dombanks Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 My house has came with a pond that has some of these coy beasts in, apparently they are something daft like 20yrs old. I've not got a clue about how to look after them. I've been reading around and generally the info says once the water is below 10C they will essentially hibernate and basically need no food. But today they they are going a bit mental. One seems to be trying to eat the plants hanging in and is constantly sticking it head out. The pump/waterfall is running although what I'm assuming is a filter is quite cruddy so I guess needs to be taken out and washed off. (a 2ft square box with that looks like trays wish plastic gauze in) anyone else got these or know a good place to get info about what to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenh Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Hi, I don't have Coy carp, but I do have goldfish which are also carp, but a different type. There are 2 types of food for pond fish, one contains protein from seafood waste and the other doesn't and is primarily made from wheat germ. The first is used when the water temperature is above 10 degrees, but once the water temperature drops below that only the wheat germ (winter) food should be used. Also, much less food is needed when the temperature drops. Once the temperature drops further, down to about 4 or 5 degrees or less, then I stop feeding all together. Actually, up to a point, the fish tell you when to cut down or stop as they wont want to rise to the surface to feed when the temperature drops down to about 4 degrees or less. So if I'm in doubt I chuck just a few pellets in and see how readily they rise to feed, if at all. However, Coy are notoriously greedy, so might be tempted to try and feed when in reality they should be staying deep and effectively hibernating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffd Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 We have both koi and goldfish. As stephenh says, if it's cold they won't come up to eat, and their appetites are temperature dependent. There is probably enough natural food at the bottom of your pond, so you don't have to feed then much in winter anyway. You will need to wash the filter boxes out from time to time, but not too thoroughly - they contain bacteria which help to keep the water clear. Watching the fish is a great way to relax! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dombanks Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 thanks guys, it is quite nice to watch them ... just not outside today as its freezing! i did wonder if the last couple of mild days has sort of woken them up a bit. they are quite active today. There is a bucket of food for them but ill buy some specific winter food from online for them. Just a bot cautious as I've never had fish and I don't want to kill/hurt them from a lack of knowledge. Im sure the previous owners said they were 25yrs old or something like that?? Worryingly the pond level was an inch or so lower than normal today hopefully its not sprung a leak. Its deffo on the wonk with one edge much lower than the other. The garden has a slight slope and it looks like its not been fitted quite right so I wonder if the rain/snow has swelled the ground enough to squeeze the liner and lost some over the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Spent a ridiculously long time maintaining my pond (HER idea, thanks love 🙄) with koi carp when I had it. Keeping blanket weed out was a bl**** nightmare, nothing shifted it permanently and it grew like mad. Local cats used to sit on the edge so often that the frightened fish just stayed on the bottom, never came up - until a heron showed up early one morning and ate 12 in one go. The dog fell in more than once and came inside, dragging pond muck with it and spreading it around the house. Cleaning the filter and pump every few weeks was tedious. The sound of the water from the running pump splashing meant if you sat outside and listened to it, you’d be going to the loo every 20 minutes. Relaxing it wasn’t. 🤬 Filled it in first chance I got. I wish you much better luck than I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David tucker Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Hi I kept koi for years my advice is not to do anything suddenly the filter will need cleaning regular but not much in the winter never clean the filter properly they are alive. Wash with pond water if possible. Water changes is a good idea but not more than a 3rd. If you see fish jumping or flashing on the bottom they will probably have lice it makes them itch Usually happens in the spring you can treat the water for that a test kit for testing the ph is a good idea that will tell you when something is wrong. When they start feeding on the surface try brown bread with some honey on. Good luck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I'm with Scott on this one. Blatgirl and I bought a house with a pond and fish. We did really really try to keep it clean and pleasant but it was beyond us, so we filled it in, concreted it over and built a summer house with a jaccuzzi. A far more agreeable water feature and MUCH cheaper and easier to maintain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen_I Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I was tempted by a pond as I do find things like this relaxing. Slightly off topic, but hopefully sort off related... My daughters love anything to do with nature and they got a basic fish tank about 3 yrs ago to keep tropical fish and then last year we bit the bullet and went for a open top with suspended lighting as I wanted a feature in the dining room. I liked the idea of a live planted tank and having never done this before I am pleasantly surprised how well it has turned out, the initial 3 months were a ball ache but that was my fault as I didnt have the patience to just leave it alone but once it had fully cycled it just ticks over really well. Approx 10% water change every 1-2 weeks and as mentioned before when cleaning filters (which I do every 3 months) make sure to clean them in existing tank water you do not want to remove the good bacteria. So far no real issues have been had except for tweaking the lighting spectrum and duration. I had a couple of issues awhile ago when the fish seemed to be gasping for breath in the morning after adding liquid co2 to help with plant growth (which clearly I dont really need) to soon to the light coming on and once the plants start the photosynthesis it starves the water of oxygen (in layman's terms I think) The only real maintenance is cutting back the java moss as that stuff just grows and keeps growing. The difference in time between the 2 pics is approx 10 months. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dombanks Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 nice tank. A pond isn't my immediate choice and neither would be koy tbh but I have to do what is right by the fish. they are pretty old so cant have much longer on this mortal coil! water changes do sound like a ball ache but if its got a slight leak then this is more of an automated process than choice Jacuzzi's creep me out a bit more than ponds tbh. prob from where @24yrs old my 60yr old boss suggested me and the GF went round for a bbq and a sit in the tub. makes me shudder nearly 20 yr later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Yeah Jacuzzi's are best shared with "close personal friends" BUT, after getting home from a weekend of sprinting, an hour in the tub with a beer and some peace and quiet was just the job, especially with my back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen_I Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 My old man keeps koi fish and I dont know if he has ever done a water change, I have never asked or questioned him, I guess he tops it up when needed otherwise the rain tops it up, where as our tropical tank is different in that sense. I know he has been offered silly money for some off those fish and has been advised to insure them as they can be pretty expensive to purchase especially the bigger ones. All joking aside, we are tempted by a hot tub and we have a little spot ear marked in the garden....but I just know the kids will be in and out of it and by the time they are finished with it even a Hippo would think twice about getting in!🙈 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffd Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 We don't change the water, but we do have to top up the pond in dry weather. Evaporation can be significant on a breezy dry day. It's a bit like topping up the oil in a crossflow, you add enough fresh to keep it OK. There is plenty of advice about keeping fish on the internet - like cars, the advice may be conflicting! Also bear in mind that fish can't read, and will do whatever they want to despite what the experts say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen_I Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Completely agree about the advice, every so called Aquatic store I visited gave me conflicting advice, so I joined a UK based aquatic forum and yet again the advice differed although picking through the advice I kinda worked out what I thought was correct. Since this tank has been setup we have lost one Tetra and the others all seem fine and active. You get to know the tell tale signs if something is amiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 4 hours ago, dombanks said: Jacuzzi's creep me out a bit more than ponds tbh. prob from where @24yrs old my 60yr old boss suggested me and the GF went round for a bbq and a sit in the tub. makes me shudder nearly 20 yr later. I can top that one... about 1989, SWMBO and I were visiting her sister and husband for a few days on a Channel Island I won’t name (rhymes with Mersey). They had a big hot tub and suggested a dip in the hot tub after dinner. I wasn’t keen to do that and share any of their incubated water-borne germs to say the least, but what sealed the deal against it was them whipping off their robes to climb in the hot tub and discovering they were both naked. I hadn’t counted on that. 🤮 A number of unpleasant and undesirable scenarios flashed through our minds, and we politely made our excuses and declined... ...and if that hasn’t worked on you, try this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Mace Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 4 minutes ago, Scott Young said: I can top that one... about 1989, SWMBO and I were visiting her sister and husband for a few days on a Channel Island I won’t name (rhymes with Mersey). They had a big hot tub and suggested a dip in the hot tub after dinner. I wasn’t keen to do that and share any of their incubated water-borne germs to say the least, but what sealed the deal against it was them whipping off their robes to climb in the hot tub and discovering they were both naked. I hadn’t counted on that. 🤮 A number of unpleasant and undesirable scenarios flashed through our minds, and we politely made our excuses and declined... It doesn't surprise me Scott. That island is a very strange place to be honest. (Says the Guernseyman...) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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