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Where have all my fishes gone?

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  • Suz3Suz3 Posts: 105

    I have an update.... image

    My neighbour has been noticing a lot of his smaller goldfish disappearing. His large, established pond is teeming with Koi and other fish - but this year he has been puzzled.

    Although the heron does try and visit - his pond is well netted and he couldn't understand why they were going - so he set his garden camera up and discovered the culprit - a grass snake!

    I don't think this is what has got ours - I still believe they are skulking at the bottom but may be worth looking out for.

  • TizsasMumTizsasMum Posts: 7

    Thank you all for your replies, but good news....I spotted one big one today, and two of the baby ones two days ago.  I didn't think the frog scenario was unlikely, because the tadpoles were there for at least two weeks before the fish disappeared, so the adult frogs long gone. I think maybe a heron spooked them and they are (all hopefully) hiding at the bottom among the weed and lilies.  Unattractive as it may look, may have to net the pond.

  • KEEEFKEEEF Posts: 4

    I have had a goldfish pond for the last decade and every year we have hundreds of babies produced. 

    The problem with garden ponds is that there is little cover for the fry so they invariably get eaten by the adults. Generally speaking, if a goldfish can get something in its mouth it will eat it.

    We have had Herons take a few of the adults even through a full net, but it's the enemy within that accounts for more casualties than any from above!

  • TizsasMumTizsasMum Posts: 7

    Well thankfully, today I have seen one of the larger ones skulking under the lilies, and counted 3 babies, so all is not lost.  Earlier this year around March time, I saw the big ones up one end of the pond and counted 15 babies down the othe end, which is how it was last Autumn, so I still have hopes that I may have 3 adults and some babies. Time will tell.

  • Don't forget that tadpoles, as soon as they grow legs, become carnivores and will eat fish fry and small fish. 

  • Jfscott1025Jfscott1025 Posts: 1
    edited March 2018
    Same thing happened to me.  I started with 3 goldfish and ended up with 11.   They were all healthy and happy for more than a year.  Now they are gone!!!! I’m so sad.  They were very much my pets.  Would let me pet them and hand feed them.  I live in a subdivision with wooden fences all around.   
    I also have 3 dogs 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I think those big ugly dragon fly larvae will eat the baby fish, they do eat the tadpoles. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888
    I lost over 30 fish overnight to otter/s
    Devon.
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