Worry setting in

[Peg]

Not sure what to do. Since the cold has come and the fish have slowed down I have not seen Zero. He is still small enough that he hides behind one of the folds & I have not seen him for at least 3 weeks. Should I try to get him out to see that he is ok, or should I leave him alone and not stress him out. I worry that if something goes wrong with him I will not know. The cover is working well and there is no ice on the pond. The boys were up and off the bottom yesterday having a little pond tour.

[philly]

Don't think you would stress him out if you do not chase him a little nudge will bring him out for a quick peek. I looked outside this morning no ice yet on top of my pond.

[SGray]

He has just found himself a nice safe spot for the winter Peg, I'm sure he is just fine..I know it is a worry until you see them in the spring...
Sal

[clm]

I wouldn't go looking for him. I'm sure he's just found a nice spot for his snooze.

Cindy

[Jackie Ramo]

Little ones are the very devils as they hide so easily. If you can't see him how will you catch him without stressing all the fish looking for him? Try looking first thing in the morning or as the sun sets. they feel braver at those times. Pushing on the folds may just send him deeper and then he won't be able to get out.

[Peg]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll do what Jackie suggested and see if I can't see him later in the evenings. He's tucked away in a fold I can't realy get to. Here's a few picks of the boys getting a water change and hunkered down for the winter. Ponds sitting at a balmy 45.

[marla]

The little ones I got last year and wintered in the lily pond were the same way. I would go out at night with a flashlight and look till I spotted them, got to know most of there hiding places so it made it easier to find them as time went on, I felt a bit foolish looking for them every night but that didn't stop me, and put my mind at ease a bit more when the ice and s#%* came. Boy if I could put a big top like that over my ponds, I'd do it in a minute, but DH would probably stop me.

[philly]

Peg, is so lucky she can go into the tent in the winter time and look at her kois, guess if I hadn't try to get so much done this year, I could have spared a little time to build a tent over the pond as the one in RONA was a little too short, darn if the pond was only 3' shorter and 1' narrower I could have gotten a ready made one, well that's my luck. I guess most of us that build our first pond do not think of everything that we will be needing so as we move along our way we have to make some changes as we look at each others ideas and design.

[Ian]

I would not disturb the koi at this point as any stress in cold water can trigger a problem.
Phil, just seen someone that bought two of the portable garages to make one a little bigger. I guess it would cost about $500 for the two unless a garage sale comes around :HAHA:

[Peg]

I am very lucky to be able to see my boys all winter :yup: . They only see me about once a week when I clean out the skimmer. I check on them everyday and to see that the pump is working by opening the side of the door to peek in. Other then that I leave them alone. untill water change time. Having the cover is great for being able to do water changes during the winter. They get one a month till things warm up.
The cover being the right size for the pond was only luck. Small yard = small pond. If I had the room to go bigger I would have

[philly]

Thanks Ian,

Did not even think of that, it's either I'm brain dead or a sign of old age maybe both. I will make some time to come up and visit you, Terri and the Kois, at your place it's warm and I can enjoy them without freezing my butt off, hope there no charge for that, even if there was it's well worth it. Old Chinese saying man who sits at waters edge and look out soon washes all his troubles away, is that's why we all have koi ponds ?

Peg,

You are right if i had known what i know now my pond would have been bigger, deeper and more BOTTOM DRAINS would have been installed, who knows they say the liner is only good for 25 years it's almost 10 so maybe in 15 years there could be changes, hell I'm rambling on 15 yrs is sure a lot of time and i might be too old to do all that hard work all over again.