Rearing Fish or Koi - advice needed

[mersaylee]

1 minute ago, Stratovarius said:

Otters makan them?

Don't think so. That was way before otters made their waves here 

It's a shallow pond albeit a big one...fat ass koi wouldn't be able to swim...😅

Edited February 14, 2022 by mersaylee

[serenade]

11 hours ago, therock said:

If you like them, check out the Jap restaurant on top of Pan Pac... Keyaki 

$$ but there's a nice koi pond there too, and the food is nice

I second Keyaki and the zen pond/garden. However, every time I kook at the koi there, I keep on thinking of the sashimi inside and wondering if koi sashimi is any good. 

[denser]

Rearing Koi needs a pond at home and good filtration system

[mersaylee]

7 minutes ago, denser said:

Rearing Koi needs a pond at home and good filtration system

I used to have babies in 3 feet aquarium...very nice to look at for a few months...😅

[Stratovarius]

anyone can recommend a place that sells a good variety of aquatic plants? alot of neighbourhood shops dont label them. 

[Volvobrick]

4 minutes ago, Stratovarius said:

anyone can recommend a place that sells a good variety of aquatic plants? alot of neighbourhood shops dont label them. 

There is a row of aquarium shops at Blk 328 Clementi.  Maybe you can find there. Not into aquatic plants myself though.

[mersaylee]

3 minutes ago, Stratovarius said:

anyone can recommend a place that sells a good variety of aquatic plants? alot of neighbourhood shops dont label them. 

Not sure if it's still there...last went just before covid. 

A good variety of plants a for a neighbourhood shop next to the open air carpark at Nex. It's near the Singapore Pools as reference. 

They sell live worms as well. 

[therock]

Some of the classic construction companies with their own building have really nice koi ponds 

[Volvobrick]

57 minutes ago, therock said:

Some of the classic construction companies with their own building have really nice koi ponds 

Workers whenever have spare time can dig - all sunk labour costs!

[denser]

3 hours ago, Stratovarius said:

anyone can recommend a place that sells a good variety of aquatic plants? alot of neighbourhood shops dont label them. 

you can go 10 pasir ris farmway 2

[Kklim]

@Stratovarius 
https://capricornaquarium.com/ They supply plants to the shops. Make sure to do 5% bleach solution soak to get rid of snails and other nasties.

[Stratovarius]

18 minutes ago, Kklim said:

@Stratovarius 
https://capricornaquarium.com/ They supply plants to the shops. Make sure to do 5% bleach solution soak to get rid of snails and other nasties.

Thanks. Seems that they have red root floaters which im looking for. 

[therock]

Some advice I got from the Marugen vendor:

FYI on salt treatment

Kois and goldfish internal body has 0.15% salt
If water has zero salt, external water will want to diffuse into the fish body due to osmotic pressure, which will cause fishes to have water retention. To prevent Water retention from happening, fish will have to burn energy to repel water from entering their body, so energy from food intake is wasted on this.

At 0.15% salinity, there is no osmotic pressure between water and fish skin surface, so fish can conserve energy from food intake for other purposes like growth etc.

Salt in water also has the added benefit of encouraging slime coating which acts as natural defense against external attacks from parasites.

Ideal salinity is 0.13 to 0.18% for kois and goldfishes

If there are abrasions or surface scratches, we can increase salinity to between 0.2 to 0.25% to help speed up skin repair recovery and minimize infection.

When fishes are ill, salt treatment at various concentration can be used for treatment. 

Usually parasitic attacks and bacterial infection, 0.3 to 0.4% is good. This is also very good when introduce new koi fishes in pond, to protect both new and existing fishes 

If viral infection and more serious illness or gill flukes attack, 0.5% to 0.6% treatment is ideal.

However, keeping water at high salt above 0.3% over a long period of time has an adverse effect of creating hybrid parasites and bacteria that are resistant to salt. If that happens, it will be difficult to treat using salt treatment in future. 

Hence it is important to dilute salt under 0.3% after 1 month

[therock]

Thanks for considering me, I 'otter' be grateful....

 

Anyway, those nets won't do any good, the gaps are just too wide, and even triple concertina wires won't stop them.. you have to close all your doors, sliding doors or windows or hide them at the back of your home in an enclosed backyard for example... unless they can climb up... I'm more than 10m from the ground.. these creatures have visited my area, but the homes had very porous gates, with plenty of gaps.. 

I love nature but this issue will polarise us, some are super otter lovers, I'm ok with them, but they have laid waste to many homes and they don't even eat everything! Obviously they don't care about what kind of fish they eat, so it's best to keep them away before they come. Don't confront a bunch of them, they do bite if stressed or cornered.. 

 

[Adrianli]

You might want to try these : http://www.wildlifeanimalcontrol.com/otterrepellent.html

[therock]

The recent spate of attacks has got me thinking..

The average net isn't going to be any use... if you have seen cats wriggle past the slimmest gaps in your fence, you'll know this..

"An otter can squeeze through a gap that is 10cm (4”) diameter/square. The maximum hole size for fencing to exclude otters is therefore 75mm (3”) square and there must not be any gaps in the fencing larger than 75mm (3”), including joins at gates or at the bottom of the fence."

It's better to rear koi at the back of your home, or have a sealed area...

If you're doing some fencing I found some tips online:

 

 

Some tips:

https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2020/10/28/otter-fencing-tips-expert-advice-to-protect-your-fishery/

Check all inflows and outflows carefully as these are often places where otters can get through a fence.

It’s essential your boundary fence is checked immediately following severe gales and any damage repaired immediately!

To assist with the visual inspection of the fence line, encroaching vegetation may need to be controlled, or cut back on a regular basis. Avoid using brush-cutters, however, since these can easily damage and cut the fence wire.

Ensure that all inlets & outlets, both above & below the water level are secure and otter proof. Some of these may need to be constructed so the grills can be removed and cleared of debris especially following periods of heavy rainfall.

Any low overhanging, dead, dying or diseased trees surrounding the fence should be removed. (Where appropriate, seek professional advice regarding roosting/hibernating bats).

Otters are adept at climbing, using any natural or man made vantage point.

If a ‘skirt’ has been incorporated within the fence design, ensure this is securely affixed to the ground along its entire length and ideally covered with soil, turf or aggregate.

Ensure that all fence posts and especially straining posts/struts are erected inside the fence line to prevent them acting as a ramp thereby providing an otter with the opportunity to climb.

Where two rolls of wire have been joined together, ensure that the spacing remains no greater than 50mm.

· Ensure that no fence wires have become broken or splayed over time, paying attention towards those at ground level.

Mind the gap! Otters, not to mention other invaders, love any additional space to crawl through or under! These can be as a result of poor installation, but may also appear over time, through human damage or tunneling animals.

Gates should be hung so that when closed there is no gap greater than 50mm on either the hanging or clashing side, or underneath the gate, whereby an otter may gain access. And ensure there is a solid base beneath the gate to prevent an otter being able to dig underneath.

Clearly sign post your gates to highlight that they need to be always kept securely closed and ideally incorporate a self-closing mechanism. Replace any damaged or missing signs and ensure that all members and visitors remain vigilant.

Consider using combination locks, especially on gates which are infrequently used.

Look for possible entry points being dug in, or out by rabbits, badgers etc.

Unfortunately, some sites have suffered from deliberate vandalism of their fence lines, with holes being cut through the fence. Stay vigilant and do your best to maintain good relations with the neighbouring community!

Try to get into good habits with inspecting your fence. Having one or a small handful of people to do this routinely at regular intervals will help to make sure any issues are picked up early.

For those sites which use either plain electric wire fences (whether singular or multiple lines); temporary electric netting; or electric scare wires in addition to a ‘barrier’ fence, it is imperative that the power supply is both adequate and maintained, and set on a fast pulse.  Maintain the tension along the plain wires and do not allow too wide a spacing.  One of the most crucial points is to ensure that the fence is NOT shorting out at any point along its entire length, caused by overhanging vegetation, or fallen branches etc.  For those sites which use timers, please be aware that otter can be active during daylight hours.

 

 

It's really hard work and some dressing at the bottom of the gate won't work:

 

[therock]

 

https://dnu7gk7p9afoo.cloudfront.net/otters-stillwater-fisheries-1.pdf

Quote

Do otters surplus kill? Very rarely, if a number of partially eaten fish are found, this may be from an otter which was disturbed whilst feeding. If an otter has taken a large fish it may have its fill eating just part of it. An otter will eat freshly killed fish in preference to finishing one it has caught the night before. An otter does not know how to react to an unnatural over-abundance of prey, and in this situation (densely and over-stocked fisheries) it may surplus kill. Some fish in fish farms have been known to die of shock whilst otters are hunting. If surplus kill is found, it is more likely to be a non-native mink. which has made the kill.

They usually don't kill for sport, but right now there's so much food, our local ones will start getting obese or high cholesterol... animal lovers will soon send them to see the GP for their simvastatin...

[mersaylee]

40 minutes ago, therock said:

 

https://dnu7gk7p9afoo.cloudfront.net/otters-stillwater-fisheries-1.pdf

They usually don't kill for sport, but right now there's so much food, our local ones will start getting obese or high cholesterol... animal lovers will soon send them to see the GP for their simvastatin...

No subsidised rate...im not gonna help fund them indirectly 😁