keyhole kate Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Grrr Blooomin Dog we are looking after Ds and Dil dog whilst they have gone to visit her parents with the New Baby. I went out this morning to open the eglu door which has two of my littlies in as soon as I opened the door I could hear the fish pond pump running empty the bloomin dog must have walked over the waterfall and dislodged it emptying the pond all our fish were stranded in the bottom lying on top of the lillies and weed I couldn't see any movement at all I grabbed the hose and started to refill the pond thinking that I would have to pardon the pun fish them all out To my amazement they gradually started to move apart from a couple of inch long fry from last year they are all swimming around as if nothing had happened and yet not a single fishes gills were moving? anyone else had a similar experience or can offer an explanation my DH has suggested that perhaps they may go into some kind of suspended animation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Well if had only just happened fish can stay alive for half an hour out of water, longer if they are still wet. Any help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 Well if had only just happened fish can stay alive for half an hour out of water, longer if they are still wet.Any help? Thanks I didn't know that so a possibility I wish I knew how long they had been like that it was quite creepy it was like a ressurection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Pond fish go dormant at this time of year. Our fish are at the bottom of the pond and have been for weeks. Their systems slow right down, ours haven't eaten for weeks and they are totally inactive. Maybe this helped them to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I read once about a goldfish that was out of water for an hour but survived, the article said that with even a tiny film of water over their gills they can survive! Weird though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 I read once about a goldfish that was out of water for an hour but survived, the article said that with even a tiny film of water over their gills they can survive! Weird though! Weird is definately the word for it I still feel freaked out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Your fish will be in sort "semi-hibernation" at this time of year, the colder it is the more their metabolism slows down so I think they have survived a lot longer in this kind of weather thant they would have done if the weather had been even a little warmer, they would not have lasted long at all in hot weather (not that that's something we tend to have to worry about, even in summer! ) You are lucky they weren't picked off by herons or cats! It might be worth you buying a bottle of dechlorinator and plonking a good amount of that in as you have replaced just about all of the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 Thanks Bramble the pond has a rigid cover that we bought with the pond and is on all the time as my grandsons were little when we built it and yes my OH recently saw a Heron fishing in our next neighbours pond they have now netted it off the fresh tap water is a good point I will get some fresh start today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
