Jumping Koi

[Guest Rabbit]

i visited a friends house to day, she is on holiday .I checked the Koi in the pond, I counted only four fish, there are normally six, but the water was clouded with algae, so I wasn't sure that the other two were not there.

about an hour later I notices one of the Koi had jumped out of the pond and was sadly dead. the fish was seemingly visually in good health, fin and scale perfect. an estimate of weight would be 6lbs and approx 20 inches in length.

 

I was wondering if anyone can perhaps suggest a reason as to why this should happen, and if there is anything I could do eliminate any further mishaps.

 

Thanks

[MrWiggly]

i visited a friends house to day, she is on holiday .I checked the Koi in the pond, I counted only four fish, there are normally six, but the water was clouded with algae, so I wasn't sure that the other two were not there.

about an hour later I notices one of the Koi had jumped out of the pond and was sadly dead. the fish was seemingly visually in good health, fin and scale perfect. an estimate of weight would be 6lbs and approx 20 inches in length.

 

I was wondering if anyone can perhaps suggest a reason as to why this should happen, and if there is anything I could do eliminate any further mishaps.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Rabbit ..

 

In my experience fish usually " jump" when they are being irritated. It is their attempt to "Wash Out" something that is annoying their gills. Possibly the algae, or some chemical invasion of the water ? Another reason could be if they are spooked .. and are trying to get away from something.

 

Experienced fishkeepers often net over their ponds or holding tanks to stop fish jumping completely out of the pond ... and keep predators at bay !!

 

Wiggly.

Edited September 7, 2007 by MrWiggly

[five bellies]

i visited a friends house to day, she is on holiday .I checked the Koi in the pond, I counted only four fish, there are normally six, but the water was clouded with algae, so I wasn't sure that the other two were not there.

about an hour later I notices one of the Koi had jumped out of the pond and was sadly dead. the fish was seemingly visually in good health, fin and scale perfect. an estimate of weight would be 6lbs and approx 20 inches in length.

 

I was wondering if anyone can perhaps suggest a reason as to why this should happen, and if there is anything I could do eliminate any further mishaps.

 

Thanks

 

 

Check for high Nitrate levals, Mine started to jump after a swan mussel died and started to decompose pushing the Ni levals up.

[peter mccue]

It's a very natural action for a Carp to jump, I don't think I've ever seen a Carp water where they don't. The reasons are many & even if they are in perfect parasite free health they will still jump due to the fact they have to breach the water to carry out gas adjustments to their swim bladders.

 

So if the fish are particularly high jumpers, or the ponds configuration is such that the fish are likely to end up on dry land, the only real safeguard is a net.