Aren't These Guys Delicate?
OLD MAN
KOI
Japan is the Mecca for Koi. Koi are part of the culture, much like dogs and cats are
here in America. One big difference, however is that most of these wet
pets out live their owners. In fact, fish are often passed down from
generation to generation, as the valuable heirlooms they are.
In one
village, the fish in a family's pond had been passed down through so
many generations, that the original ancestors who'd kept these prized
fish could not even be recalled. Knowing, though, that these were some
old fish, it was decided that someone should find out just how old they
were.
Working
with a local university a few of the fish gave up some scales for the
sake of science. When the scientists tested the scales, even they were
amazed at the results. The oldest fish alive in that pond had been
around for an amazing 226 years! Two of his fellow pond dwellers were
180 and 156 years old, respectively. The moral of the story? Take good
care of your Koi, because maybe
someday your great, great, great, great, great, grandchildren's
grandchildren will enjoy gazing at these truly amazing creatures.
FOUR
FALLACIOUS FACTORS IN THE PHENOMENA OF FISH FEAR...
One problem we run into is people with, what we call, "Fish Fear".
This
occurs with the new pond owner who's afraid that somehow they're
going to harm their fish. You know, things like...
-
They'll
freeze over the winter (a winterization problem).
-
Or
the pond will spring a leak (a maintenance problem), run out of
water all while they're away at work, land locking and eventually
killing their fish.
-
Or
they'll forget to feed their fish one day (a feeding problem) and
suddenly they're on the brink of extinction.
The
problem with fish fear is that fish are one of the 5 absolutely
necessary, unequivocally required, parts of the balanced ecosystem
recipe. Without the fish you're only 80 % complete. Without fish you
can't have a balanced ecosystem
- which is the reason you chose an
Aquascape water feature in the first place. And without fish, you'll be
missing out on at least 20% of the fun.
The Antidote
to Fish Fear...
Now
the antidote to fish fear is the knowledge that the kinds of fish most
people put in their water garden are very hardy varieties, that have
evolved in the bowels of Mother Nature herself. They're extremely adept
at finding their own food, ("believe it or not) with or without
you! They'll survive right nicely over the winter, just as long as you
keep a hole in the ice and allow gasses to be exchanged. And so long as
you steer clear of bottom drains, an Aquascape pond is physically incapable
of draining completely and land locking your fish.
It's
important to recognize that the presence of fish actually reduces your
maintenance time since they consume plants/nutrients, and excrete
waste/nutrients, both of which play a significant role in your pond's
circle of life.
What About
Predators?
Now
there's one other factor in the phenomena of fish fear... things like
raccoons, muskrats, herons, and snakes. Categorically I'm referring to
predators. Let's check these out one at a time. Raccoons for example are
not swimmers, and if you build your pond correctly that is to say 2 feet
deep at the lowest shelf these bushy little varmints will he no problem
for you. Muskrats only show up if your pond is close to some other
natural water source - a lake or a creek, etc. If they do show up,
however, they swim well, and they love the taste of your succulent
aquatic plants.
Herons
are occasionally very adept at spotting a Koi meal from 200 feet in the
air swooping down, and helping themselves to your favorite friend. Heron
problems are generally discouraged with a "motion controlled
sprinkling system."
And
then there are snakes. Many people think that a new water source will
draw a reptile population into the yard. And if you live in certain
areas of the southern United States, this can be the case. But in 99% of
our installations, snakes just never show up.
The Moral
to This Story...
The
moral to this story, forget your fish fear. Put 'em in your pond.
They'll do just fine. I promise. And I guarantee you this much. Once
you introduce those little critters to your pond, you'll never - I mean
never regret it. That ain't no fish story either'
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