Weather, Water & Koi Behavior Rambling

[luke frisbee]

Well the major difference between us Mike, is that Mickey took half the koi in LakeLuke to Lake City FL. So me and Mickey's population might be suffering seperation anxieties.

Mike,
I dropped lakeLuke (51,000 gallons) down to about 15,000 gallons to seine the fish I wanted to take to the show on Thursday and refilled it thursday night. Took 8 fish (outta the thirty I wanted to) to the show. Then when we came back from the show, Mickey and I lowered LakeLuke again to the 15,00gallon level and caught out most of Mickey's koi to go live in Lake City.
I seriously doubt it was amonia as Now lakeluke has Half the koi in it, and I am dumping about 2500-3000gph of well water in it almost 24/7. and tossing 20,000GPH over a PMS.

and My Temperature swing over the last 10 days has only been 5 degrees (70-75 degrees).
It could have been Barometric pressures. it could have been spawning. and it could have additionally been tearing apart social groups in my pond, and a huge influx of "fresher" water.

The only things we have in common are handling koi, the weather, the time of year, the moon phase, and barometric changes.

My koi have even been jumping, and Mickey said he had a koi tailwalk about 15-17 ft across the surface of his pond a few days back.
I never saw spawning behavior, but I did see the little uns nosing after the big uns. Mick said he saw his spawn a few times.

[kingkong]

Barometric pressure changes from weather is a long explanation but in essence is no biggie. A typical fish goes thru more pressure gradients just swimming in the water column from 5 feet to the surface then any cold front could offer. Dramatic changes in water is another story. This seems to trigger hormonal lust type things.

[mitten]

Thanks MikeM for the thread and Luke for telling me about it. One of the big mamas (my big mamas are smaller than your big mamas ) did do some fancy jump/swimming that I saw while on a ladder; I had just been hearing and smelling the ruckuses. Big changes in ALL conditions seemed to be the stimulus for all of the oddities but reading of the fickle reactions in your pond, Mike, does help me divide the attributions a little...new water, new pond, messa fish transplanted from garden zone 10 to garden zone 8, on one hand...and weird behaviors elsewhere, nearby, in stable, well cared for collections on the other. (You're zone 9, right?) It's gotta be global warming. (right. LOL)

Whalen, you poopy-head! You've planted a horrible idea just as the water is going green on me. Last time this happened I failed to notice a schmuckka on my blue girl and she now has a 5-7 scale scar on her left shoulder, resulting from my failures in green water conditions. The new pond at 25' x 40' is not real net friendly, so I will be worrying plenty, bud, Thanks!

[farne230]

In south Texas we have also witnessed fast weather changes, drops in atms. pressure and selected koi sensitive to these changes, jumping breaking the water surfaces. It is short lived and I find it refreshing, knowing it is not something more serious requiring treatment. Yes maintenance of skimmers and pump box's is essential, to eliminate reduced flow rates and contaminates.
Bob

[111whalen]

Mickey,
We aims to please.
Although obvious, some of us (me) need to relearn lessons yearly or even daily. There was another thread about aremonous alley. I am a believer; but I think much of it to much food to soon along with lots of filter cleaning. People can be there own worst enemy.