Great Tip for scared koi !!!

[KoiCop]

Hmmmm . . .

I've got two pumps sucking up 10,000+ gph of water from 2 bottom drains and 2 no-niche skimmers. Wonder how long it would take to sump ride and pump purée a handfull of them little buggers were they to be released in my pond?

[jlbspd]

Haha well that could create a problem lol,,,,, well, i believe if you quarantine you fish then you wont have a problem... anything is possible when your dealing with a "controlled enviroment" that you cant always control! But i have several people who have taken this advise and each one have had there spooked koi start eating from their hands within the week! It normally wont happen that fast by just trying to get them used to you by regular feedings.......... but the pump issue of sucking them up could be a problem. Another benifit i believe is that these little fish re-populate super fast and ive seen my koi actually be entertained by attempting to catch these little fry.... a kind of exercise for the fish and im sure nutritious for them another advantage is that these little mollies LOVE algae so if you have a issue with string type of algae, they will tear it up. They also prefer to swim near the surface, danger for skimmers but usually safe from bottom drains.

[JasPR]

little mollies LOVE algae so if you have a issue with string type of algae, they will tear it up.


That part is wishful thinking, I'm afraid. JR

[jlbspd]

Why do people doubt when you have seen it happen yourself! not to be disrespectful but yeah, if your pond is over run with string algae, it may be a bit of a task for a 2" fish to put a dent in ti.....BUT........ if you are seeing this stuff pop up, they will get a grasp on it before its out of control! and yeah, u will need more than 1 molly haha...... but my 600 gal pond was a garden pond... i introduced a few lillies and BAM!!!! i introduced string algae! and the pond is in full sun... so when i would fertilize the plants.... this algae went ape sh_t! so i pulled out as much as possible.... after placing koi in this pond, i still had string growing out of the lilly pots......mollies fixed my spooked koi and as a bonus, they feasted on the algae....No more stringy crap! has never been given the chance to grow. I may not be the most experienced here i know this.... but what i say i have accomplished although small, all are true. A large pond may be different but not all here own such giants.....(im working on my giant as we speak)
Thanks
John

[JasPR]

John, I understand and accept that from your experience that everything you are telling us is true. But there is also a big picture to consider. Most of the posters on this board have 3 to 30 year experience keeping koi. And most of the ponds we own are in the multi-thousand gallon weight class. The pumps are powerful, the skimmers are active and the drains are moving hundreds of gallons an hour. And most of these ponds are 3 to 7 feet deep.

As you may or may not know yet, adult koi are large fish. Usually between 26 - 32 inches. They reach this size in about four or five years. Some strains however start hitting the low end of this size as early as age three or four.
What you seem to be describing is a water garden pond that has baby koi in it? At any rate, your observations are your observations and from that stand point no one is calling you a fibber! Just trying to give you a little perspective.

As for mollies, coincidently, you have struck a nerve with me as I breed fancy mollies as part of my tropical fish hobby ( liberty and sailfins). And I have been breeding them for over 30 years now on and off. So i can tell you, mollies will eat algae. They browse on it as you say. But the growth rate of string algae and blanket weed is so robust in a koi pond that you would need a thousand mollies to keep up with it if that were a run away problem! Better to get to the source of what is causing string algae growth than to depend upon tropicals to keep it in check. And lastly, Mollies are a warm water fish. They do best in warm water of 72- 84 F. Koi are temperate water fish and like water a bit cooler- 68F- 78 F being ideal.
So mollies with koi presents many challenges making the association seasonal at best. That is all I'm saying. JR

[jlbspd]

Yes you are right! and i am not taking this as a bashing hahahaaa and i didnt think people were saying i was fibbing! Yes the koi i have are small, in the 10-14" range. This is another reason im building my 8000gal pond.... so they may be placed in a proper enviroment and be able to obtain full size.
The info i supply may not be for everyone..... i live in south florida..... mollies live in ponds and lakes everywhere you look around here.... so for the seasonal issue here, not such an issue as long as water temps dont have major swings in a short period of time.. The water in my 600 gal usually hits high 80's in summer and mid 60's winter. The pond gets direct sunlight all day long. String algae is some nasty stuff and yes, it will grow like, well, weeds! if given the chance and water quality supports its growth. This pond was a garden turned small koi pond so i have experiemented a bit with it
thanks again everyone
John

[bekko]

I have live bearers in with koi as a double-cropping strategy. Selling live bearers helps pay the koi feed bill. But when you put live bearers in a warm climate koi pond they will be there forever. Sometimes you can get rid of them by chlorinating the system (including the biofilter), but not always. The live bearer fry will go right through pumps and filters.

I think it is good for young koi to be afraid. It helps protect them from the heron. They should not loose their fear until they are old enough to take care of themself.

-s

[jlbspd]

Well i will be hated from here on out by molly lovers.... i use my extra fry to feed my other tropicals.....OK I SAID IT!!!! sorry molly guys.....
As for whether they should be scared or not when young..... this is where my large dogs come into play.... im next to a 50+ acre lake and never had a prob with herons ect. and they are flying all over...as long as my dogs dont start liking sushi, ill be ok!

[bekko]

I'm not squeamish about live food, but guppies are more prolific and have smaller fry. The red-tail-blue-neon guppy has an iridescent stripe down its back and shows up handsomely against the dark background of the pond bottom - like underwater fire flies during the day.

-ste

[koikichitoo]

All I have to say is this forum is the first I have found, joined and learned from and has become harsh and unfriendly. An attack of opinions and experiences. I suggest you all go sit by your ponds with the koi and reflect on a calmer conscious..maybe with mollies...or what ever.

Lori Jo