My Stories

A POND, AN AQUARIUM, THE FISH IN THEM, AND ME

This is a true story written in real time of my experiences with a pond, an aquarium, and the comings and goings of the fish in both

FISH, FROGS, PREDATORS, AND MY POND

Harry Hoyt

12 September 2025

Chapter One

Introduction

This is a true story about my experiences with a pond, an aquarium, the fish in both, predators, frogs, success, failure, and a steep, on-the-job learning curve. Each of the chapters have been written in real time, as the instances of that chapter were actually happening. I thought I had run out of experiences to write about as I finished each chapter, but then I found that life goes on and more instances did occur. The result was that I wrote the next chapter, again, as the action in that chapter played out in real time. I have added details in places because the details better portray the pleasure, sadness, thought process, frustration, and how various instances affected me and my surroundings.

About 20 years ago I decided to build a pond outside the east end of our home and then extended it approximately four years later. It has a waterfall that feeds two additional waterfalls and the main pond. It holds approximately 3000 gallons. After a few years I decided to stock it with Koi. I was very naive at the time about the chances of success with Koi in an open pond. It didn't take long for predators, perhaps raccoons, to use the Koi for their evening meal. I decided not to put fish in the pond after that.

However, in the summer of 2024, I decided I would try again. Only this time I spent a good deal of time and energy researching the best way to protect the Koi from predators. The internet had several suggestions, but the one that made most sense to me was to cover the water with a net. I was hoping this would protect the fish and at the same time provide a reasonably undiminished view of the Koi. I purchased a net that was large enough to cover the entire pond and stretched it flat approximately 6 to 12 inches above the water.

The pond is serviced by a pump that is housed in a box at the north end of the pond and pumps water to the waterfall at the south end. I thought I had the opening to the pump house sealed off by boulders that still allowed the water to go through to the pump. I found, however, that some of the fish were able to get through the rocks and were swept into the pump house with fatal consequences.

It was obvious that a complete redesign was required to prevent the fish from entering the pump house.

I first tackled the issue of closing off the entrance to the pump house and ensuring a more effective filtration system. A very knowledgeable employee at Menards quickly understood what I needed and showed me a piece of aluminum bent at 90° down the center with both sides measuring approximately one inch from the center. When two of these pieces were fitted together, they form a shaft with a width of one inch. This would be perfect for my needs. I purchased 15 feet.

In my garage, I cut the pieces to the right length to fit the opening to the pump house. The result was a frame, closed on two sides and the bottom, but open at the top. A filter could be slid into the top of each shaft. The result was to effectively block fish from entering the pump house while still filtering the pond water.

Having a net covering the water was a solid concept. However, having the net close to or on the surface of the water was not workable in the long run. I needed some way to raise the net off the surface and still make it impervious to predators. I went to Amazon and searched for some tubing that might be used for holding up a tent. I found something I thought would work and made the purchase. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that several pieces of the tubing could be connected together to reach across the width of the pond. If I added about 30% to that length I could brace either end to the opposite sides of the pond to form a hoop over the water. It took six hoops to cover the pond. I then draped the netting over the six hoops to cover the entire pond, including the waterfalls.

I was now ready to add Koi. I purchased two and placed them in the pond. After I was assured that they were doing well, I purchased six more for a total of eight. Here is the final result.

At this point, I thought I had solved all the problems that needed to be addressed. Of course, that did not turn out to be entirely true.

I woke up one morning a few weeks later to the distinct sound of dozens of frogs calling out to one another, attempting to find mates. The pond had been invaded by more frogs than I could count. The mating sound that the frogs make must have been effective because I could clearly see that many of the frogs had found one another and had assumed the mating position. It appeared that I was now operating a pond of ill repute.

I could see a number of problems issuing from this invasion of copulating frogs. Many of them were able to get underneath the edge of the net and into the water. However, many others chose to climb on top of the net to carry out their business. My concern was that if too many got on top of the net they could tear it or push it aside, making the pond accessible to predators. My other concern was that with all of this sexual behavior I could end up with thousands of tadpoles swimming in the pond and turning into frogs a few weeks down the road. The image of this possible eventuality was a little frightening.

I consulted the internet and pest control experts. I found no solution in my quest to get rid of the frogs.

He is hunting for a mate.

I was prepared to give up in distress when the frogs solved the issue for me. In a few days, after completing their mating, all the frogs disappeared, leaving their larvae behind. I used a net to scoop as much of the larvae out of the pond as I could, but as you can imagine, I was unsuccessful in getting all of it. So after a period, I found I had hundreds of tadpoles swimming with the fish. It seemed unreasonable to think that I could rid the pond of all of these creatures, however, after about a week or two they also disappeared. I thought this might be a point when we could have full enjoyment of the pond with its fish without further interruption.

Again, that did not turn out to be the case. Things seemed to happen in the pond in the morning, or to be more specific, early in the morning. One morning at about 5:30 I got out of bed and went into the four-seasons room, which overlooks the pond, to check on the fish. I was met with a flutter of very large wings working to bring an owl into flight. The owl had been perched on a rock on the opposite side of the pond, peering into the water. I assumed this impressively large bird was searching for fish. I used Google and determined that this was a “Great Horned Owl. A full grown Great Horned Owl is a massive bird. They have a wingspan of about 4.6 feet, a weigh up to 5.5 pounds and possess sharp talons and a hooked beak capable of tearing its prey apart, or carrying it to its nest to feed itself and/or his partner and/or Its offspring. This was a Great Horned Owl.

I had installed an outdoor camera overlooking the pond some years before. After several mornings of finding one or two owls by the pond, I knew the approximate time they would be there. I could run the recording back to that range of times to see if the owl or owls had made a visit. One morning when I did this I found I was staring at the camera monitor showing four owls at one time. On closer vision there were two adult and two pups. I checked the time stamp on the recording and matched it with the time on my watch. It appeared they could still be at the pond. I grabbed my camera and headed for the four-seasons room to see if I could get a photo. I had the camera on continuous shooting, also the focus and aperture were on full automatic. I started shooting as soon as I entered the room. When the adult sensed me, it took flight. The pup stood on a rock and stared directly into the lens of the camera.

I could imagine the pup wondering: “Why was dad flying away leaving me behind? Why did he bring me here? Who is this person staring at me? What is he holding in his hand. Should it concern me?” And finally, “I think I should go.” He then turned and flew after dad.

In my excitement of seeing this adult and pop at the edge of the pond I completely missed the fact that there was a second pup to the left and outside of the perimeter that my camera covered in taking the shots below. This guy was also staring at me and probably asking the same questions that I imagined his sibling had asked. I shot the two photos below.

An owl is a fearsome predator. Here are two illustrative photos I took.

I have heard that owls are nocturnal. I have found that is a myth. They would arrive singly or in groups of two to four at time in full daylight. I was able to observe them on many mornings.

One morning I found one sitting on top of the net and depressing it so that its rear was in the water. When it sensed me, it flapped its enormous wings in an attempt to get out. That showed me that the owls were not going to penetrate the net. Others did the same thing on different mornings. They acted as if they were washing themselves. Maybe they were.

I searched the internet and pest control experts for ways to keep the owls away from the pond, as I had done for the frogs. I was advised to put lights on the perimiter of the pond. I purchased 36 of these perimeter solar lights and when they arrive immediately began the task of assembling each one and then carefully installing them around the pond. I had several of the lights left over so I installed those next to the rocks that the owls found were convenient perches for viewing the pond. These lights turned on when the sun went down and turned off when it returned. Since the owls would arrive in full daylight the lights were totally ineffective.

Another recommendation was that I a motion detector light. I found there were many variations of motion detecting lights, requiring a good deal of study before making a selection. There was also a considerable difference in prices from one detector to another. I purchased one that I thought would served my purpose and was not terribly expensive. The light was not difficult to assemble but mounting it high up on the outside wall of the house next to the pond turned out to be a substantial challenge. It required a very tall ladder and a person with a sense of balance that was much greater than mine. After making a couple of attempts, I decided the risk for me was greater than the reward. However, my neighbor, Ron Quick, had no trouble connecting it to the wall. I ran the electrical wire required to power the light in a conduit at the upper end of the wall and then dropped it to an AC outlet at the bottom of the wall. The motion detector had a number of settings and I chose one I thought would be the best for the purpose of turning on and off when an owl approached. However, the setting I thought would be the most effective was not. In fact none of the settings would be effective for the same reason the perimeter lights were not effective. The motion detector was meant to operate from dusk to dawn and was inactive, and therefore ineffective, after the sun came up. This would be after the owls arrived. Unfortunately, the description of the lights on the web site did not make it clear that they would not work in daylight. I have left the perimeter lights in place as a decoration and the motion detector light in place to activate in any instance when a predator might come in the dark of night.

The bottom line is that I have made peace with the owls and they come and go as they please, but they don’t get the fish.

I now had eight Koi that would not survive the winter in this pond. It was not deep enough. I needed a solution. That’s Chapter Two.

AQUARIUM, GOLDFISH, BAD WATER, CHEMICALS, AND KOI

14 September 2025

Chapter Two

The eight Koi in the pond would do fine in the warmer weather, but they would not survive the winter in the pond. I needed a solution for the fish to survive from November 2025 through May 2026. I searched the internet for a solution and also sought the counsel of Adam Marietta, the owner of Aquatic Environments, where I purchased the Koi. I was presented with three possibilities. I could allow the fish to remain in the pond over winter. That was a non-starter. I understood that some people purchased a horse trough. I could put a large trough in my garage to house the fish over winter. However, I would still have to purchase the equipment to aerate, filter, and otherwise condition the water to accommodate the Koi.

Third option was to purchase an aquarium large enough to accommodate 8 or 9 Koi. This is the option I chose to pursue. I determined that the best place for the aquarium would be in the four-seasons room. The best location for an aquarium would be against the north wall of the four-season room where the couch was located.

I found there were a number of aquariums offered by different outlets on the internet. They all had large cabinets underneath the aquarium itself to hold the necessary equipment. If I chose one of those it would raise the aquarium to block more than half of the view of the window. That was unacceptable.

I asked Adam if he could supply me with an aquarium without the cabinet on the bottom. My thought was to mount the aquarium on a narrow platform on the floor of the four-seasons room and use two smaller cabinets on each side of it for equipment.  After a few seconds of thought, he said he could make that happen. He recommended an aquarium that would hold 210 gallons of water and two pumps to circulate and filter the water housed in the end cabinets.

Now it was time to find two cabinets that would fit on either side of the aquarium in the space occupied by the couch, and, be large enough to hold the equipment. The recommended aquarium was 72 inches long and the couch was 120 inches. That left 48 inches to accommodate two cabinets. I was able to acquire two cabinets that were 24 inches wide and 34 inches high at Menard’s. I ordered a quartz top that raised the total height another 1.5 inches on each cabinet. The dimensions of the doors would accommodate the equipment and the drawer at the top of each cabinet would be very handy for all of the smaller things you need but often don't think about in the planning. I purchased two cabinets, loaded them in my car, and took them to my garage.  Painting is not my favorite thing to do. I did it anyway. I found a can of leftover blue paint in one of the cabinets. It was a great fine; it would go well with the predominant color of the floor in the fourth-seasons room.

When the aquarium arrived at his store, Adam and an assistant, Chris Wiebler, installed it in the four-seasons room, along with the newly painted cabinets, where the couch used to be, just as planned. They then installed the equipment in each cabinet to circulate and filter the water.

In preparation for this moment, I had researched and subsequently purchased pea gravel to cover the bottom of the aquarium. The pea gravel came with a considerable amount of dust. I had to clean it before making the installation.

I had several appropriately sized rose quartz rocks in my garden. I selected two large ones and three smaller ones and placed them on top of the pea gravel in what I thought was an attractive formation. We then used a regular garden hose to fill the aquarium with water. This was an exciting moment. I actually had a functioning aquarium in my house where a couch used to be, ready to accommodate goldfish.

The next day I went to Aquatic Environments to purchase about a dozen goldfish. The purpose of using goldfish was to ensure that the water was safe for the Koi. Here is what the system looked like after the goldfish were installed. I couldn't figure out how to take a Photograph looking straight on without the photograph showing my reflection on the black, back wall of the aquarium. Be assured, I am not in the water.

Things seem to be going quite well for the first few weeks. It turned out that assessment was seriously inaccurate.

The aquarium water, the decorative rocks and the pea gravel began to change color. The change was very gradual, and I didn't realize we were being invaded by algae. It became so bad that it appeared to me that the solution would be to remove and clean the five rocks and the pea gravel and put freshwater in. I was advised that I could do this, but I should not drain down the current water level more than six inches. I could then refill it with fresh water. I found out later that the reason was that the pump could not prime itself if more water was removed. That would require removing the top of the pump/filter, filling it with water, reinstalling the lid to start the pump. There was very little I already knew about aquariums, so I felt I was going to school, or more like on-the-job training

I removed the rocks and the pea gravel without the need to remove the fish. I cleaned the algae from both, as well as the insides of the aquarium’s glass walls, then placed them back in the aquarium. This turned out to be an arduous undertaking, but I was satisfied I had done a good cleaning job when I was finished.

This cleaning job turned into an issue. I was told that an ecosystem favorable to the fish was developing within the aquarium, and by washing the rocks and pea gravel I had removed necessary bacteria from that ecosystem. I was advised to use a chemical called Cycle Bacteria to help rebuild that system. I did so by following the instructions on the bottle. I thought this would put us squarely on the road to recovery. I was very wrong.

When I checked on the goldfish the following morning, I found them all floating on top of the water, dead. That was a very unhappy discovery for both me and the fish. A test of the water indicated there was too much ammonia present to accommodate the fish. Using knowledge, I gained some time later, I began to understand what might have happened in this instance. I think the fish were killed by an overdose of the Cycle Bacteria and the ammonia was created by the dead bodies of the goldfish I was told that time would be needed to rid the water of this poison.

 After a couple of weeks the ammonia was eliminated, and I could put more goldfish into the aquarium. I did so, and awoke the next morning to again find all of the fish, but one, floating on top of the water, dead. That fish died a short time later. I now began to question whether I should try to sell the aquarium and figure out something else to do with the Koi over the winter. However, this did not appear to be a feasible solution.

I took another sample of water into Aquatic Environments for testing. Another of Adam’s assistants, Rick Krahn, determined that the pH level was way too high to sustain the lives of the goldfish. I assume this had not been detected in previous checks of the water because we were concerned only with ammonia and not pH at the time. It appeared that the solution most likely to succeed in reducing the alkalinity was to shock the aquarium’s water with an overdose of Acid Buffer. It took about 10 days of this treatment to bring the pH to a level that was livable for goldfish.

But, before I put more goldfish in, I asked that the water be tested for all elements that could be detrimental. That test found that, once again, the ammonia was too high. The solution appeared to be to administer Cycle Bacteria once a week and otherwise, wait for ammonia to disappear. 

That turned out to be accurate. I placed about twelve more goldfish in the aquarium and two weeks later they were all doing fine.

However, I am not a patient man and waiting for a problem to resolve itself with my having limited involvement in the solution is not an easy thing for me to do. In the multiple situations I had just encountered it appeared that the solution was limited amounts of chemical involvement and major amounts of time of me doing nothing but waiting. For the most part, nature’s ecosystem did the heavy lifting.

The original plan when first deciding to use an aquarium was to transfer four Koi from the pond to the aquarium about mid-September. It was now mid-September.

 The circulating and filtration system on the east side of the aquarium had been making a banging noise. I reported this to Adam, from Aquatic Environments. He brought a replacement to the house to eliminate this annoying noise. He also brought a Koi that he had set aside for me until we could get the ammonia under control. He released that fish into the aquarium.

I reminded him of this plan to transfer about half of the Koi that were in the pond to the aquarium about this time of year. Since I had never netted fish in the pond and transferred them to any aquarium, I asked him if he would show me how to do it. He agreed he would. I took the deep pocketed net off its hook on the side of the house and gave it to him. I also removed several of the rocks that were securing the netting and pushed it over the top of the hoops to give Adam better access to the water and the Koi within it. He was able to capture one of the Koi fairly easily and move it to a 5 gallon bucket with a plastic bag filled with pond water. Then he went after a second fish, but this one was more difficult. Adam was able to trap it in the rocks near the edge of the pond and push it into the net with one hand while holding the net in the other. In this process the fish sustained some injury. Nonetheless, It seemed to do well after being released into the aquarium.

I now had three Koi that seemed to be adapted to the aquarium. I was encouraged that the transfer of the remaining Koi from the pond to the aquarium would be successful.

The months since spring began had been packed full of learning experiences, some of them stressful, most of them not. I believed I was now in a position to enjoy both the goldfish and the Koi in the aquarium over the coming winter

LIFE, AND ITS ABSENCE, IN THE AQUARIUM

15 September 2025

Chapter Three

As I completed the preceding chapter, I was optimistic that the transfer of the remaining Koi from the pond to the aquarium for the winter would go without incident. A few hours after I finished the last paragraph of that chapter I found I was being overly optimistic.

The original plan was to begin transferring half of the Koi from the pond to the aquarium around mid-September. Since things seemed to be going well with the transfer of the first three fish, I thought I might try my hand at capturing and transferring one of the other fish in the pond.

My first purchase to start stocking the pond earlier in the spring was two small, but very pretty, Koi. I thought I might be able to catch and transfer the smaller one with orange and white markings.

I have never named the fish but I think for the purposes of identifying this fish in the story I will make an exception. We may be following this little guy for some time, so it would be smart to give it a name and gender. Let’s assume he is masculine and his name is Charlie.

As I had done for Adam the day before, I took the net off its hooks on the outside wall of the house, removed the rocks holding the netting in place, and pulled the netting over the hoops. Now it was time to net a fish. I thought I was being so clever by allowing my net to rest on the bottom of the pond with the thought that the fish would, at some point, swim over the top of it and I would be able to complete the capture by simply pulling the net up. I have to chuckle as I write this at how naive that assumption was. The fish clearly sensed the danger and avoided swimming over my net. I made a number of passes at Charlie and found he was way ahead of me in his ability to avoid capture. I came close to getting him on one pass but he bounced off the side of the net and spun quickly away. I gave up, hung the net back on its hooks and sat by the pond to relax. 

After about 30 minutes I went into the house and when I returned several hours later, I found Charlie had done something I didn't totally understand.

He had swum to a group of rocks very close to the surface of the northside of the pond, pushed his nose well into the depths of the opening between two rocks and lay there with very little motion. I thought, am I going to lose this fish? His gills were dangerously close to the surface of the water. Fish don't do well sucking air. I thought perhaps I could help get Charlie free by pouring water at the front end of the crack between the two boulders. I did that, with absolutely no result. At that point I got down on my hands and knees, lifted the netting above Charlie, and used my right hand to grasp his tail and pull him backwards into the deeper water. He immediately made 180° turn away from the rocks and swam into the deeper water. I observed him for the rest of the evening and then again, the next morning and found him swimming nicely from one end of the pond to the other. That was a very happy moment. My first spring purchase would remain in the pond for a while longer.

Now to continue where the second chapter ended. I thought the transfer of one Koi from Aquatic Environments and two from the pond to the aquarium had been successful, as indicated above. However, a few hours after trying to capture Charlie, one of the two Koi that had been transferred began to shake as if having a seizure. While witnessing this I became convinced that we would lose that fish. However, in a short time it began to swim normally, and I decided my concern had been misplaced. The next day, that fish continued to swim normally. However, it spent much of the following day lying on the floor of the aquarium both belly down and belly up, a sure sign of distress.  But then it would begin swimming normally again. This movement from what I considered normal to what I considered concerning went on for the rest of the day.

The next morning it was lying on the bottom of the aquarium behind one of the quartz rocks. I couldn't tell whether it was dead or not. This was sad and frustrating. I didn't see anything I could do to prevent the fish from dying, if that is what was going to happen. Since he had recovered the previous day from unusual positions I decided to wait to see if that would happen again. Later in the day, it did, so I decided to go to bed and hope for the best.

I don't know exactly when the fish died, but when I got up in the morning it was, again, lying on the floor of the aquarium and not moving. I observed the fish for quite a while and determined that its gills were not moving; a sure sign the fish was dead.

This raised a number of questions that I had not encountered up until this point:

·        What caused the fish to die?

·        Would whatever caused it to die affect the two fish that remained in the aquarium?

·        Would the fish’s dead body affect the efficacy of the water, and if so how would that affect the two fish remaining?

·        Dead fish create an obnoxious odor that if not contained would affect the entire house. How do I make sure that would not happen?

The day was forecast to be hot so in the process of dressing I had decided I would wear a short-sleeved shirt. That turned out to be a fortunate decision for a reason other than the warmth of the day. That was; in order to retrieve the fish, I would have to reach a full arm’s length into the water to take hold of the fish and remove it from the aquarium. This was not my most favorite way to start the day. I did it and then placed the fish into the zip lock bag and pulled the zipper shut. With a feeling of sadness I took the fish in its bag to the garbage container and gently placed it inside.

Now, the question was, had the dead body of the fish affected the water, and by extension the two fish that remained in the aquarium? The main culprit would be ammonia. I needed to test for it. I filled a test tube to the appropriate mark and placed 8 drops of the first solution in the tube, followed by 8 drops of the second solution. The instructions are very clear to shake it vigorously for five seconds. I did. After waiting an additional 10 minutes I saw that the liquid in the tube had turned to a definite green That meant there was now ammonia in the aquarium. I knew that there had not been ammonia present when we transferred the two fish from the pond. That meant that the body of the dead fish had created ammonia. Now the question was, how do we protect the fish that were still in the aquarium, consisting of approximately a dozen goldfish and the two Koi?

The last time there had been ammonia in the water, it killed the goldfish. However, the goldfish now in the water seemed to not be affected. But the two Koi were sluggish. This created a dichotomy I would resolve later.

Aquatic Environments didn't open until 10:00 AM. I had started the morning at about 5:00 AM so all that I have just described had happened by approximately 7:00 AM, well before I would have an opportunity to ask Adam or any of his assistants if he or they had any wise counsel to guide me on the next step.

It seemed clear to me that the water was potentially poisonous to the fish and that removing some of the water and replacing it with clean water from my well would make a great deal of sense. Removing all of the water from the aquarium would destroy the ecosystem that had, by this time, been well established. It would take a long time to reestablish and could be detrimental to the fish. This is one lesson I had learned in the past few months.

I connected a 30-foot hose to the filter/circulation pump on the west side of the aquarium and ran it outside though the sliding glass door on the south side. I used the hose to drain about 6 inches of the water as measured from the surface of the water. When the water was down by that amount, I used a garden hose to fill it back up with clean water. I then tested the water again and found that this exchange of water did reduce the level of ammonia but was far from removing it.

One option I had rejected up until this point was to catch the two fish that were still in the aquarium and transfer them back into the pond. There were several things to consider. This action would create additional stress, and since those two fish were continuing to function, although slowly and erratically, and since the goldfish did not seem to be affected, I decided to leave them. I found later that Adam agreed with this assessment. The conclusion was that I would administer Cycle Bacteria every day, rather than once a week. This product is meant to provide beneficial bacteria to the fish and remove ammonia. The drawback was that it would take time.

It is now the early morning of Tuesday, 16 September 2025.

Dawn was just breaking when I rose from sleep and slowly and quietly approached the aquarium. One of the Koi in the aquarium is the largest one I have. It is all white. Let’s call him, Joe, for purposes of identification. The other is orange and black. Let’s call him Jim, for the same reason. They both were acting abnormally, swimming with quick, erratic motions, spinning, bumping into the decorative rocks and sides of the aquarium. These were clearly signs of stress. After a few minutes they both settled down together between the large decorative rose, quartz rock and the east wall of the aquarium. 

I tested the water and was glad to find that the level of ammonia had significantly decreased, but some ammonia remained. I wished there was some other corrective action I could take, but it appeared watchful waiting was what was available.

I then went to the pond and was disappointed to see Charlie’s body between the same two boulders with his nose against the rock at the end of the slot as the day before. I debated with myself if I should pull it to deep water again. It appeared it could get out, but I wasn’t sure. If it had chosen that place to die, I should not interfere. If he was stuck, I should help. I decided on the ladder. If this was his chosen, last resting place, he would return.

For the second time, I move the rocks, held the netting up and pulled him out of the crevice. This time Charlie turned with a quick spin to his right and entered the fish house that was only a few inches away. I knew it was surviving, at least for the moment, because the rhythmic pulsing of its body was visible through the entrance to the submerged house. I decided to move onto the next thing on my do list for that day and would return a few hours later.

The pond had algae, so that next item was to purchase more algaecide and spread it over the pond water. I also wanted to pick up 20 bags of “Western Sunrise” rock at Menards to finish a job in one of the planters I had started at the beginning of the summer. This meant I could be doing something productive for the next two to three hours while the next episode with my orange and white Koi unfolded.

When I arrived home just about 3 hours later, I drove from the hard surface of my driveway on to the grass to get closer to the place where I planned to spread the rock. Those bags are heavy, about 35 pounds each, and I didn't want to carry any of them further than need-be. After I unloaded the last bag I put the car in the garage and went looking for Charlie. I first looked in the crevice in the boulders where he had camped out twice before. He was not there. I then looked into the window of the fish house and saw his tail moving back and forth. That led me to wonder if the little guy would ever come out, and how would I deal with getting his lifeless body out if he didn't. That was a question I did not want to entertain.

I went back inside to sort the mail and plan what was left of the day. I knew I wanted to apply the algicide to the pond. To both my surprise and pleasure I spotted Charlie swimming at the opposite end of the pond. Was I responsible for saving its life two times or did I just create a delaying action. It was clear I had a lot to learn about the ways of the Koi world. I suspected this drama had not come to an end.

I mixed the algicide with the appropriate amount of water and tossed it into the pond with the hope that it would make quick work of the algae already forming in the water.

Up until now I had considered the pond to be a safe place for the Koi. The water tested to show no difficulties, and the Koi moved quickly back and forth across the pond. They all came quickly to the surface when I threw in the pellets of food through the net to the top of the water. More recently it seemed that the fish were lethargically moving through the water. It appeared I now had concerns on two fronts: the condition of the pond and the fish in it, and the condition of the aquarium and the two fish in it. In addition, there were the abnormal actions of Charlie to consider.

That evening, I researched the signs that a Koi was in destress. Two articles on the internet told me stress could be from injury, virus or bacterial sickness, bad water, among other causes. The symptoms are erratic behavior, lethargy, dark eyes, skin fading and a tendency to hide. This gave me a much-needed bases for judging the condition of the fish.

The next morning, Wednesday, I found the white Koi, Joe, in the aquarium in the same position as the two days before; on the floor between a large decorative rock and the east wall of the aquarium. The smaller, darker colored Koi, Jim, was beside him, They were consistently together. Joe slowly elevated from his prone position, turned quickly in two circles, swam in a zigzag pattern, spun again and settled on top of the darker one as he finally assumed his previous position. My interpretation was that he had exhibited erratic behavior and then sought out his hiding place This was as close to a hiding place as could be found in the aquarium.

I tested the water and found it was free of the ammonia, or nearly so. It seemed there was little to do but wait.

I then went to the pond to seek Charlie. I finally spotted his tail moving in fits, then still, then fits. His body was completely hidden under a large bolder. I assumed the familiar position for taking corrective action, on my hands and knees, and with some difficulty, pulled the bolder straight up and out of the water. That revealed the little guy with his body now exposed and his head in the hole of another rock. I watched him for several minutes and determined that if he wanted to get into deeper water he would be able to  do it on his own. With that understanding, I decided I would not pull him into deeper water for the third time. It was clear to me now that in doing that the last two times was not saving his life, but rather was depriving him of his chosen hiding place. When I had observed him earlier swimming slowly around the perimeter of the pond just barely underwater, I think he was searching for another hiding place.

When I returned about 11:30 AM from doing some errands, I discovered Charlie outside the hole, lying on the bottom. I thought the he was dead. I went to the kitchen to get a large zip lock bag. When I returned he was swimming slowly, enough to maintained buoyancy.

At about 1:30 PM he was on his back in the shallow part of the pond but away from the hiding place. Shortly after that he lay on the bottom in the deep end, not moving. At 3:00 PM he had found a new place to hide between two rocks at the bottom of the pond. All I could see was his tail, swishing back and forth.

When I finished writing this paragraph, I returned to the pond to find him out of the hole and on his stomach on the floor of the pond, halfway from the deep end pointing toward the shallows. His gills were moving. There were several times I thought the little guy was dead, but then was surprised by him energetic returning to life.

At about 5:00 PM Lois Boyer called to say she had finished a meeting early and was free to join me for a short visit. We went straight to the pond when she arrived. We found that Charlie was not moving on the bottom of the pond. I looked very closely to determine if his gills were moving. That seems like a simple action that was difficult through several levels of moving water. I decided they were not and that my first purchase had died.  Even though I was expecting it, the event of his passing made me sad.

I have written these paragraphs by simply stating the facts of what I saw. However, the experience of watching the throws of death was emotional.

Lois sensed my inclination would be to remove him without delay, but would be reticent to do that while she was there to observe what would be an unpleasant process. To put this reticence to rest she suggested I remove Charlie now. I thought this was wise counsel. I retrieved a flat net with a long handle from its mount on wall and gently lifted the lifeless body onto the net, brought it out of the water, under the netting and into a zip lock bag.

I had lost my first early spring purchase of Koi and was determined to do whatever I could to not lose another one. My attention was now turned to the two distressed Koi in the aquarium.

Early in the morning, after losing Charlie, I tested the water in the aquarium and thought there had been an improvement in the level of ammonia. I also questioned the quality of the water in the pond. I took the water from both places in two different containers to Aquatic Environment for testing. Rose spotted me as soon as I entered the store and took both containers to test. Rose is responsible for testing the water in all of the aquariums in the store every Monday. She is very careful and accurate in doing the tests so I knew that the results would be true. Her reading of the ammonia level in the aquarium was substantially greater than mine.

This caused me to rethink my current strategy as recommended by staff at Aquatic Environments of watchful waiting may not have been the most effective strategy. I had two Koi in distress existing in water poisoned by ammonia. For the second time, it occurred to me that replacing at least some of the poison water with clean water would be a more effective way to reduce the amount of ammonia then simply waiting for it to disappear by applying Cycle Bacteria.

I attached my 30 foot hose to the filter, recirculating pump and drained the water down 5 inches from the top of the aquarium. I continued to drain the water while using a garden hose to fill with clean water. The filling is faster than the draining, so I turned the garden hose off when the water level reached approximately an inch from the top of the aquarium. The water continued to drain until it was about 5 inches from the top, at which point I started to fill for the second time. I did this three times. This was all taking place on Charlie's last day.

The next day I got up with high hopes that my actions the afternoon before would have a very positive effect of reducing the ammonia by a substantial amount. I carefully approached the entrance to the four-seasons room, and with great joy saw that Joe and Jim were swimming up and down and back and forth in a normal manner in what seemed to be the search for food. The bag of food was across the room and as I approached it both Joe and Jim retreated to their favorite hiding place. I got about 1/4 of a handful of the pellets from the bag and put them in the water. Even though these pellets are too large for the goldfish to handle they nonetheless swarm to where the pellets were. The two Koi remained in their hiding place so I decided I would take a seat and wait for them to make a move. After about 10 minutes Joe rose up and slowly swam into the center of the aquarium, then continued to climb toward the surface, then dove downward and rose again. It was frustrating to see him come close to the food and then turn away, then do it again.  After doing this several times he discovered the pellets floating on top of the water and proceeded to devour as many as he could find in a short period of time. Jim remained in the hiding place for some time while Joe was enjoying breakfast. He finally did leave his hiding place and managed to get a few pellets. I remained motionless in my seat for about another 15 minutes. By that time both Koi had returned to their favorite place, and it seemed they would remain there for some time into the morning. I left for the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for myself, relieved and happy that the two fish appeared to be more normal, or close to it, than I had seen them since the increase in ammonia caused by the dead fish.

After breakfast I tested for ammonia and found the level had dropped significantly and perhaps close to disappearing. It appeared for the first time in about three days that I would probably not lose Joe or Jim. If the condition of the water and the fish continued to be positive, we could seriously consider transferring another two or three Koi from the pond. This was a happy day.

POND WATER: GOOD, THEN NOT

18 September 2025

Chapter Four

I awoke on the morning of 18 September with high hopes that this day would be a happy, productive time. I found nothing to be concerned about in the aquarium, so I proceeded out to the pond.

As I stepped out the door from the four-seasons room, I was greeted by a sad and disappointing scene. What once was a beautiful Koi with a black stripe down the middle of its back was lying between two rocks on its side. This was the same fish I had seen the day before with its head between two rocks. It appeared to me that it was looking for a hiding place in preparation to die. A second fish nearby was making agitated movements that led me to think it was severely stressed. I found the other three fish at the far end of the pond. They were all moving, but very slowly. When I tossed pellets into the pond they showed no interest in eating. These three fish were also stressed.

I would normally attribute this type of behavior to having bad water in the pond.. However, Rose had tested the water just the day before and found that it was without issue. Regardless of this finding there was something in the water that that sent one of the five fish to its death, a second that appeared to be following, and three in severe distress. I could lose all five of the fish today, or certainly before the end of the next day. I decided to concentrate my efforts on these three.

It occurred to me that I did have a second body of water in the aquarium and that could possibly be used to save these fish. That water had some ammonia in it, however, there were two Koi who were surviving. The risk-reward analysis came down to this. If the three Koi remained in the pond the chances of them not surviving were fairly high. However, if they were transferred into the aquarium the chances of them surviving were higher but certainly not guaranteed. There was another issue to consider. Could I catch any of those fish in a net, go through the process of preparing it to enter a different body of water and then successfully releasing that fish into that body of water? I had seen this done by Adam just a few days before, but I had never done it myself. Also, I had failed to catch Charlie. The stress of the transfer, in addition to the stress these fish were already enduring, could be fatal. Even though I had two fish in the aquarium that were living with the ammonia, it didn't guarantee that the pond fish would survive.

It is absolutely amazing how fast the brain can process a great number of facts in a short amount of time and come up with an answer. My brain whirled through all of these facts and came up with a very simple statement it repeated in a loud voice, “Quit the analysis and Just do it.”

For the third time I prepared to capture fish and transfer them by removing all of the rocks that were holding the netting, pushing the netting over the top of the six hoops and retrieving a deep pocketed net. I spotted one of my targets swimming about mid-level in the pond. I set the net on the bottom hoping the fish would swim over the top of it. This didn’t work with Charlie, but might now. The target moved quickly to avoid three attempts. I was lucky on the fourth try.

I pulled the net to the shoreline while keeping the fish underwater. I carefully lifted the net out of the water which sent the fish twisting and turning in an attempt to get out. It didn’t succeed but did spray me with soaking water from the net. I got the net over to a 5-gallon bucket, shortened my grip on the handle with my left hand and took a hold of the bottom of the net with my right, then angled the net to deposit the fish in the bag. This created a pretty heavy package, but I managed to wrestle it into the four-seasons room and next to the aquarium. I had already removed the center lid and was now ready to lift the bag out of the bucket. To my frustration, it didn’t move. The weight of the  water placed too much pressure against the inner sides of the bucket. I used my feet to hold the bucket to the floor and was able to slowly lift the bag up and into the water. I let it sit there partially submerged so the temperature of the pond water in the bag would become similar to that of the aquarium.  After a few minutes I began pouring water from the aquarium into the bag to get the fish acclimated to its new environment. I then push the opening of the bag deeply into the water to release the fish. It immediately swam out of the bag and started getting familiar with its new surroundings.

I was lucky with the second target. The fish swam to a very narrow end of the pond where the waterfall entered the pond itself. I was able to successfully block its way out of this narrow section. It swam right into the net.

I went through the same process of preparing it for the aquarium and releasing it into the water. I caught the third fish much as I'd caught the first one and successfully delivered it to the aquarium. I now had five fish in the aquarium, and one in the pond close to death and another I thought might be too stressed to survive in the aquarium.

Now the three fish were in the aquarium it was time to figure out what had happened to poison the water of the pond.

I called Aquatic Environments to see if anyone there could figure out what might have gone wrong with the water in the pond. I talked to Chris who asked me if there had recently been an application of fertilizer or some other treatment been given to the lawn. I couldn't think of any so I said no I don't think so. I later talked to Adam who asked me the same question. Then I did remember that Green Space had put down fertilizer over the entire yard two days before. I couldn't say with certainty that some of that application poisoned the pond water, however, it was an explanation that made the most sense. This was the same day the deceased fish exhibited symptoms. That meant that the one remaining fish in the pond might have survived the fertilizer and be healthy enough to move to the aquarium. I did that the afternoon of 19 September 2025.

There were now six Koi in the aquarium, and all seemed to be doing well.

As stated earlier, the original plan was to transfer half the fish from the pond to the aquarium in mid-September and the rest in October or November. The reality was that there were no fish in the pond and the concept of having the fish to spend the winter in the aquarium appeared to be happening. As you can imagine, that made me both relieved and very happy to leave the stress of the last few days behind.  

That didn't mean disregarding the responsibility for caring for those 6 active fish in the aquarium. Adam explained to me that bacteria ate the ammonia and that was the way to reduce its level. He introduced me to a product called Ammo Lock. It makes the ammonia temporarily ineffective which gives the bacteria a chance to get ahead of the ammonia or at least catch up enough to reduce its level. But for various reasons the ammonia will continue to return so this process also must be continued.

Events had not gone according to plan. I started with eight Koi in the spring and added one to make a total of nine. I lost three fish along the way, all of which have been documented in the previous four chapters. I now had six in the aquarium. My objective now was to keep the pH and the ammonia under control and the fish, as well as myself, as stress free is I could make it.

I'd like to make a personal comment in closing this chapter. My first experience with fish in the pond of clear fresh water was one of relaxation and contentment with my surroundings. This was achieved partly because of my naivete in what was required of the fish and the fish's owner. What I have experienced with the pond, the aquarium, and the fish in both has been stressful. I'm looking forward to the time when I can pass by the aquarium and not look to see if they are all still with me. This has also been anything but stress free for the fish. I still have not named any of them except for the purpose of identification in these stories. With or without names I am confident that the days will soon arrive when I will find the quietude in the company of the fish that I spoke of earlier in this paragraph.

ANOTHER UNEXPECTED AND UNWANTED SURPRISE

21 September 2025

Chapter Five

I stepped out of bed early in the morning of 21 September, fully expecting to find my six Koi swimming easily in the aquarium. I was looking forward to experiencing the first day in a very long time of enjoying the Koi. Most of my days in the past couple of weeks had been spent trying to keep the Koi alive and healthy. I intended to go to church. I selected a pair of gray, dress trousers, light blue, long sleeve shirt, and a medium gray sports coat. After dressing I walked to four-seasons room, confident I would find six Koi ready for breakfast.

What I saw immediately upon entering the room was a medium size Koi, in a 90° curve floating in the water. This immediately changed my mood and my priorities for the morning. On closer inspection I saw that the fish’s gills and tail were still moving, although very slowly. The fish appeared to still be sustaining life. That was an important discovery because if the fish had died its body would have put more ammonia into the water.

After about 15 minutes it's gills stop moving and I determined it had died. My emotional side was very sad just seeing this beautiful fish pass away, and my logical side prompted me to remove the dead body from the aquarium to limit the amount of ammonia that it might inject into the water. In preparation for this unhappy chore, I removed the center lid of the aquarium and then retrieved a short, handled net from its hook by the pond. When I returned to the aquarium, I found that the current created by the circulating pumps had moved the fish's body to the floor. I decided to wait for that same current to lift the fish to the surface and move it to the middle of the aquarium. It was then fairly easy to run the net through the opening and under the body floating just below the surface. I carried the lifeless body on the net through the door and out to the pond, where I placed it in yet another zip lock bag. I made a sad trip to the garbage container and gently deposited the fish inside.

Of course, this raised the question of what caused the fish to die? I tested the pH and the ammonia in the aquarium. The result was that the pH was acceptable, however, there was still ammonia. I assume that the ammonia had been what killed the fish I had just taken out.

I thought that any poison there may have been in the pond from the application of fertilizer on the lawn had probably dissipated to the point of no longer being toxic. I also knew that the pH in the pond was acceptable. We now reached another one of those tradeoff decisions concerning the best way to preserve the lives of the fish, regardless of which body of water they were in. I had encountered this juncture so many times in the previous days. Would the fish be at greater risk remaining in the aquarium as we tried to reduce the level of ammonia, or the risk of netting them in the tight confines of the aquarium and transferring them back into the waters of the pond. Since two of the Koi and all of the goldfish had survived for several days with the current level or higher of the ammonia, I concluded that the risk of staying would be less than the risk of leaving. The rest of the day and the coming night would tell the story.

I checked on the fish several times during the day. They did some swimming but spent most of the time resting on the bottom. I turned a light on to check at 10 PM. Joe was erratic, swimming in jerky movements and running into the decorative rocks. He then lay on the bottom. One other fish was somewhat erratic, but not to the same extent. He also went to the bottom and then swam again. The others didn’t move from the bottom. They were stressed. I will test for ammonia and the pH in the morning and decide on action depending on the state of the fish and results of the tests.

STRESSED TO THE END

22 September 2025

Chapter Six

On Monday morning, the 22nd of September at 5:30, I arose from sleep to check on the fish. I found that all of the fish were acting erratically and one of them was in a curved position on the floor, behind a decorative rock. It appeared to me that this fish was on the way out. I took a reading of the pH and found that it was within acceptable limits and then checked the ammonia. That showed that there clearly was ammonia. In the water I got out the 30-foot hose and connected it for the purpose of draining the water 6 inches and refilling with clean water. I did this three times and checked for ammonia again. It appeared to me that the exchange of water had done a good job of lowering ammonia. Four of the five fish began to act more normal. The one that had been in the throes of dying showed signs of reviving but then would slide to the bottom and lay on its side with gills and tail moving. The chances of recovery seemed slim, but still possible. We would probably have our answer by the end of day or at the latest by morning.

I found myself, once again, standing a death watch over one of my fish. The outcome was not always clear, and this was part of the reason why it was both sad and stressful.

I had a long standing dinner date with my daughter, Erin, and granddaughter, Mannon. I didn't want to cancel and saw no reason why I should. There was no way I could change the outcome by remaining at home. So for once logic won the day and I happily went to meet them at Sippis American Grill. The food was very good and the company even better. It was an excellent time for me to distance myself from the constant traumas that seemed to accompany the pond, aquarium, and the fish in both.

I arrived home at about 8:15 and went directly back to the four-season room to check on my five Koi. Four of them were floating calmly, and the 5th was lying on its side at the bottom between a decorative rock and the front wall of the aquarium. I checked both its gills and tail and detected no movement. The fish had died while I was at dinner.

Earlier that afternoon I had retrieved a short handled net and brought it into the proximity of the aquarium to handle the extraction of the fish should it die. I Spread a towel on the floor. I then took the lid that was directly above the lifeless body and positioned it on the towel. I use the net to coax the fish away from the rock and eased it to the surface while at the same time positioning the net under the body. I carried the fish out to the pond area and laid it on the pavers. I then got a large zip lock bag and placed the fish inside it, zipped it closed and deposited it in the garbage container.

I knew from experience and from what others who had dealt with this before, even though the ammonia was at an acceptable level now it would continue to build up again. It was imperative that I keep the ammonia and the pH at non-lethal levels to keep the four fish in my care healthy and alive.

As I got ready for bed, three of the fish were tucked together on the floor between a decorative rock and the east wall. It was crowded but they didn’t seem to mind. The fourth one was also on the floor but in the middle of the aquarium. I didn’t know if this was normal behavior. I had never observed them at this time of night in the pond.

If there is not a chapter following this one you will know that the fish are doing well. If there is a chapter that follows this one, you will have to read it to find out why I wrote it.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

23 September 2025

Chapter Seven

I woke up and immediately checked the clock. It was about 6:20 and I decided to follow a pattern I had developed over the last several days, getting up and immediately checking the fish. When I entered the four-season room I saw all four fish lying on the bottom of the aquarium all belly down, except for Joe. He was on his side with gills going strong. I determined to check the pH and the ammonia levels but first I connected the 30-foot hose to drain between 5 and 6 inches of the water and replace it with clean from the well.

When I returned from getting dressed, I found that three of the fish had swum to a different places in the aquarium and Joe had also moved but still on his side with gills pumping. It takes a long time to drain the water, so I decided to fix myself some breakfast. When I returned from the kitchen, I found Joe draped over one of the decorative rocks with gills that appeared to be still. Since I was working with the semi darkness of this time in the morning I checked the gills again with a strong flashlight. There was no doubt, Joe was no longer with us.

I picked up the lid above Joe and laid it on the towel that was still there on the floor from the night before. The shallow net was outside already wet from the rain that had fallen during the night. I used it to ease Joe away from the decorative rock and onto the net. He was the largest fish of the group that I had originally purchased, and his weight bent the net where it connected to the short handle. I was also hindered by the tubes that were connected to the round balls that aeriated the water. I took the edges of the net with my right hand to free the tube that was wedged between the net and Joe's body. I was finally able to clear the water and carry Joe outside. This process took quite a bit longer than I had anticipated while the aquarium was filling with makeup water. I turned that off but allowed water to continue draining.

I used the time it would take for 6 inches of water to leave the aquarium to write the above couple of paragraphs before some of the detail escaped my memory. Then I restarted the makeup water for the second time. About halfway through the process of refilling the aquarium the three remaining fish became active. I found this to be a very good sign and hope that they would continue.

They were still swimming when the water reached the full level. I turned off the water and decided to try putting a few pellets in the water to see if any of them would eat. When I did that, all three fish settled on top of each other in their favorite hiding place between a large decorative rock and the east wall of the tank.

I took a reading of the pH. and ammonia. The pH was 7.8, well within the acceptable range. The ammonia level had decreased some, but it was still there after two exchanges of water. I decided I would do two more and test again.

I went to the kitchen to rinse the breakfast dishes while the water was draining. I picked up a rather large wine glass with thin sides and began to rinse it. The glass broke at the upper rim as I held it between my thumb and forefinger. To my good fortune, it did not cut me. As you can imagine, this did not brighten my mood.

When I returned to the four-season room I found that the black and white Koi had transferred from the east hiding place to the west hiding place and was circling the decorative rock in an agitated manner. He finally settled down on the backside of the rock. The orange one was circling the tank. It appeared it was searching for food, however, it ignored several of the pellets as he passed them. The third one remained in the east hiding place.

I turned the water back on to start the third exchange and when that was complete I did a fourth one.  During the final fill cycle the orange and white Koi was belly down on the bottom of the tank. The black and white one was in the east hiding place banging into the brown and white one on one side and the decorative rock on the other. The brown and white one had finally had enough and swam quickly to the west hiding place. All of the fish were destressed, but the black and white one seemed worse than the other two.

I took another reading of the ammonia level after the water had circulated for about 15 minutes. It showed the level had significantly decreased. The orange and white one was resting on the bottom in the middle of the tank. The other two were in the east hiding place. It was unclear if this was the beginning of recovery or of the end. Perhaps the answer would become clearer as the day passed on.

THIS MAY BE THE ANSWER

23 September 2025

Chapter Eight

The orange and white Koi remained on the bottom for most of the day. The black and white swam around the hiding place several times then returned to the hiding place. The orange and brown Koi spent most of the day in the east hiding place.  I had seen this type of behavior several times before and it usually did not end well. There was something wrong with the water in the aquarium that did not show up in any of the tests. I did not know what that might be but decided that the water in the pond was probably healthier. I thought the act of transferring these three fish into the pond would be stressful, but leaving them could be fatal. I questioned if I would have to remove the five decorative rocks because the fish tended to hide behind them. There were also aeration tubes that could very well get in the way. I also would need a net with a very short handle, and I wasn't at all sure I had one.

I found a deep pocketed net with a long handle. I also found a short handle that would fit the net. That was the first problem solved. I next turned off all the circulation in the tank to make vision of the fish much easier. Then the three covers on the tank came off and went to a familiar resting place on one of the towels on the floor. I was now ready to see if I could catch any of these fish in my short-handled net.

The orange and white koi was not near any of the decorative rocks. I thought I would try to catch that one without moving any of the rocks. To my surprise and delight I was able to get the fish in this deep pocketed net. He began to thrash around violently as I walked him out to the pond. I had already moved a good part of the netting over the hoops. I decided not to use the process of transferring the fish into a plastic bag filled with water from the aquarium and then gradually acclimatize the fish to the pond water. It seemed to me that would add complexity and stress to the fish. I deposited the Koi directly into the pond water. It quickly swam out of the net heading for the deep end of the pond.

The other two fish were both in the east hiding place in the aquarium. To make it easier I thought I might be able to nudge them out of that space and into the open water. That would make it easier to catch them in the net.  The black and white one was first, and the brown one was second to be netted and placed in the pond water. They both swam quickly away. As you might guess, this activity caused a great deal of water to be splashed on the floor of the four-seasons room. I went back inside, grabbed two towels and cleaned up the water, and the aquarium, then replaced the three lids. I returned to the pond and found the orange and white one in the fish house and the black and white one swimming just outside the fish house. A few minutes later of staring into the deep end water I found the brown one swimming toward the bottom. I decided I had probably made the right decision in returning them to the pond. I retrieved a small handful of the pellets and tossed them through the netting onto the surface of the water. I don't know if they found the pellets. For the first time in a couple of weeks I felt a modicum of optimism that these three Kai might survive to the point of returning to fresh, clean water in the aquarium to make it through the winter.

I went to the pond at about 5:45 that afternoon with the objective of spending a few quiet moments with the three fish and a glass of cabernet. I couldn’t see the brown one but the black and white and the orange and white were easily swimming the length of the pond and back, presumably looking for food. I tossed pellets through the netting and watch both of them find and eat some of them. This was a very positive sign and lifted my spirits.

By 6:00 their activity had slowed considerably. I lost sight of the black and white. The orange and white was swimming slowly with its head partially out of the water. It cruised slowly along the boulders at the north edge of the pond. It appeared it was searching for a hiding place but rejected one possibility after another. The black and white showed up. It was cruising the shore also, but kept its head under water. I observed this behavior for some time and concluded that things may not have been as positive as I thought. There would be another night of waiting to see what the morning would bring.

That feeling was affirmed the next morning, 24 September. I went to the pond at daybreak and again at 9:00 AM and found all three Koi swimming slowly, but very much alive.

STILL MORE WORK TO DO

24 September 2025

Chapter Nine

I became mildly concerned when I noticed that the fish all slowed down substantially from the pace they set when they first got into the pond. That was in the late afternoon of the 23^nd. This behavior continued all day yesterday and this morning. The seriousness of their condition became much clearer when I went out at approximately 2:30 that afternoon and found the brown fish in a crevice between two rocks. I immediately tested the pH and found it was at 9.1, extremely high for sustaining life in Koi. The other two were in the fish house.

I filled the container with water from the pond to be tested at Aquatic Environments. It was clear I needed a good deal of acid buffer in order to combat the alkalinity of the water, but I also wanted to make sure that there wasn't some other chemical problem. Adam greeted me as I came through the door and took my container of water in hand and began to test it. His testing also revealed that the pH was lethally high and that there wasn't any other problem that could be spotted from testing. I purchased 2 containers of the acid buffer and headed immediately for home.

Each container was capable of servicing 3,000 gallons and since I had 3000 gallons in the pond, one container might get the job done.  I suspected, however, it would take most of, if not all the second container. To get the fastest disbursement I poured one of the containers beneath the waterfall.

The brown fish was still struggling on its side with his head just barely beneath the surface with gills pumping spasmodically. It was clear that it was going to die if it remained in that position regardless of whether I was able to get the alkalinity reduced to a non-lethal level. I removed the rocks that were holding the netting in the vicinity of the brown fish and reach in with my hand to ease it into deeper water where the effect of the acid would first be realized. It struggled to submerge further and entered the fish house. I later found it outside the house floating with gills continuing to pump.

At this point about 30 minutes had passed since disbursement of the acid so I tested the pH at both ends of the pond. It was 8.5 both places. This was not ideal but would sustain life. I would check it later in the day and decide if more acids was needed.

The other two emerged from the fish house where they had been during all of this activity and began slowly swimming to the east end of the pond. That is where I left them. They would probably survive with the introduction of the acid buffer.

I had arranged dinner reservations to celebrate Lois’s 79 birthday. She was due to arrive at 5:00 for dinner reservations at 6:30. I thought we could spend a quiet hour before leaving for dinner. I wanted to check the fish before Lois arrived.

When I returned to the pond, I was sad to find that my efforts to keep the brown fish alive had failed. He was close to the surface between two rocks. I was able to coax the body out with a short, handled net. I placed him in a zip lock bag and with heavy heart and deposited its body into the garbage container.

I now had two Koi and was determined to keep them alive. If I could get the pond balanced it might keep those two fish stable.

Lois and I had a very nice birthday dinner at Ruthie’s Steak and Seafood.

When I arrived home that evening, I was unable to find the two fish in the murky water and darkness that followed the receded sun. I could see well enough to confirm that neither one was on the surface with nose in the crevice between two rocks. This was an excellent sign. I would know more in the morning.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

25 SEPTEMBER 2025

CHAPTER TEN

I was using descriptions to identify the fish and decided I should do what I did in earlier chapters; give them names for identification. I would call the black and white Koi, “Jack,” and the orange and white Koi, “Jill.” I chuckled to myself as I thought about these two names, realizing that there was absolutely no creativity or originality in choosing Jack and Jill. I did it anyway.

It is a challenge to get a clear photo of a fish through moving water, but I gave it a try.

Jill

Jack

At daybreak the next morning, 25 September, I found Jill on the floor of the deep end. She did not move during the short time I was there, but she was alive. I did not see Jack. He wasn’t on the surface or in a crevice between two rocks, so I assumed he was also alive. I found it sad that my experience had conditioned me to make this more detailed search.

The pH was 8.4. I put in another half container of acid. I wanted it in the 7s. I went out at 8:30 before going to an appointment. This time I saw Jack swimming quickly from one end of the pond to the other, but I did not see Jill. I felt like the fish wanted me to play “Hide and Seek.”

When I returned from the appointment at 9:30, Jill was swimming between the bottom and the top of the water. Jack was not visible. The pH had only decreased by 0.1 to 8.3, so I tossed the second half of the container of acid into the water. So far the results had been positive. It would become easier to see through water as the sun rose. So far, I had not seen the fish take any of the pellets. I would be much more optimistic if the fish would begin to eat.

I went back to the pond at noon and found Jill in the fish house with her nose sticking out the far end. Her mouth was making the open and closed motion that it almost always did, but she was making no move to get out of the house. I retrieved approximately 10 pallets out of its bag and took them back to the fish house. I dropped five of the pallets directly in front of the fish’s opening and closing mouth. She made a series of lunging motions but did not come out of the house to retrieve any of the pellets. I observed this unusual behavior for about another 10 minutes, then the fish made a U-turn inside the house and swam out the other end into the deeper water and swam about halfway down the length of the pond, stopped and settled to the bottom. I started walking down the edge of the pond, I presume, looking for Jack. He was near the waterfall at the south end of the pond. When he sensed me he raced toward the north end. He passed by Jill, made a rapid U-turn and settled beside her.

I then checked the pH and found it to be at 8.3. That was no change since I had put the second half of my last container of acid into the pond. After lunch I would have to make a trip to Aquatic Environments to replenish my supply, probably with another two containers.

By 3:00 PM I had spent about 90 minutes with the fish. They swam together and apart, lay on the bottom, and visited the fish house. Jill spent some time investigating crevices between rocks and then swam away. I found this concerning. I put in another container of acid in hopes of reducing the pH to under 7.0. I reasoned that a more normal alkalinity would further benefit the fish. I would check it in the morning.

I visited the pond at 7:15 just as the light had almost completely faded. Jack was slipping around the pond. Jill was at the surface in the shallow end. It appeared she was searching for food. I tossed pellets aimed at landing close to her head. I think she may have eaten several of them, although it was difficult to tell in the fading light. A check of the clock told me it was past my dinner time. The morning may tell us more.

I have an outdoor camera that covers the pond and shows on a monitor in the Den. There is a bright light shining on the Pond. The water is fairly clear, so I could see the fish from my desk in the den. It was 10:30 PM and I was observing both fish while sitting at my computer. Jill was cruising around the fountain in the shallow end. As it had in the past, it appeared she was searching for food. I threw a few pellets close to Jill’s mouth. I couldn’t tell if she caught any of the food. Jack was swimming slowly close to the bottom of the deep end in the vicinity of the fountain in that area. He didn’t come to the surface very often so it wasn’t clear if he was searching for food.

The owls are very much with us. Lois saw two fly over the house and land on one of the upper-most branches of a tree in the pasture, about 200 yards from the house. Two  hours later I saw one make the same flight. Neither one came close to the pond. That doesn’t mean they weren’t thinking about it.

However, one was by the pond when I got up the next morning, 26 September. I guess he thinks we are friends, since we are neighbors.

Jack was swimming deep in the shallow end and Jill on the surface. I don’t think the presence of the owl concerns either of them, if they even knew it is there. At least I don’t have to add owls to the list of winged predators. The pH was 8.4. I will check it from another part of the pond.

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THE STORY CONTINUES, THIS ACCOUNTING ENDS

27 September 2025

Chapter Eleven

I went to the pond as soon as there was enough light to see into the water, as has been my practice. I found Jill in the shallow end floating between the surface and the bottom. Jack was belly down on the bottom of the deep end. The pH was 7.6. All of this made me happy.

Later in the morning, Jill came to the surface. I dropped a handful of pellets around her. She gobbled them down. This was the final behavior I needed to see to show that the fish had regained health or were firmly on the path to doing so.

This recitation began as stated in the Introduction, “a true story about my experiences with a pond, an aquarium, the fish in both, predators, frogs, success, failure, and a steep, on-the-job learning curve.” However, by the time I finished each story, things continued to happen in real-time to cause subsequent chapters. The progress Jack and Jill have made since returning to the pond has convinced me they will continue to improve over the next six weeks, survive the winter in the aquarium and reenter the pond early next spring. The story will continue, but this accounting of it ends here on an optimistic, happy note.