Talk of The Villages Florida - Looking for koi fish or goldfish for our pond

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My neighbor had to put a screen over their pond. The first stocking was wiped out in less than a week.

Pond is inside the lanai.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvetteperry (Post 1794239)

We have a pond back in Mass where we go for the summer. We used to have fish until a blue heron found it and ate every one two years in a row. We no longer put fish in and we still see heron fly over to check it out. We have tried a fake heron to no avail. We also had a hawk fly down. We tried a net but came home one day and found a small bird tangled in the net, so that came off. With the abundance of birds in TV I would hesitate to put fish, especially koi, in a pond where they would most likely be easy targets, but that is just my opinion having lived through it. Good luck with whatever your decision is. I love sitting by the pond and hearing the waterfall.

We also had a pond up north that was prone to herons and raccoons. We found two solutions.
1) if you have a water hose nearby, a product called "Scarecrow" Water sprinkler works wonders, day or night. It’s on Amazon.
2) after a heron visit, I placed a length of black corrugated plastic pipe in the pond. The fish will hide in it at the first hint of danger.
We used both and never lost a fish from then on.

Is a fish pond allowed in The Villages at all? The only place I know where they are okay is in the historic district. I heard they will make you take it out if it is any other area. Check on the restrictions in your village before you put a lot of money and time into something like that. I believe it is because they draw mosquitoes and are a health risk. I know they are a lot of enjoyment from my up north experience.

If you give them hiding areas they see the shadow of the predator and will swim in or under a rock etc.

Good for you on the netted koi pond. I made a trellis cover and it helped too. Also offers shade. There was a trail of fish leaving my property once. Never again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsalla Apopka (Post 1794400)

Our neighbor in Citrus County had a beautiful professionally built pond with waterfall and hiding places for the fish. Nestled up in the front of the house.

The raccoons got the big fish and the herons got the smaller fish - took them 2 weeks.

I must be demented … for some reason your post made me laugh out loud :1rotfl:

Fred