Fish in Pond

[Bluebell]

I have a mix of 8 good sized goldfish, shubunkins and orfes in the pond and a month ago, I bought 8 more small ones. I haven't seen them since. One neighbour has said they'll have gone to the bottom of the pond until they grow, another neighbour cheerfully told me that the resident fish will have eaten them. I would be most grateful for any advice, I don't want to buy more fish merely to feed the fish already in the pond. Many thanks.

[sixpence]

I'm not an expert, bluebell, but I have all different sized fish in my pond and the big ones don't eat the little ones. I know they can disappear for ages, so I'm sure they are there somewhere. Before I had made a cover a heron came and pinched one of the bigger ones and the others stayed in hiding for weeks.

[Bluebell]

Thank you sixpence. That was very re-assuring. I won't rush out and buy more fish. Interestingly we now have a net covering the pond, but it didn't stop us being visited by the heron early Tuesday morning. He got himseld entangled in the netting. As we have been wiped out twice in the past, I tried and failed to be too sympathetic!. Hopefully, he may have learnt his lesson.

[WendyS]

As soon as I read your post Bluebell, I was going to ask "Are you sure you haven't got a visiting heron?" but is see sixpence has beat me to it. They are very shy birds and come very early in the morning as soon as it's light. They're particularly active in their search for food at the moment because it's the breeding season.