|
SNOW…….With our recent heavy snowfall (is that an understatement?), I thought of the tragedy that befell our friend and neighbor Larry Nau a couple of winters ago. I asked him if he would share his experience with our members and he provided the following article which he wrote for the Genesee Valley Club's newsletter in April, 2000.
Out of LUCK ?
by Larry Nau
Most of you know that I have been involved with fish for over thirty years. Much of this time has also been spent in the retail environment. I have personally experienced and heard of many successes and failures in fish keeping along the way. Often though, everything seems to be ideal, yet fish die. Years ago an "old timer" proclaimed to me, "fish keeping is part science, part art, and often a lot of luck." You can invest in the finest equipment, you may do all your maintenance by the book, yet fish die.
After nearly seven years "our luck" may have finally run out. As the ice receded on Feb 26th, I witnessed our first fish loss from a winter dormancy. That day I pulled 3 koi from our 13,000 gallon pond. Due to the extreme warm temperatures of that weekend, I was able to see the scope of the tragedy which had taken place. On Sunday I collected 21 more life-less bodies from the frigid waters. On Monday, more ice melted away, allowing me to retrieve another 24 koi from our pond. In the following few days 6 more deceased were netted and buried. Our entire pond had wiped out. Among the 51 koi were at least 8 huge frogs who had also perished.
Why? That is the question. Certainly the fish went into the winter in excellent shape. The pond was cleaned well in November when we shut everything down. There was the usual collection of leaves in the shallow areas; no different than the previous years. However, at the end of November and the early part of December I did observe an abundant growth of hair algae. The weather was mild and the sun was bright and it grew in the cold water! Ironically, we had no excessive algae growth the entire summer.
The winter of 1999/2000 started off mild, with little snow. However, that soon changed by mid January in the Rochester area. By mid-February snow accumulation had exceeded 85" in most communities. The temperatures were very cold. The winds were frigid and blew and drifted the snow. The pond was buried as well. The ice sealed up for a week at a time as it was difficult to get to the pond or have the time to free it up. Most of us were too busy shoveling. In the past winters, the pond has frozen over and sealed up. The air stone can not keep the water moving enough to prevent the ice from closing in. This has happened almost every year to date with no problem to even one fish. The pond's size of 13,000 gallons, plus its depth of 5 feet helps us out by providing enough water for the koi.
It appears however, that the excessive snow depth dramatically reduced the light into the pond. With minimal light the hair algae died. Considering the amount of algae present at the end of 1999, I'm confident there was enough algae present to foul the water. As the algae decayed all sorts of harmful gases and substances were released into the water. With a minimal to no opening in the ice, the kois' fates were determined.
Could this unfortunate tragedy been prevented? Perhaps. Certainly the pond could have been cleaner. A greater effort could have been made to keep the pond's icy surface open. I understand there will soon be a bacteria product that will be active at 40 degrees and below. This would have been of benefit to control and consume the hair algae which grew in December.
(12/01 .....Microblift Autumn Prep)
Of course there is the personal side to this tragedy. Six of the fish dated to 1994 when we first established our pond. Sherry, Nathan and I each had our own personal favorites. Each koi had it's own personality and "quirks". Certainly our pond has delighted many visitors and has
created much enthusiasm among koi keepers, and non-pond owners alike. Now, as we walk to the pond, there is a cold, dark, eeriness which surrounds it. It's so unnatural not to be greeted by the flash of color and those begging mouths at the surface. It will take years to replace the koi we have lost. It will take even longer to, once again, have a 24" koi cruising our pond. We will double
our efforts to provide them with the best filtration and maintenance possible. Perhaps we'll invest in a larger air pump to increase the size of the hole in the ice. We can work on and improve the science. I believe I have a good handle on the art of fish care. But, what about that unpredictable luck? No one can predict how luck will go, or how long it will last. Sherry, Nathan, and I wish there were guarantees! Years of keeping fish have tempered my expectations, but it still does not make it any easier to say Good Bye....
WARNING…. Our own winter started out very mild, not unlike the winter of 1999/2000 that Larry writes about. We could be facing a similar situation with this heavy snow cover. Be sure that you have a large enough opening in the ice covering your pond. Check it frequently! Consider an additional airstone depending on the size of your pond.
|
