How To Stop herons Eating Your Fish | Protecting Baby Koi Fish In Pond

how to stop herons eating pond fish & Keep Fish safe from Pond Predators?

Nothing aggravates more than getting your pond up to scratch with it looking absolutely fantastic. Now you have crystal clear water and can easily see your koi and pond fish swimming about. Hang on a minute, where are your fish?

I wonder where they are because I can’t see them hiding. Suddenly a horrible feeling creeps upon you! Have they been eaten? Your suspicion is further backed up by the appearance of a few shining scales on the top of the pond wall.

In this article I would like to talk about how to stop herons eating your fish. Protecting baby koi fish and other pond fish from these opportunistic critters is something I'm willing to bet you never thought about prior to building your garden fish pond.

Ok so your pond pH is normal, somewhere between a pH of 6.8 – 7.8 and your pond is free from algae and blanket weed but you still can’t see your Koi and goldfish, despite the clear water.

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Chances are your pond fish have been taken by a predatory blue heron or a raccoon. In the USA a major culprit is the Raccoon, a vivacious scavenger.

Your typical Raccoon loves nothing better than to root around in garden ponds for a free morsel to eat. Even ponds as deep as 2 feet are not always safe from these pesky critters.

Other common predators of backyard fish are king fishers. Domestic cats have also been known to kill and eat Koi and goldfish. Even certain species of diving waterfowl might find your pond fish to be an easy meal.

So how do I stop herons eating my fish & Keep My Fish Safe From Predators

Herons are voracious eaters of fish and an adult heron is more than capable of eating 1lb of fish on a daily basis. That is the same as 3 koi measuring 7" in length. It would cost about $70 to replace them.

In answer to "how to stop herons eating your fish" there are a myriad of products for sale aimed at protecting your pond fish from herons and other potential predators, including...

Pond Netting ... a pond net cover is a good way to to stop herons eating your fish. The net needs to stand about 12" (30cm) above the surface of the pond and needs to be stretched tightly. If you don't do this the heron will attempt to spear fish through the holes. It does however take away from the natural look of the pond but if it stops predators and herons eating fish then it is worth the sacrifice in my opinion.
Electronic Animal Scarers ... The Contech automatic ultrasonic cat repellent is a popular animal deterrent.
Animal Scarers That Spray Water ... The Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler blasts the intruder with water. A great way of protecting baby fish.
Animal Scarers That Blast Air ... The Mini Scarecrow pest repeller blasts the intruder with compressed air and scares it away.
Animal Decoys ... The blue heron repellent statue is an example of a great blue heron repellent. Herons are territorial creatures and the sight of another blue heron will keep this pest away.
Marginal Plants ... Planting Marginal plants around the perimeter of your pond will make it much more difficult for the heron to gain access to the fish in the pond. This method also adds beauty to the overall pond effect.

What Else Can You Do To stop herons eating your fish?

A good idea is to design the pond so as to allow the pond fish hiding places, both from larger fish and predators such as the great blue heron, king fisher, raccoon and domestic cat.

A raised rock on the bottom of a pond serves more than one purpose. Besides offering fish protection from predators, it provides a place for skittish fish to hang out.

This provides a means of escape from a direct attack should something reach in, dive in or do whatever it does in the wild to catch its food.

Your pond fish with their amazing survival instinct and quick movement will be able to run for cover and stay there until the intruder or predator has given up and left.

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