Caryl Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Missing - over 56 (ie ALL of them) goldfish from my pond. No sign of herons, cats, no dead bodies - nothing. They were all there Wednesday afternoon when I fed them but not there the next afternoon, or any day since. As you know, we had a blue heron visit ages ago but it has not been seen for over a month. We removed the netting a couple of weeks ago but the string around the edges is still there. As I have been home, I would have seen a heron making his way through the fish. When it first arrived the fish all hid under the deck, they're not stupid, so even if a heron had visited, there would be one or two left surely? They have 2 decks about a metre each deep so plenty of hiding places. We have not sighted any herons anywhere. If someone had sprayed there would be bodies. I doubt they were stolen as the plants appear untouched. If someone had been scooping through with a net they would have tangled in the plants. Besides, they would be hard pressed to net every single fish. Any other ideas??? We now have an empty pond (although I did see one fry about 3cm long so I am sure there are more from this year's spawning) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Abducted by aliens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Wouldn't surprise me :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 that sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 sad for you Caryl possibly stolen though i have seen a king shag eat 40 goldfish in a sitting sticks and stones had no effect but the air rifle stopped the feast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Perhaps they went on a summer holiday? How bizarre! My sympathies as I know you are so proud of your pond. Could be interesting watching the fry coming through without any big fish to eat them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Ouch. That's alot of fish to lose in one go My commiserations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northland chic Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Thats so sad, your pond looks awesome. I would go with stolen I think because thats alot of fish, of course a pair of birds could be responsible. But surely the fish would have cottoned onto the birds and hid. The fish look very friendly what about if someone came over with a little food and a smaller sized whitebait net and just scooped. Although your right surely it would have disturbed the plants. I don't know very weird. Can your pond be seen from the road? If my memory is right its in your backyard fenced in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I'm stunned - I would also go stolen as it happens up here quite a bit. Surely they would have hidden had a bird been responsible. Let us know how you get on when you clear out the pond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 That's really awful. Those fish looked so beautiful in your pond when I saw them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I don't think they were stolen. The pond was only unattended about 2 hours max on the day I noticed they had disappeared. The pond can't be seen from the road as we live in a back section. The pond can't even be seen from the drive if someone drove up as it is on the opposite side of the house. If someone used a net I would expect the plants to be disturbed and they aren't. I would also expect one or two to miss the net - they are comets and fast! First sign of trouble and they are under the deck. It has gone quite green in the past few weeks so I could imagine if they are on the bottom they would not be seen but they would still come up for a feed. When I mowed the lawn on Wednesday they were all swimming up and down the pond following me as I mowed up one side of the pond edge! It was so funny to watch. As soon as I walk down the verandah they are there waiting to be fed - usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 so its either a big shag or abducted by aliens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 WOW that's really unusual and annoying. Is it possible they have died and haven't floated yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkie Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 i no how you feel i have about 200 plus minnows eaten and 3 small orandas by king fishers i back onto a gully and theres heaps of the buggers.he even left his calling card....a nice dollop of bird crap on the top of the tank the orandas were in lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 No sign of bird poo anywhere either. They have been missing 4 days now caserole so I wuold expect bodies to be floating by now if they had died en masse. Another suggestion offered this morning was they were taken by God. He heard them playing that Do They Think It's Christmas (feed the world) song on the radio so often he decided he needed more loaves and fishes. This was tricky thinking on God's part since he obviously figured taking an atheist's fish would mean I wouldn't think to blame Him :lol: Once the weather warms up a bit I think I will go wading with a net and see if I can dredge up any further evidence :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 This was tricky thinking on God's part since he obviously figured taking an atheist's fish would mean I wouldn't think to blame Him :lol: LOL we must be on our guards at all times! (what are goldfish like to eat??) What about something aquatic getting into the pond to eat them, like an eel or similar, thus not being seen and the under-deck refuge not being all that helpful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 I don't think it could be an eel. Although we are not far from a river, it is dry at this time of year and we have never seen eels before. I will check when I go wading (shudders at the thought of stepping on an eel). Besides, could an eel manage to eat that many fish that fast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefish Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 What about a water rat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 What about a water rat? or a dozen. that is a alot of fish to eat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 scratch eel, a pack of rats or the hand of god to be able to take that many fish in a short time leaves a large aquatic bird or an otter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzoom1 Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Are you sure someone didn't just jump the fence with a big net and scoop them all out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 RiverLice? (is there such thing?) i just changed the sea in sealice to river :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 I don't see how someone could manage it without making a mess - and the plants etc all look just the same. We don't have any otters around here to my knowledge, nor have I seen any large aquatic birds. I guess it will remain a mystery :-? Never seen a water rat. The river not far from us is dry most of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Maybe a Group of Ducks/Geese/ Seaguls/Pelicans ( :lol: ) Or all of the above visisted you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted December 15, 2008 Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 I have afew theories -If not the hand of god, then mayb evolution. They grew legs and walked away -someone pull the plug and the refilled it -they are pulling a prank on you and hiding when ever you come out -meteor came and wiped them out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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