Fish Pond - Heron, Nets, Water Quality etc

[V8RX7]

Can I get an"idiots guide" before I venture into specifics on fish forums.

My house came with a decent size pond which the PO kept koi with water fall, massive filters etc

All I wanted was to see a few goldfish swimming about - now I'm probably on their most wanted list as they keep dying.

The main culprit is the heron - we've tried scarers, water jets, fishing line around the pond... we have finally given in and put a net across it today - this creates further problems with it being in the water stopping the fish getting the food easily and stopping the pond skimmer working so I'm thinking about raising it up - the only option I can think of is to put a raised timber around the edge with perhap four lengths of lath across it - it'll look awful, catch lots of leaves but I can't lose any more fish.

We've had at least four fish die - each seems to be a lone example with several weeks between incidents - is this normal ?

Bearing in mind it's just goldfish do I need to check PH / nitrates, oxygen ?

We have always had plants in the pond - we've removed them to net it - I presume this doesn't matter ?

Thanks

[V8RX7]

I presumed the waterfall oxygenates the water and the filter removes fish poo ?

The pond is around 6m x 3m x 1m (max) currently restocked with 20 small (3-4") goldfish

I've got 2 dogs but they are shut in when the heron visits at (presumably) dawn - I assume it's a heron, I've yet to see it.

Solvent weld pipe - that sounds like a better idea - what span have you got - I'd have to span at least 3m I had considered 22mm copper.

Eyelets would work with a proper net, which I may switch to - I've got a PVC fencing type stuff as couldn't find a suitably small netting at short notice.

[V8RX7]

Yipper said:

Know someone who spread a flat green net horizontally across their pond to stop herons, but they eventually worked out how to pick the net apart in the weaker points between fittings and create a hole big enough to get some goldfish takeaway. They've had to erect a prison-like "bubble" net that encapsulates the entire pond in a thick green vertical net that keeps the heron at least 2 feet from the pond. Beautiful birds, like a pterodactyl, but they get hungry and will empty a small pond in minutes.

I've been watching clips on youtube - I've seen them walk on nets etc which is why I went for the stronger fence type - no idea if it's strong enough.

The annoying thing is they sell 10" fences to stop them - I went for 3' with 6 strands of fishing wire - didn't work.

I keep meaning to buy a wildlife camera to see what the bd is doing

[V8RX7]

Thanks - your net looks ok - mine less so as it's an old style ground based pond

The few dead fish are ones we've found floating on the surface - the Heron has had at least 30.

Perhaps I wasn't clear I still have the PO set up with filters etc that he used for koi

[V8RX7]

J4CKO said:

Get a Golf R or Audi S3 and you wont worry about a few fish being eaten.

Because I'll be too busy worrying why I've turned into a big girl's blouse ?

[V8RX7]

I looked at the web things but again they stop the skimmer working and we have lots of trees.

I have no idea about nitrate levels etc - hence the question whether I need to look into them - but as others have mentioned most don't have a problem with goldfish.

[V8RX7]

monkfish1 said:

Once you start putting nets on (which the PO did) to me you have lost the charm of the pond and the wildlife.

.

I tend to agree - first thing I did was cut off a spiders web of fishing wire when I moved in (he'd taken the koi)

I was going to fill it in but I found I liked it and have tried everything to avoid a net... we'll see.