[schildkoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Seefdro Tvneik Sounds wild that this much snow would add this much weight to literally push the water right out and possibly crush the koi???? If there is several feet of snow some of the snow on top of the mudponds the snow towards the botom would turn hard and eventually form into ice....Thats what I see when we have heavy snows which sticks around for a while.....Just never saw this happen to a pond....Learned something new....I think, it could be disinformation though? Never saw it here in the land of frozen lakes, but then again I have never seen a Japanese Mudpond...Let alone one during winter....Wild winter extremes for sure for the Japanese breeder.

Seefrdo,
The mud ponds of Niigata are not like lakes in northern Michigan which have depth well below the frost line. These mud ponds are sculpted into the sides of the mountains. with less depth and in a more severe climate. The scenerio of the ice and snow "pushing the water out" is a dramitization of what "could happen" if these ponds were left filled through the winter. Of course the breeders in this area drain these ponds during harvest (October) and allow the snow to refill them and as such it really isn't an issue.

The real issue is that koi are not left our under the ice through the winter by the breeders in Niigata for the koi's benefit and their own (breeders) pocket books.

Steve