A Question For Pond Keepers

[Griswold]

I know there are people with ponds on here so here's a puzzler for you.

My garden pond is around 10ft by 8ft by 3ft deep all round, no shallow areas. I have a mix of Ghost Koi, Goldfish, Tench, Gudgeon and Rudd.

Recently the Rudd have all disappeared!

Given that they are shyer by nature and much faster swimmers than the other fish; and given the depth of the pond I don't believe it could be a Heron attack.

Nothing else is missing, just the Rudd, some of which were a good size! There were 8 or 10 of them, 3 originals the rest bred in the pond. No floating bodies and none on the bottom.

Any thoughts as to what has happened to them?

[ralphy]

Otter?

I'm not kidding btw, they're known to travel quite a distance to raid ponds.

R

[ALindsay]

My Rudd do a disappearing act in the cold months and then reappear when it warms up every year. I think they are very good at camouflage, maybe yours are too.

[JonRA]

Otter?

I'm not kidding btw, they're known to travel quite a distance to raid ponds.

R

Slightly off topic but an otter went for a wander around Shrewsbury town centre recently https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/...n-town-centre/ - so they certainly go quite a way from their natural habitat if they want

I was wondering whether to Koi are looking a bit more portly ;)

[Kingstepper]

Would an otter only take rudd?

[Bonzodog]

May well be a heron,one had a good go at my pond a few years back,I now cover with a net Oct to April.

[Griswold]

Otter?

I'm not kidding btw, they're known to travel quite a distance to raid ponds.

R

Interesting thought as we're very near the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Potteric Carr which has a number of large lakes and waterways, but there haven't been any sightings of Otters there. Lynn and I are members and there are many varieties of birds there but, sadly. no Otters.

And would they single out Rudd? The Goldfish are brighter and easier to see and the Ghost Koi slower swimmers and a bigger meal.

[Griswold]

My Rudd do a disappearing act in the cold months and then reappear when it warms up every year. I think they are very good at camouflage, maybe yours are too.

Interesting. I'm an angler and catch Roach and Rudd all year round in the wild, but it will be interesting to see if they reappear in the pond come spring.

[ralphy]

And would they single out Rudd? The Goldfish are brighter and easier to see and the Ghost Koi slower swimmers and a bigger meal.

In a large pond near us the otter took out one species (I don’t know which one) before it took the koi’s.
IIRC it was only the goldfish that were finally left. It also allegedly took one of the resident ducks (some of the fish were witnessed, whereas the duck wasn't).

R

[sish101]

I have rudd in my pond but they always disappear this time of year, they are very hard to spot, especially as the sun has moved around and the pond gets little direct light.

They'll reappear around April next year.

Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves

[Griswold]

Many thanks for all the replies, appreciated. Really interested in the posts which suggest they'll be back when it warms up in the Spring. This will be the first winter that this has happened, they've been visible and have fed right through in previous years.

[Kingstepper]

Cormorant?

[bandylegss]

Interesting. I'm an angler and catch Roach and Rudd all year round in the wild, but it will be interesting to see if they reappear in the pond come spring.

Underwater camera Peter would be an interesting watch.

[oldoakknives]

Interesting thought as we're very near the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Potteric Carr which has a number of large lakes and waterways, but there haven't been any sightings of Otters there. Lynn and I are members and there are many varieties of birds there but, sadly. no Otters.

And would they single out Rudd? The Goldfish are brighter and easier to see and the Ghost Koi slower swimmers and a bigger meal.

Perhaps they just taste better?

[sish101]

Thread re-visit. It's quite a bright day here and due to the angle of the sun, the rudd are again visible in the pond. I've counted them and everyone is present and correct .