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  1. #1
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    Post Something eating my Koi- ideas

    Gents

    i'm not really a forum person and set back quiet and just view.

    i'm at a loss this year.
    neighbors been over giddy with a fence sprayer resulted in a loosing most of my smaller fish, and most of the large ones requiring re homing in several kids pools in the garden to give the pond a full decontamination. fence paint is a F***** to get out of the system completely, lucky the company i work for can do organics testing, so several strip done and decontamination has helped. so glad i fiber glassed the pond now. he did the same thing when i first started.

    The pond is 3.2m x 3.4 meters vertical sides straight to a depth of 1.4 meters in the shallows


    Then had a few infection break out after and had a nightmare getting on top of it.... i've got there now.

    THIS IS MY NEW PROBLEM

    But now something is eating my fish, i have nothing amazing in my pond but there still my fish
    I found two bodies, both had been bite cleanly in half no mess but a very clean and though the back bone. i was going to post a photo but i was unsure.

    both fish were 12-14 inch

    Any ideas what would do this ? didn't think birds would do it and cats would eat all or leave more of a mess? but this was very clean like a perfect bite.

    many thanks



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  3. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai RudeDogg1's Avatar
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    Prob a heron

  4. #3
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    Would a heron manage to get them with such steep sides?

    i thought they would need to wade to strike

  5. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
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    Herons do not have the power in their beaks to cut a fish in half that's for sure, they can only stab and swallow and they will not enter the water past their legs..

    So I would suggest, if the fish were 12-14 inches, then it is probably an Otter to be able to do that. A Fox will eat fish, but only if the fish was out of the water somehow, but if the fish were near the surface, I'm pretty sure a Fox would be able to get it.
    Mink are not big enough either.

    On a more obscure note...how is your relationship with your neighbour now...!!!!!

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  7. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Gazkoi's Avatar
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    They do prefer to wade, however will dive.

    Other predators can include cats and foxes. Is there any animal poo in the garden?

    My friend had some disappearing and set up a night camera and found a fox was responsible

    Cheers

    Gaz

    Quote Originally Posted by Coupe312 View Post
    Would a heron manage to get them with such steep sides?

    i thought they would need to wade to strike
    Hobby and business gone but when you’re hooked you’re hooked.

    Always happy to help!!

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  9. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Otter !!!

    Got to be something with sharp teeth and strong jaw.
    Sorry to hear this.
    John

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  11. #7
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai RudeDogg1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fishplanetkoi View Post
    Herons do not have the power in their beaks to cut a fish in half that's for sure, they can only stab and swallow.

    So I would suggest, if the fish were 12-14 inches, then it is probably an Otter to be able to do that. A Fox will eat fish, but only if the fish was out of the water somehow. Mink are not big enough either.

    On a more obscure note...how is your relationship with your neighbour now...!!!!!
    Think u underestimate a mink slightly they are very strong. Weazles which are in the same family but are tiny less than a foot long can take adult rabbits and I’ve even seen one dragging one of them huge seaguls. A 12-14” koi would be nothing to a mink they even used to take trout when I did work experience on a trout farm back in the day. Not convinced an otter or mink would just bite them in half without taking any tho

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  13. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Mikeh83's Avatar
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    Hi coupe, Welcome to the forum

    Sorry to hear of your fence issues (I would have been fuming) and your more recent issue.

    I would be interested in seeing a video/photo of the injurys.. Eyes missing to be would suggest birds but this could be secondary

    Few questions
    where were the bodies found (In the pond, side of the pond)?
    Is the pond raised?
    do you live in a rural area?

    I have heard of mink in the Barnsley area.

    I am based in oxford and we have issues here with red kite swooping down and taking fish but this does not sound like the problem.

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  15. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RudeDogg1 View Post
    Think u underestimate a mink slightly they are very strong. Weazles which are in the same family but are tiny less than a foot long can take adult rabbits and I’ve even seen one dragging one of them huge seaguls. A 12-14” koi would be nothing to a mink they even used to take trout when I did work experience on a trout farm back in the day. Not convinced an otter or mink would just bite them in half without taking any tho
    I quite agree that Mink and weasels can take foot long rabbits and fish, but they most certainly can't bite them cleanly in half !

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  17. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Hi Coupe,

    I think the advice you've got above pretty much covers the main possibilities.

    Being an urban dweller I can only relate to foxes. They sit on the side of my pond every night. They purposely poo in the pond and on the sides of the pond a lot, which infuriates me. But they've never attempted to catch a Koi. I've seen them sniffing my friendly koi who come up to the surface to investigate but nothing more.

    So I'd say the other scenarios above seem more likely. Only thing about Otters is that I don't believe they leave any Koi alive - All the stories I've heard relate to them wiping out entire ponds over a couple of nights and not leaving anything behind.

    You are welcome to post photos of the damage - It might not be nice to look at but where the wellbeing of your Koi is concerned its worth it and someone might spot something.

    One final thing..... 2 posts in 2 years is unacceptable. The only way you can make up for this is by starting a new thread and posting some photos of your pond, and it needs to be done sharpish

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  19. #11
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fishplanetkoi View Post
    Herons do not have the power in their beaks to cut a fish in half that's for sure, they can only stab and swallow and they will not enter the water past their legs..

    So I would suggest, if the fish were 12-14 inches, then it is probably an Otter to be able to do that. A Fox will eat fish, but only if the fish was out of the water somehow, but if the fish were near the surface, I'm pretty sure a Fox would be able to get it.

    On a more obscure note...how is your relationship with your neighbor now...!!!!!
    it wasn't the best anyway as our life views are very different, he a very much a eco warrior, money has no value sort, but sponges of the bank bank of mum and dad and no doubt the government.
    his other half reported me to the RSPA for shooting the rats in the garden .... and they attended, again waiting time money and effort they could spend on real issue.

    if its a fox it will suffer the similar fate

  20. #12
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    as i said not a amazing fish but still not pleasant

    i can find odd fine tooth mark,

    and yes i live in a very rural area
    Attached Images Attached Images

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  22. #13
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    Some bite that and looks like in one go,what's with the feathers?
    John

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  24. #14
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by john1 View Post
    Some bite that and looks like in one go,what's with the feathers?
    just woody feathers from garden

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  26. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Mikeh83's Avatar
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    was the remaining tail end present or eaten?

  27. #16
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
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    The only way you are going to be sure, is to set up a camera trap, then hopefully all the questions will be answered instantly.

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  29. #17
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    cant find it

    I'd surprised if its a fox cause not fox crap about and i'm to far from water courses for otters

    i have a night vision camera so might set that up.

    or leave the dogs outside.
    Last edited by Coupe312; 15-05-2020 at 10:16 AM.

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  31. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Sim's Avatar
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    Looking at the picture doesn’t look like a heron, they normally damage at the back of the head area.

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  33. #19
    Member Rank = Nisai Coupe312's Avatar
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    might try leaving the back door open a few days in case it is a fox, the dog will surely scare it away

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  35. #20
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion anne's Avatar
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    I would say its an otter ….. here is a piece written by somebody who had a problem loosing fish...……..So he put up a
    night vision camera and caught the culprit on film .

    '' Soon after the Otter makes another trip to the pond leaving the half eaten fish behind to drag out
    another one '' Now the photo he put up was nearly identical to the one you have shown, bitten in half etc...
    He has a Fox that visits but doesn't show interest in the fish...….he clears up the rubbish left behind being the opportunist
    that he is . .A n otter will travel quite a few miles for food so don't be fooled, no water near by doesn't mean you wont have a
    visit. The only thing I can think of to help would be an electric fence . And lets not forget there just doing what they do to
    survive...…...……..weather we like it or not i'm afraid....

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