shy koi fishes

[c0w]

I need some help/advice! I have a 300 gallon pond with about 15 koi fishes that have been in there for a little over a year and a half now. The problem is that my koi fishes are super shy and will not come up to the surface if anyone is near... They are usually at the bottom huddled around my lily pot. To feed them I will usually throw the floating pellets and walk away and they will usually be gone during the next couple of hours. I've notice they do get active right before sunset or in the early morning before sunrise...

I've even tried to introduce some goldfishes and after a day or so they start to act like the koi fishes being shy and hanging out at the bottom of the pond...

A possible issue is there are possums in the area...

Do you guys have any advice or solutions (other than killing the possums) to get the koi fishes and gold fishes to come up to the surface!

Thanks!

 

[Alhazred]

It may be a lack of cover. When the fish have more hideing spots at hand they are more likely to feel safe and come out.

That being said have you lost any fish to possums? If so then set up a trap and remove the possum.

If you haven't had any fish lost or damaged by possums I can't think why they would hide because of them.

TL;DR try more lilies

 

[Gearhead]

I've noticed that small koi, up to about 6" are usually more shy than large koi. My 8" koi are just now starting to get used me hand feeding them and they've been in my pond for a couple years.

 

[kendragon]

How deep is the pond? Kois will never feel safe and will hide if it is 18" unless it is super wide. At 300 gal I do not believe it is very wide.
My pond is 4 feet deep and when there are predator foot prints they will not come up for a few days even if none are taken.
Your case may be both.

 

[hankn]

Ditto here. My koi are skittish especially when a number of people are near the pond and will go to the deep (75cm) end and hang around the lily pots for cover. At feeding time they do know to come and the largest (35cm) leads the way and the smaller ones follow. Each koi has a personality and it could be yours are all of the timid strain.

 

[bomber]

My baby koi were the same as yours were.

This is what we did. It works for us and can be very fun if you like to watch your fish.

Feed your koi 2-3 pellets at a time.

Do not just feed them and leave.

This is how I got all my koi to each out of my hand and I am raising them from 4" and up.

Now I throw hand fulls in like usual and they always come to me when I walk by.

 

[bomber]

[YT]S5lrBNPsCYQ[/YT]

 

[Johnnie]

[YT]S5lrBNPsCYQ[/YT]

Bomber, nice video on Utube. By the way, I've uploaded (the 3rd time) a koi video on 9/3/2010, and it has still been "Uploaded (processing, please wait) " after 17 days! Have you ever experienced such a problem? If so, how do you fix the problem? I don't want to try uploading again the 4th time !

 

[bomber]

17 days. Ill pm you some tips. Can't seem to pm ya. Hate to derail but what I did was make a short vid so it does not take too long to load. Like a tester vid. After you get a short vid to work. Do the same to your final video. Keep videos under 2 mins unless its a MOVIE.

 

[bigbadfish711]

The problem is your fish do not know you. When you feed the fish do not walk away. Try not feeding for a day or 2. Go to the pond sit down beside it and feed them. While you are feeding the fish talk to them. The fish assoicate feeding time with people. And if you can another thing is feed at the same time every day or every other day. How ever ofter you normaly feed. This will get you fish out of that swim away stage. As the fish begin to trust you be werry to protect them. They might be more vonerable to cats and such. As with any thing to do with training any animal. Stay with it and Keep it consitant. Good fish keeping