feeder
goldfish. Sorry - side tracked. When my koi were small (3-6") they could
complete disappear and in fact could do so when they were large if predators
frightened them.

Donna

"gmb" wrote in message
...
2 years ago I bought a small white koi that we named "Amelia" because
it looked like a small airplane and she went AWOL for 5 days. Amelia
died of dropsy last winter/early spring. June 13th I bought a $25
platnium koi - butterfly (I think). "She didn't even circle the 2300
gal. pond before disappearing into the "bat cave." One glimpse at
midnight the next night was the last I was sure I saw her (briefly).
July 27th I bought a $45 replacement... no other pure whites
available. Called the husband to "see" the fish before I released it.
The 2 of us and a neighbor watched the new fish flutter around for
about 20 min. and then we went inside. Later we visited to pond to see
the new fish and it was gone. While we watched, the new fish
reappeared, disappeared, and reappeared and was briefly joined by
(GASP) what appeared to be a portion of another white fish, presumably
the "lost" fish that I have NEVER fed for the last 1-1/2 months since
I bought it! Had I been alone I would have surely 2nd guessed the
possibility. 2 of us now entertain the idea of group hallucination. We
think the new fish flushed out the reclusive fish temporarily. How can
this fish (in not that large of pond), without companionship, limited
filtered light (pond is in shade), exist in the outer nooks & crannies
of the limited space between liner and the outer side of the inner
rock wall? I don't have a lot of other fish or plants. Hubby is NOT
interested in rebuilding that part of the wall. I'm concerned the fish
won't have enough depth for winter. Although I doubt I'll ever see it
again, I wonder if it'll have sense enough to come out when it gets
too big for the limited space it is in. Tell me I'm not crazy.

Anyone else got a similar fish tale or is it just white koi in
general?

Spooked in VA

gmb wrote in

om:

Anyone else got a similar fish tale or is it just white koi in
general?

I've always understood that the more places a fish has to hide the
less likely the fish will want to hide. That, and fish are social
critters. (At least these are.)

Indeed, now that my pond water is murky from suspended 'stuff' (see
some of my earlier posts for why) I'm seeing fish at the surface I
haven't seen that closely. (And, no, they aren't gasping for
breath. )

~~Bryan


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1 week later... still no sign of "invisible/antisocial fish." It's not
a matter of "training" it to feed, never had the chance in now nearly
2 months. My pond is kidney shaped and mostly above ground (A. so I
won't fall into it and B. I can sit on the wall and feed them). Since
I had written off the fish in my mind earlier, I'm not too worried nor
expect to see it again - if so, it will be a pleasant surprise. Yes,
I've chummed near the presumed hole. The ONLY recent sighting was when
the new fish must've stirred it. I can't imagine it living through the
winter like that in the outer ring of interior rocks that line the
liner. Strange - I've been told Koi like to be a part of group - the
more the merrier.

My koi (butterfly) were in hiding most of the time when they were small.
Once they became large they would swim to the surface in formation ( it
really was beautiful) and they did come to eat but I never made pets of them
as many koi people do. If memory serves me right, they were about 8" before
I saw much of them. They do seem to prefer their own. So the 3 of them
were almost always together and I never saw them school with the goldfish.
I don't imagine they would like being alone.

Donna

"gmb" wrote in message
...
1 week later... still no sign of "invisible/antisocial fish." It's not
a matter of "training" it to feed, never had the chance in now nearly
2 months. My pond is kidney shaped and mostly above ground (A. so I
won't fall into it and B. I can sit on the wall and feed them). Since
I had written off the fish in my mind earlier, I'm not too worried nor
expect to see it again - if so, it will be a pleasant surprise. Yes,
I've chummed near the presumed hole. The ONLY recent sighting was when
the new fish must've stirred it. I can't imagine it living through the
winter like that in the outer ring of interior rocks that line the
liner. Strange - I've been told Koi like to be a part of group - the
more the merrier.

On Aug 6, 8:33 am, "D Kat" wrote:
My koi (butterfly) were in hiding most of the time when they were small.
... If memory serves me right, they were about 8" before
I saw much of them. They do seem to prefer their own. So the 3 of them
were almost always together and I never saw them school with the goldfish.
I don't imagine they would like being alone.

Donna

"gmb" wrote in message

Well, as stated before, Ms. Skeptic here doesn't expect much but I
talked with a neighbor that has 3 (impressive) koi ponds. I remember
he did have a specific koi he and his wife picked out that had
disappeared and after sometime they purchased a look alike replacement
fish. Fish one resurfaced and now is one of "the twins." I asked how
long fish one was "gone." He said: "nearly a season." It is still
baffling... given they would probably want to see sunshine and friends
EAT and I do NOT have plants to hide in. My butterflies like ea. other
and commingle with the comets. I wait with baited breath.