Just wondering if anyone had any fish loss due to a bad winter. Seems I have lost most of mine.

Cat

How big is your pond? Is it a natural pond?

I did not have any fish loss this winter, but the ice has never been thicker on my pond.

There is a lady that I work with and she and her husband have an 8000ish gallon farm pond. They said when all the ice was finally off their pond that they had a lot of dead fish on the top of their pond. They lost all of the fish - so I think with this winter being as miserable as it was, that we will hear more about fish loss from the winter.

We dug it ourselves about 5 years ago. It is approximately 14 ' long by about 6' wide and It's about 3 feet deep Have not had any fish loss over the last 4 years but this winter got almost all of my fish. It was a bad winter here. Just didn't expect to loose so many.

It was a bad winter here to Cat. I am hoping we don't have any more like that.

Do you use any deicers in your pond?

Yes, we have one but I don't think it did such a good job this year. May be why I lost the fish. Guess I need a bigger one or more than one.

Did it leave a hole in the ice?

Yes it did but not a very big one.

I would see what 2 or possibly 3 do. I have 2 in my pond.

Yes, I was thinking I needed at least 2. I will definitely be adding another before winter get here again.

Probably a good idea. Let's hope we don't have another winter like the last one too.

So sorry you lost your fish, Cat. A raccoon took care of all but one little gold fish for us during the summer, including 2 very large 10 year old Koi and several Butterfly Koi. So there were no fish to worry about during the colder than cold winter. I won't be daunted,. I will have more fish, but hopefully I won't be so attached to them. But only gold fish, and no $$$ Koi.

I will have more also Cheryl. I will just be adding another deicer. We have raccoon trouble here but mostly with our trash when they can get it. I have had pretty good luck with them not really bothering my fish. I am sure it is because the water lilies need thinned and they can't get to them. I try to stay away from the Koi, they are gorgeous but they cost to much to risk loosing for me.

Cat --

If you check Craig's List, you may find koi. Also, if you check in Petco and Petsmart, they also have koi for not a lot of money. If you know anybody that have koi, they may want to get rid of fry after the koi spawn too. I know I ran out of people and places that would take my koi fry after a few years.

Carolyn

Carolyn

I will certainly check! I usually get mine at a pond shop located in Monrovia, IN but they are high on some of them and I don't want to spend a lot and risk loosing them.

Good luck. Let us know how you do.