Disappearing fish
 

I am new pond owner having constructed a 1100 gal garden pond with two waterfalls this spring. I have surface about half covered with floaters and lillys. My fish population consisted of 11 goldfish from three to five inches.

To protect the fish from herons (we live on a 100 acre lake with a small heron population) I have the pond encircled with two strands of 20 lb test fish line at 8" and 20" in height and two strands crossing the top about three feet over the surface. I have noticed no disturbance in these lines or the vegitation in the pond. The pond is roughly 11 X 6 and 36" deep with shelve along one side. Bottom has river rock.

A fish has simply disappeared. Earlier (a few weeks ago) one of my fish died and I found it floating on the surface. The remaining fish are very active, not spooked, and doing well. I have also noticed a few very small fish in the pond that can only be offspring as I did not add them to the population.

My question is: Do fish always float to the surface when they die? Do some fish simply not feed and stay on the bottom out of sight for days?

dead fish don't always float to the surface.
yes, fish hide. There is plenty to eat on the bottom.
If the others aren't spooked then its less likely that you have a predator


"cbbode" wrote in message
...

I am new pond owner having constructed a 1100 gal garden pond with two
waterfalls this spring. I have surface about half covered with
floaters and lillys. My fish population consisted of 11 goldfish from
three to five inches.

To protect the fish from herons (we live on a 100 acre lake with a
small heron population) I have the pond encircled with two strands of
20 lb test fish line at 8" and 20" in height and two strands crossing
the top about three feet over the surface. I have noticed no
disturbance in these lines or the vegitation in the pond. The pond is
roughly 11 X 6 and 36" deep with shelve along one side. Bottom has
river rock.

A fish has simply disappeared. Earlier (a few weeks ago) one of my
fish died and I found it floating on the surface. The remaining fish
are very active, not spooked, and doing well. I have also noticed a
few very small fish in the pond that can only be offspring as I did not
add them to the population.

My question is: Do fish always float to the surface when they die? Do
some fish simply not feed and stay on the bottom out of sight for days?


--
cbbode

dead fish don't always float to the surface.
yes, fish hide. There is plenty to eat on the bottom.
If the others aren't spooked then its less likely that you have a predator
ronm

Yup, and sometimes sick fish will sulk at the bottom/hide for a long time
before they die.... and sometimes they'll snap out of it, and you'll see
them again weeks later. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

~ janj JJsPond.us wrote:

dead fish don't always float to the surface.
yes, fish hide. There is plenty to eat on the bottom.
If the others aren't spooked then its less likely that you have a predator
ronm



Yup, and sometimes sick fish will sulk at the bottom/hide for a long time
before they die.... and sometimes they'll snap out of it, and you'll see
them again weeks later. ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~


Heck, when I started, I put to feeder goldfish in. Two of them. Next
day I couldn't find them. Remember, fresh pond. No plants, can see
clear to the bottom. So the next day, I go get four decent size fish.
Next day, I have six!! Go figure. They must have been hiding in the
folds of the liner!

"cbbode" wrote in message
...
A fish has simply disappeared. Earlier (a few weeks ago) one of my
fish died and I found it floating on the surface. The remaining fish
are very active, not spooked, and doing well. I have also noticed a
few very small fish in the pond that can only be offspring as I did not
add them to the population.

My question is: Do fish always float to the surface when they die? Do
some fish simply not feed and stay on the bottom out of sight for days?
=============================
I have always found dead fish and expired frogs floated to the surface,
probably from the internal gas of decomposition. Herons may not be your
only problem. We have herons, cranes, snapper turtles, water snakes and
bullfrogs who were cleaning out our ponds. In desperation to have fish, we
finally gave in and netted them both.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

I have always found dead fish and expired frogs floated to the surface,
probably from the internal gas of decomposition. Herons may not be your
only problem. We have herons, cranes, snapper turtles, water snakes and
bullfrogs who were cleaning out our ponds. In desperation to have fish, we
finally gave in and netted them both.

I feel like I've asked you before, but did you try a dog?

C//

"Courageous" wrote in message
...

I have always found dead fish and expired frogs floated to the surface,
probably from the internal gas of decomposition. Herons may not be your
only problem. We have herons, cranes, snapper turtles, water snakes and
bullfrogs who were cleaning out our ponds. In desperation to have fish,
we
finally gave in and netted them both.

I feel like I've asked you before, but did you try a dog?

C//
==================================
We had 3 dogs and only one harassed the frogs. He'd jump in after them
breaking the plants, knocking the rocks into the water, terrorizing the fish
and making a mess. I don't think he ever caught one. The Doberman went
after the possums, but the possums ignored the ponds. The big mutt ignored
everything but the moles who stayed away from the ponds choosing mainly the
area by the garden and the trees. She'd dig them up making the yard look
like a war zone and leaving dead moles everywhere. All of them ignored the
herons, snakes and snapper turtles. So yes, we tried dogs.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

area by the garden and the trees. She'd dig them up making the yard look
like a war zone and leaving dead moles everywhere. All of them ignored the
herons, ...

I would have thought a dog would have been excitable around herons. :)

C//

"Courageous" wrote in message
...

area by the garden and the trees. She'd dig them up making the yard look
like a war zone and leaving dead moles everywhere. All of them ignored
the
herons, ...

I would have thought a dog would have been excitable around herons. :)

C//
============================
Not all dogs. These seemed to know they couldn't catch birds as birds can
fly away - a waste of their time and energy. They even stopped going after
squirrels, since they just climbed a tree out of their reach. But they
could get and kill the possums and moles. They avoided skunks. We finally
fenced in an area for the dogs, and after that they couldn't get to the
ponds. We were afraid they'd get run over out by the road. Too many nuts
driving twice the speed limit.........
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Reel McKoi wrote:


"Courageous" wrote in message
...

area by the garden and the trees. She'd dig them up making the yard
look
like a war zone and leaving dead moles everywhere. All of them ignored
the
herons, ...

I would have thought a dog would have been excitable around herons. :)

Not all dogs. These seemed to know they couldn't catch birds as birds can
fly away - a waste of their time and energy. They even stopped going
after squirrels, since they just climbed a tree out of their reach.

Yeah, I have two bird dogs (and I've had three others) and they've never had
an interest in birds (I've never had an interest in hunting, so no attempt
to train them to birds). Squirrels, otoh, are a wonderful game...
--
derek

"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Reel McKoi wrote:
Not all dogs. These seemed to know they couldn't catch birds as birds
can
fly away - a waste of their time and energy. They even stopped going
after squirrels, since they just climbed a tree out of their reach.

Yeah, I have two bird dogs (and I've had three others) and they've never
had
an interest in birds (I've never had an interest in hunting, so no attempt
to train them to birds). Squirrels, otoh, are a wonderful game...
--
derek
==========================
I wish we had an answer other than nets to protect our fish. My husband and
I don't care for the looks of the nets and they're a pain when I need to get
into the ponds for some reason. Everyone I know here with a pond has or had
some kind of predators getting their fish, even people who live in crowded
subdivisions far from the woods or a lake. The commonest predators are of
course the herons, snakes and bullfrogs. I've heard of raccoons trashing
ponds in my area. We haven't had that problem. Those $ 80 water-squirters
may keep most herons at bay but are useless against snakes and bullfrogs.
People who live where these predators don't exist are indeed lucky.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

cbbode wrote:
I am new pond owner having constructed a 1100 gal garden pond with two
waterfalls this spring. I have surface about half covered with
floaters and lillys. My fish population consisted of 11 goldfish from
three to five inches.

To protect the fish from herons (we live on a 100 acre lake with a
small heron population) I have the pond encircled with two strands of
20 lb test fish line at 8" and 20" in height and two strands crossing
the top about three feet over the surface. I have noticed no
disturbance in these lines or the vegitation in the pond. The pond is
roughly 11 X 6 and 36" deep with shelve along one side. Bottom has
river rock.

A fish has simply disappeared. Earlier (a few weeks ago) one of my
fish died and I found it floating on the surface. The remaining fish
are very active, not spooked, and doing well. I have also noticed a
few very small fish in the pond that can only be offspring as I did not
add them to the population.

My question is: Do fish always float to the surface when they die? Do
some fish simply not feed and stay on the bottom out of sight for days?



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