Heron and fish

[Shrubrose]

Hope Andy sees this one.

I'm installing a formal pond and it's 3m long x 1m wide and about 2m deep. It will have sheer/straight sides top to bottom. We're planning to put fish in it. Is it likely that heron (who visit the wildlife pond in our garden) will also try to fish from this one?

Shrub.

[beanie]

i.ve been looking at andy's koi and i'm wondering how he manages without a net. 'I pulled mine back a few days ago from part of my pond and one of my comets has disapeared already. herons will take fish anywhere if they get the chance. The net has gone back on.

[Shrubrose]

Hi beanie,

I sympathise. I'm concerned because, much as heron have to live, I dont particularly want to make it easy for them by them feeding on my fish. I had to watch them take a mature frog from my wildlife pond as I was too late to do anything about it.

Haven't seen any about for a couple of weeks and can only assume they're staying local 'cos they're rearing young.

Shrub.

[beanie]

once herons find a pond on their flight path they will keep returning. I had another look at andys pond and he has a roof to it, a friend once told me that herons won't fly under an obstacle but i've never tried that myself. The comet was about 5yr old, at least he didn't take the koi

[andy]

My pond is pretty safe where herons are concerned. The sides of the ponds are 3 feet tall and the pond is 6 feet deep. There is also a pergola over the top.

This stops the herons from wading, landing and taking off....especially as the pond is pretty much surrounded by vegetation.

The problem you might get shrub is that any heron might just sit on the edge and "fish" after landing in the garden.

[nightowl]

Do those fake Herons not work then?

I've got one but found it was cats, well, cat really (mine!) that was taking them!

Now call him the FFFFF ( fat, furry, fish-filching F*****r)

[Shrubrose]

Thanks for all replies - very helpful. The formal pond is very open, raised about a foot above the ground and situated on the patio. There are paving stones on the top so that we can sit and watch the fish (once we've got them!). I didn't want to use netting but judging by your advice I might have to seriously consider this. Do the fish get wise? and avoid being preyed on by swimming into deeper water or away from sides of pond?

Ooo, lots to learn.

Shrub.

[nightowl]

Hi Shrubrose, you asked about fish getting wise. I don't think they do. , but I think you can get "canny" ones.

I don't know what sort of fish you are planning, but I lost 3 lots of "garden centre" fish to the cat (FFFFF).

I wasn't going to bother getting more, but a friend told me of another friend whose pond was over-run with baby fish.They let me go and catch what I could. It wasn't easy! They were very wary and hard to catch but I managed to get 10 eventually, ( I only have a very small pond). Most of them were only about 1 -2" long, but , a year later they are all still alive and about 3 - 4".

It's worth asking around to see if anyone's got any pond bred fish. It worked for me.

[Shrubrose]

Thanks nightowl. Hadn't thought of that. I've been offered some large koi by a friend but declined because I wanted to get small fish and watch them grow. I'll see if his has babies and then beg some!

Shrub.

[beanie]

I started to hand feed my fish but the only problem is that when they feel vibration in the garden they all come up for food. The ghost koi is like a big puppy dog and ever so gentle as he takes the food.

[Shrubrose]

I'm looking forward to that too beanie. On a lazy Sunday, feeding the fish and twirling my hands in the water (well one hand, glass of red vino in the other!!!)

[andy]

shrubrose said:

I'm looking forward to that too beanie. On a lazy Sunday, feeding the fish and twirling my hands in the water (well one hand, glass of red vino in the other!!!)

I actually swam in my koi pond last year. Water temp 28 C, bad day at work, scorching hot day, copious amounts of beer.....what a beautiful way to unwind.

[Shrubrose]

Oh Andy, that sounds divine. Must admit I had the idea in the back of my mind that my fish pond could double up as a dunking de-stressor. Mind you, not sure how the fish would cope!

Aint life grand?

Shrub.

[nightowl]

Oh that does sound lovely! I could only just get my legs in mine and I don't fancy that much since I discovered there are leeches in there!!!!

[Shrubrose]

nightowl,

Leeches Right, no dunking for me! Could always wear wellies - but defeats the object doesn't it?

Guess what I saw in the wildlife pond yesterday - a dragonfly nymph - they are the ugliest thing you ever saw but absolutely fascinating (in a repulsive kind of way). There's no way I'd get in the water with one of those around.

BTW you mentioned fake heron as a deterrent to the real thing. There was a thread on this in the 'other place'. Some posters found them helpful - some not. My sister has one and it seemed to work for a while until she saw a real one apparently trying to mate with it. Life can be strange cant it!!!

Shrub.