Fall Weather

The leaves are falling and the raptors want to bulk up for the long flight south for the winter. I had some kind of raptor, possibly an owl, make an aerial attack on the upper pond one morning. I heard an owl type hoot just before sunrise though it could have been anything. When I went out I found part of my leaf net had been ripped at a tie down but it held. In the center was a lonely feather. Looked like a down type feather. The koi were fine. I suppose the scream of defeat is better than silence and the alternative.

Now that the leaves are falling and birds are attacking, I've come to realize that the cheap econo nets we all buy to keep leaves out are just too thin and cheap. Do yourself a favor and buy the deluxe nets. They cost a bit more but are much better at warding off a diving hawk or a blind heron. Try not to let them float on the water. It's best if you can keep them tight about 12" off the water. If they float, the koi will be pushing them up to search for food and they will abrade the nose and scales. You will want to keep them down tight around the edges with rocks or bricks. I've found a slant to work well 12" to 24" high along the back hanging down and anchored at the rear and slope to the front of the pond and anchor with rocks along the sides and front. This makes it easier to get rid of leaves as they will tend to accumulate near the front bottom or the wind will just blow them off the net.

Simple wooden poles or 1x2's hammered into the ground in back of the pond should be enough to hold it elevated. It's important to make sure there are no openings. First you want to keep out as many leaves as possible and you also don't want a bird or squirrel to get trapped inside and not be able to get out. No openings at all. Leaves will find a way in if you have even the smallest hole.

The sick koi have been doing well. I've left the salinity in the QT pond at .3%. Nitrites are a little high but the salt will detoxify it...for a while. Hopefully the filter will mature before I need to shut it down. If not I will transfer a media bag from the lower pond waterfall to the upper filter and let it run for a week or so until nitrites are zero. When I cleaned the upper pond, I also cleaned the filter due to parasites so it had to mature all over again. Fortunately I have media from the other pond I can use before winter sets in. This is one of the reasons why I have two pumps and two filters and now two ponds. Always, ALWAYS have a plan B when it comes to Koi keeping.