Protect Your Pond Fish From Predators With These 6 Methods
Keep Your Pond Fish Safe From Predators In Iowa Using One Or More Of These 6 Methods
You can protect your pond fish in several different ways, including caves, tunnels, floating plants, and more. Fish predators see your pond as a prime location for an easy meal because it’s smaller than most bodies of water and your fish have no defenses. You can give them a fighting chance with one or more of these 6 protection methods.
You may have to try more than one of these methods out to see which one protects your pond fish best as each has different costs and benefits.
It’s Not Like They Walked Out!
“Wait, so Elvis Fishley has left the building?!”
Priscilla crosses her arms and glares at Aaron to let him know she isn’t joking. She’s just told him that she can’t find her favorite koi fish in their pond and she’s been looking for 10 minutes.
Aaron knows the signs so he wipes the smile from his face. “This isn’t the first time this has happened. It’s not like they grew legs and walked out of the pond! I think something is eating our fish, like what happened with the Hansen’s pond.”
Aaron remembers the Hansens’ pond fish started pulling the vanishing act too until they started protecting their pond fish. The couple decides to look up different ways to protect pond fish in Iowa.
1. Floating Plants
The first method they find is to use floating plants.
Fish can use floating plants as cover to hide from predators. The plants block hungry animals’ view of what’s in your pond, so as far as they can see your pond has no fish in it. Plus, floating and other pond plants make your pond look more beautiful and natural.
The plants don’t have to cover the entire pond, that would make it hard for you to see your own fish!
Priscilla loves this idea and wants to put floating plants in their pond ASAP. But they want to know what other ideas are out there too.
2. Netting
Netting is great for more than fall pond maintenance. It’ll keep leaves and most predators out of your pond, although it is easy to see and can somewhat interrupt the natural look of your pond. This can be worth it to protect your pond fish though.
3. Decoys
Birds don’t want to fight each other, especially herons, so if you set up a decoy in or beside your pond it should keep other herons from landing.
BUT herons are smart birds so they may catch on eventually. The best way to outsmart them again is to move the decoy around every few days or at least once per week.
Aaron thinks this idea is fun (he mostly just wants a bird “statue” to play around with) but Priscilla wants to keep looking.
4. Honorable Mentions For Protecting Pond Fish
You can set up motion sensors linked to lights or water sprayers to protect your pond fish from predators. They tend to scare off most predators, though some may eventually figure out it won’t hurt them. Just be careful you don’t end up getting sprayed!
You can twine fishing line over your pond too. This makes it harder for birds to find footing in or around your pond. It’s like a net but doesn’t block the view as much.
5. Our Favorite Method To Protect Pond Fish
They Decide They Want…
Priscilla wants to add floating plants and Aaron wants to use the heron decoy. They aren’t sure if it’ll be enough, but they’ll try them out and see how they work. If their fish are still disappearing then they’ll try the fish caves and tunnels.
They both go out to look for Elvis Fishly who, as it turns out, was hiding beneath a rock ledge that sticks out a bit over the pond. Now they just need to make sure that’s the only reason they can’t find their fish.