In this same thread are my experiences with Koi that play with
and subsequently destroy lilies. When I had expensive lilies the
koi took great delight in uprooting them and dragging them all over the
pond.
I have two survivor lilies left ... my koi still uproot in them but don't
seem to haul them all over the place. After spawning I notice bits
of lily leaves all over the pond. They are little stinkers. No turtles,
I would know because I can see the bottom of the pond.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"adavisus" wrote in message
om...
Koi a foot long in a big pond with ample foliage are very unlikely to
damage lilypads in any numbers, they do little more than suck snail
spawn of plants as tough as those.

Far more likely theres a turtle that wandered in that has taken a
shine to munching on water lily stems and the snails that amble along
them. Check the stems that were severed, look for a distinctive 'v'
shape bite of a turtles guillotine like mouth, if you see those angled
bite marks, it sure isnt koi



http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html
(andys aquatic plant list for interesting swaps

"Pickmaster" wrote in message
...
I guess I better watch my wording on here, or I'm going to start a
panic--I
think there's 6 of them, I started out with 8 a year ago and they were
about
2 inches--the water is murky so I didn't see them for 6 months and was
really surprised at the growth to a foot.

I dumped a bunch of WH in a hoola-hoop: they attacked the roots and drug the
hoop all over the pond! Quite amusing . . . what gets me is the speed at
which they can get across the pond when they see me . . . they leave
V-shaped channels in the water, then stop on a dime and give 9 cents change
when the get the the edge. You'd swear that they'd run into the wall going
at that speed! If you watch them long enough, you begin to notice the
differences in their behavior: some are more curious than others, more
adventurous. Some feed like piranha; and then there's Bertie (Albert?
Alberta???), who stands on her tail, daintily nibbling on surface food that
gets away from "the pack". And people say fish don't have "personalities"!!!

Lee


"Nedra" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Lee, I remember my playful guys pulling the lilies around the
pond like they were toys. And I guess that is exactly what
they were. I love my Koi... especially for their mischieviousness
(Is that a word? lol ) Anyway, it does sound like ours are related?
Cutest thing would be to see lilies skimming across the pond with
no visible means of support ... until I looked in the pond! Now
I have two "survivor" lilies. No distinguishable marks - Just a pretty
white and a pink.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

That is very interesting about the V shaped chomps--I have to look for
that--let me just make it clear though that the entire leaf and stems are
off in one piece from the lower part of the plant--is that a clue?

"Pickmaster" wrote in message
...
Yes whatever is doing it is just taking the leaves off and floating--also
the common lilies I got out of the ditch are untouched, and the ones I
paid
$ 10 bucks for were stripped! I also have a bunch of mudcats and sunfish
in
there, but I think its the Koi--

"Pickmaster" wrote in message
...
Do Koi sometimes feed on water lilies? I found all the leaves stripped
from
about 4 plants and am pretty supicious it 6 foot long Koi--the pond is
large
and there are plenty for them to eat, but the leaves are suddenly just
floating around the pond--

pickmaster wrote the entire leaf and stems are
off in one piece from the lower part of the plant--is that a clue?

From our posters before, yes, that was a clue.
Where do you live? Snappers are native east of the Rockies (thank goodness!)
The ponder who had the snapping turtle ended up draining the pond down and
there he was, skulking in the mud.


k30a

I live in louisiana, and a snapper could be in there, but I haven't seen
any--I am pumping the water out right now, but it is going to take a
while--the water is below where they can get the lilies now, but how long
can they stay out of the water?

"K30a" wrote in message
...
pickmaster wrote the entire leaf and stems are
off in one piece from the lower part of the plant--is that a clue?

From our posters before, yes, that was a clue.
Where do you live? Snappers are native east of the Rockies (thank
goodness!)
The ponder who had the snapping turtle ended up draining the pond down and
there he was, skulking in the mud.


k30a

but how long
can they stay out of the water?

A snapper can stay out of water a long time but they don't like to.
Be careful!


k30a