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came home once and all my 6/one dollar comets that were now a couple of seasons ole and about 6 inches were massacred all over. More than 20 of them. It looked like the Blue Heron Mafia had hired out a hit. Dead fish on the rocks, in the yard floating. He got so sure of himself that he would land in the yard with me in it, that is until I turned the wiener dogs out! YIKE!
A nearby water garden supply house had some pairs shipped in from Japan for over $15k and the next day the fish were dead in the parking lot. They ended up putting fake herons beside the ponds and covered the ponds up with netting. Maybe I should tell them to find a weiner dog rescue society and adopt a couple
came home once and all my 6/one dollar comets that were now a couple of seasons ole and about 6 inches were massacred all over. More than 20 of them. It looked like the Blue Heron Mafia had hired out a hit. Dead fish on the rocks, in the yard floating. He got so sure of himself that he would land in the yard with me in it, that is until I turned the wiener dogs out! YIKE!
That is terrible, I'm so sorry! I lost a couple of mine last fall to a heron, my first losses ever. I had to cover the pond with netting, our dogs and cats didn't scare the heron at all. The pond is next to our deck, too. They are fearless. Raccoons are bad too, but knock*on*wood, the raccoons haven't bothered our pond yet. I would love a weiner dog, though!
I lost a couple of fish last year to a raccoon, but have had no trouble since I have put netting over the pond. I hold it down with good sized rocks and this seems to keep very one except the bees out. I've never had to deal with herons - at least not to my knowledge. Perhaps, I am too far inland in Charlotte.
They do it big in Alaska! Have you posted any pics? I am thinking hard about having a pond here. I had a large one in Oregon, tiny in your book. What do you do for it in the winter. I am zone 2/3 so frost heave would be a concern. BTW i often enjoy your photos. DH had me looking hard at Alaska before we came here. It is just as dang cold.
In the winter I unplug the cord to the pump and thats it. I leave the pump in the pond. I run it right up until the falls freeze. I've had no heave issues. I lined the bottom with plywood before placing the liner. Keeps the moose from punching holes with their hooves.
I'm going to try and put some small dolly varden or rainbow trout in it this year. I get lot's of water bugs and frogs so they have plenty to eat.
In the winter I unplug the cord to the pump and thats it. I leave the pump in the pond. I run it right up until the falls freeze. I've had no heave issues. I lined the bottom with plywood before placing the liner. Keeps the moose from punching holes with their hooves.
I'm going to try and put some small dolly varden or rainbow trout in it this year. I get lot's of water bugs and frogs so they have plenty to eat.
Yes I loved your Moose prevention plywood. Thanks for the advice.
We have just moved from Atlanta area to Carrboro/Chapel Hill N,.C. Our GA home is on the market and our adult daughter will live there until it sells. We were in the house 20 years and 17 years ago built (had professionally built) three koi ponds, two of which are connected with a stream bed. One was for plants and the other for Koi as koi will eat all your water plants. Our original 20 something koi have all survived all these 17 years. Why???Because my husband is an engineer and reads 33 books before he does anything! We joined the Atlanta Koi Society and went on every tour for 2 years. We learned more from talking to pond owners than any books will ever tell you. We built our ponds 4 feet deep and placed "hidey" rocks in the center and large overhanging rocks so heron and racoons could never reach them---and believe me they tried. Heron have such a sense of entitlement and don't scare away easily but we never lost a fish to predators. The first couple of years we paid outrageous maintenance costs and put in salt and medicine, etc. Then we just decided it was survival of the fittest. Every few years Bob would put on his waders and clean out filters, etc. examine pumps. We must have done something right.
Now I am sick about having to leave our beautiful babies behind. How do you move 2 ft long fish 400 miles? Can it even be done. We want to have a much smaller pond in our new house and can probably get it built before the old one sells.,
If anybody knows how to move large koi please let me know. They were so satisfying and so much educational fun for kids...I must have another koi pond but DH says they are too much work. I keep telling him technologies have changed since ours were installed and it doesn't have to be such a big deal. The water fall is the best part.
Just reading thru this thread. No Kudzu, Did you take your fish with you? I think they probably could be moved somehow, overnight shipping maybe.
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It looked like the Blue Heron Mafia had hired out a hit. Dead fish on the rocks, in the yard floating. 
He got so sure of himself that he would land in the yard with me in it, that is until I turned the wiener dogs out! YIKE!
They ended up putting fake herons beside the ponds and covered the ponds up with netting. Maybe I should tell them to find a weiner dog rescue society and adopt a couple 
Tony, the bird, Heron !bada bing!
What do you do for it in the winter. I am zone 2/3 so frost heave would be a concern. BTW i often enjoy your photos. DH had me looking hard at Alaska before we came here.
