My koi stay at the bottom of the pond?

Question

I bought them a week ago and attributed their shyness to their new surroundings... but now it's been a week and they still don't come up for food or even swim around. They are probably eating bugs and whatnot to survive but I haven't seen it.
Sigh... I was hoping to sit by my pond and watch the little buggers swim around all happy like. Is this just their nature or are they unhappy?
I have two 4 inch koi in a 500 gallon pond... big filter and bacteria added weekly. What could I be doing wrong?

Answer 1

First, I would stop adding any bacteria supplements. Most are simply trash and end up contaminating the pond.

Considering that they are hanging at the bottom and not eating I would wonder about the temperature of the pond. Is it over about 65F? If not that explains both activities.

MM

Answer 2

Two possibilities:

1) If your water is cold (below 65 degrees or so), koi naturally go into a state of "suspended animation" very similar to hibernation. When the water warms up, they will become more active. Check your fishes' dorsal fins - if they are erect, your fish are happy and healthy (when they start to clamp their fins close to their bodies, you have stressed, unhappy fish and you'd better test your water, etc.).

2) If you are standing up over them, looking down on them as you watch them, you are assuming posture similar to their natural predators (herons, egrets, etc.). The predators' instinct is to watch for movement, so if the fish hold really still, they increase their chances of escaping the predator's notice and going on to live another day. Try starting out with laying on your stomach with your chin on your hands, then gradually sit up, then move to a chair, etc., as you gradually introduce them to the idea that a big thing standing next to their pond is not about to pounce on them and eat them. If you actually do get a heron or other predator who visits your pond, however, it may convince your fish that they were right to be scared and you will have to start out with keeping a low profile all over again.

If neither of these things seems to address your situation, go to www.koivet.com, and look at some of the common questions that are asked there. Many of them address diagnosing problems with fish via their behavior.

Hope this helps - good luck!

Answer 3

I think the koi's aren't really interested on going for food. I would lower down the height of the water until you could see them clearly then feed them. They will get used to being fed and slowly raise the water a litle bit higher than the day before. Soon, your koi's will be full, happy and healthy,