koi and plants

[MCA]

one of our club members back in Dallas personally brought back the egg phoenix goldfish.   I has no dorsal and is silvery blue.   Beautiful fish indeed.

Yep I am all for goldfish.   And because I am for them, and koi, I put each in an enviroment designed for their very different needs. 

[Peppy]

I've never heard of that fish! Will have to try and find it on the Internet for a picture.

I am definitely going to get me some of these new goldfish. They have transparent gills, purple abdomens, and reflective-center yellow scales and come in Apricot Blush, Lemon Yellow and Sunburst. There's a picture on:

http://www.blueiriswatergardens.com

I ordered a new, bigger liner for my pond redo. I have my Shubunkins in a 300 gallon stock tank. I think I'll dig a pond for them and use the old liner and I'm not putting stones in that one either.

After removing all the yucky stone from my pond, I just don't ever want to do the stone thing again, no matter how beautiful it looks. Too much trouble to clean anyway.

[MCA]

After removing all the yucky stone from my pond, I just don't ever want to do the stone thing again, no matter how beautiful it looks. Too much trouble to clean anyway.

While a cleanout of all the mulm hidden in gravel miight be a pain for the owner (either to do or pay someone to do), think what decaying organic matter is doing for water quality and parasite development all year!!!!  Tric loves live in the filth at the bottom of dirty ponds.

This is why I continue to say that we need to design a pond as a fish's home.  And no home is healthy if it collects and holds filth.   

[Peppy]

Oh, the difference in my fish after removed from the gravel bottom pond was apparent within a week.

This shop owner I was talking to who sells Koi and NEVER puts gravel in the ponds he builds said they still clean the gravel-less ponds annually, removing all the fish, washing down the sides, refilling with fresh water and replacing the fish. He says since there is no gravel, it's done very quickly.

Thoughts anyone?

[MCA]

design fault if it ever needs cleaning (other than from storms or heavy load of falling leaves/nuts/needles.     Sinking stuff goes to the filters 24/7.   Floating stuff goes to the skimmer 24/7.   And suspended stuff goes to both the drains and skimmers 24/7.   

So what is there to clean?     

IMHO big mistake to remove fish (stresses both fish and owner) to wash off the pond walls and floor.   

 You are potentiall losing part of the complex biology of the pond.    Same reason you do not run chlorinated water through the filters and knock them back.   Ponds should be a 24/7 operation...after all the fish are.   

[Holland45]

Just came upon this thread. I have large koi (11) and plants both in my 2500 gal pond. I have no rocks or gravel. The pond is 6 yrs old. The koi absolutely trash the smaller plants if they can get to them.  I have only water lilies, both tropical and hardy. The plants are in solid walled tubs on a 2' and 1' shelf.  I drill four small equally spaced holes in the lip of the tubs. I fasten 1" hole plastic mesh fencing over the tops of the tubs with plastic wire ties. The fencing is easy to cut in the shape of the tub. I use a barbecue lighter to heat and melt smooth any sharp edges on the plastic fencing so there is nothing sharp to poke the fish.  I use a brand of kitty litter as the planting medium that is pure clay.  It works just fine. The stems of the lilies grow up through the mesh with no problem. The koi take a nibble here and there but do no significant damage. They love hanging around under the leaves.  The tubs are very large and heavy. They have to be because I have seen a koi drag a snall pot right off the shelf.   

Mary

[Peppy]

I read somewhere that you can tie a rhyzome to a rock too.