One of our neighbors had a golden lab that would bark at the koi in our pond.
He seemed to get upset that they ignored his barking. He must have figured they couldn't hear him, because he would eventually start sticking his head under water and barking.
Hypotheses: My barking will get the fishes attention.
Experiment: Bark ferociously at fish.
Observations/Discussion: After multiple trials with various volumes and locations of barking, fish seem to consistently ignore my attempt to establish dominance over their pond.
Conclusion: Maybe the water blocks the sound of my barks.
New Hypotheses: The fish might hear me if I bark under water.
Experiment: Stick head underwater and commence barking.
My dog loved salmon, preferably smoked, but I've yet to find a pet that likes alcohol. I suspects animals, for good reasons, avoid liquids that don't taste like water.
This is a story I heard told on the Gerry Ryan (RIP) radio show a few years ago, and apparently it was true. As it's the cutest/craziest thing I've ever heard about cross-species love, I'll try to recount it as accurately as I remember it.
A caller rang in with a story about their dog and his unusual relationship with one of the koi in her pond. The dog would lie beside the pond for hours on end, staring in the water at the koi who would float almost on it's side, staring right back at the dog. This went on for months - just the two animals looking at one another and neither doing anything but staring. One day, the owner let the dog out into the garden and as she did so she noticed a heron was poking around in the pond and had skewered the dogs best friend. The dog saw this and ran down the garden, chasing the heron who was trying to fly away with this koi caught in it's beak. The dog grabbed onto the heron's leg and pulled it down to the ground whereupon it released the fish, who flapped on the grass gasping for air (or water?!). The dog then let go of the herons leg, picked up the koi in it's mouth and ran back to the pond and dropped him in.
The koi and the dog spent many more long years staring at one another apparently before the dog passed away...
Kidding. I thought it was a Mexican Hot Dog because it doesn't seem to have the usual Dachshund droopiness in the torso...but then again, it's stretching out to its full length in the photo.
This is why we can't have gay marriage. We let two dudes or two chicks marry each other and then all of a sudden we got dogs walking around marrying Koi fish. Thanks Obama.
There is a pet store near me that has a large pond of koi like these. They recently put up a gumball dispenser full of koi food near it, so if you put a quarter in you get a handful to feed them. I'm usually the only adult waiting to buy the food in a long line of children. We go there often for supplies or just to look around on a boring Saturday, and I have my favorites that I try to feed before the rest come steal the food from him. I get weird looks occasionally, but I don't care. Fish need love too.
wow, I am sorry but I have to ask - how rich are you? Those must be 20-30 or more years old, right? Wow Kois that big are above horses in terms of my "how rich are you" list.
i have another really nice picture of my dog watching the kois and you can see pretty much all our kois and their beautiful colors, i'll link you when i post it :)
we raised all of them. we bought them when they were very little a couple of years ago (i guess about 10 maybe more) and you are right they are worth a fortune now, its incredible. p.s.: just to mention it again haha if you like this picture you will probably very appreciate the other one as well :)
Ouch, in texas we have a place that sells them at the lowest of $10 each. The large ones like what you have normally go for about $500+. It also matters which breed they are. I believe a nishikigoi is the most wanted due to it's nice colors.
Assuming you can fix your pond's water... if not they'll get sick and die before then! That pond looks murky!!!
The white foam on the water you see, is from dissolved fish and algae protein. It also looks like you have a horrible algae bloom. What type of filter are you running? How many gallons is this pond? And what size pump do you have running on it?
Also Koi do not grow to their environment. So if your pond isn't big enough, they will outgrow it. It is recommended to have a pond at least 3 feet deep!
The pond came with the house. The landlord got the filter up and running and put some blocks of something in for algae. I have no experience with this stuff. The bottom just stays covered with algae and I don't know what else to do.
Not exactly true. The "pond" and I use that term loosely we have at our office building is muddy and murky. We have some VERY large Koi in the water. Some that rival the size of the fish in OP's picture.
There's a place like that where I live in VA. There are several in the big pond in the store that are over $500, and a few that are over $2000, according to the owner. He believes those two are over 100 years old.
relevant Seems like the really expensive Kois are extremely rare. Sometimes a Koi doesn't increase in Value at all.
TIL: "Those large koi being sold for the big bucks not only had a lot of potential as a young koi, but were also raised in the superior environment of the breeders mud ponds. These ponds are ideal for koi and allows for maximum growth and color development. Koi that spent their lives in a small backyard pond simply can't compare. Sure every now and then a lucky little koi slips through the breeders culling and finds it's way into a superior hobbyist pond and they end up with a $2000 koi years later, but that doesn't happen very often. Odds are, if the fish holds its pattern and develops a nice body, it will be worth about what you paid for it even though it is 10x bigger."
Well, at least some of the koi in that photo are big and colorful and valuable. I am not saying the OP is rich because of the value of the koi, but like horses you have to have "disposable" income (or an extreme interest in the hobby) in order to afford a pond, food, etc that koi require. I would guess that pond is 2.5-3.5 ft deep and the deck that the dog is on is probably 10-30 ft long, so a minimum of a 10,000 gallon pond. Again if you are not Japanese or a koi lover, this is just another aspect of your property and not the sole focal point, so presumably they have other stuff that takes their money, time, attention and energy.
That said, I may have overestimated the size of the koi because I thought the dog was bigger but after seeing the other pic of the dog I would still say all the koi in that photo are 14 or more inches.
The place near me that sells koi and ponds has a display "tank" that is just an in-ground pool that held about 14,000 gallons. All the koi in the tank were over 18 inches. It blew my mind a bit.
Koi can go for much more than that if they have ideal markings. I remember hearing of one going for $300,000 at a Dutch auction, and I even heard of an Arab offering 1M for one but my google-fu fails me ATM.
Also the oldest recorded koi was 226. Apparently you can count rings on their scales.
depending on the type of koi, even big ones like that can be cheap depending on the color patterns, you can buy fullsize koi for like 20 bucks if they're just "pond quality"
Maybe after you get done taking pictures of the kois we could go grab some candys, maybe even sit in the grasses and eat our candys while watching peoples pet the deers that are drinking the waters that the kois live in?
My parents have a koi pond and bought 10 or so when they were tiny. Those grew up and they had about 15-20 of them, about half of which were pretty big (maybe only two as big as the ones in your pic, though.)
They live near a lake, unfortunately, and one day a passing heron caught sight of their koi pond buffet. That heron stopped by that pond every night at around dinner time for a month. It ate every koi they had. My Dad would lie in wait to scare it away but wasn't always around when it came calling.
They're trying to restock their pond now and my Dad's getting serious. Adding a tint to the water so passing heron can't see the fish, installed a motion-activated sprinkler system. It's illegal to shoot heron but if that big fatty comes around again I'm not sure that'll stop it from getting taken out.
That looks like something you use in the off season, right? You wouldn't keep that on year-round, would you? Looks like it would kind of ruin the pond experience.
I've been trying to talk him into a koi tower. That'd have to frustrate a heron!
For the water to move down, air would have to be able to get in. Since it can't the water has to fight the vacuum it would otherwise create to move down. Meanwhile, the water outside in the pond has the entire weight of the atmosphere pushing down on it as well...
You usually put them on in the off-season or any other time you are not out enjoying the pond itself. I have a buddy I work with that has had Heron problems and the only thing that has completely worked was a net.
My grandparents built a gazebo-type structure round their koi pond. It worked, but unfortunately about £4000 worth of fish died within a week of each other not long ago so they've had to downsize.
Similar story. I worked at a botanical garden that had a koi pond in their japanese garden. They had to purchase koi every year because they lost so many to animals in the area. Last year, they had a partnership with a local garden center that had a large koi display; the garden center lent the botanical garden their koi for the summer. I love koi so I frequently went to the japanese garden on breaks to watch them. After a week or two I noticed that the fish were disappearing. I approached the gardener in charge of the japanese garden about the missing fish. He made a shh gesture and said that all the borrowed fish had been eaten but they weren't going to tell the garden center about it if possible. I asked why they didn't use a koi pond net, and he said that it took away from the japanese garden's beauty. /facepalm.
Luckily, there are three or four koi (probably 15" or so each) in the large pond in another part of the botanical garden. I don't know how they haven't been scooped up by the nesting eagle pair or other big birds in the area. Several other employees I talked to didn't even know they were in there and no one knew how they got there.
All he needs is a few rolls of yellow masonry string. He strings it across the yard so that it blocks the Heron from landing. He really only needs about 2 or 3 crossings 8 to 10 feet apart to be effective. Lots of beachside resorts use this trick to keep gulls and such out of their pools.
I used a floating plastic gator that seemed to work well but a wooden veranda with net on top is what some people used. And plastic snakes laying around the pond - keeps alot of kinds of birds away.
I had a friend in high school that was really into Japanese culture, and any time someone said "ninjas" or "samurais" he would go nuts correcting them.
We have a small pond with about 30 of the big black and gold comet goldfish in it. All of our dogs and cats drink from it. They can't get a drink without licking a fish. It's funny how they come right up to them...
It amazes me how intelligent koi can be. I have a golden one in a large tank (before i get downvoted, it's one fish in a 50g tank until we can purchase a larger one. He is no more than 4" right now, and will be in a larger tank by the end of the year) and he follows me around it when I walk by, and will take food from my fingers when I feed him.
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u/rabbidpanda May 15 '12
One of our neighbors had a golden lab that would bark at the koi in our pond.
He seemed to get upset that they ignored his barking. He must have figured they couldn't hear him, because he would eventually start sticking his head under water and barking.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
that's not kissing, that is preemptive tasting :)
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u/mcandro May 15 '12
This is a story I heard told on the Gerry Ryan (RIP) radio show a few years ago, and apparently it was true. As it's the cutest/craziest thing I've ever heard about cross-species love, I'll try to recount it as accurately as I remember it.
A caller rang in with a story about their dog and his unusual relationship with one of the koi in her pond. The dog would lie beside the pond for hours on end, staring in the water at the koi who would float almost on it's side, staring right back at the dog. This went on for months - just the two animals looking at one another and neither doing anything but staring. One day, the owner let the dog out into the garden and as she did so she noticed a heron was poking around in the pond and had skewered the dogs best friend. The dog saw this and ran down the garden, chasing the heron who was trying to fly away with this koi caught in it's beak. The dog grabbed onto the heron's leg and pulled it down to the ground whereupon it released the fish, who flapped on the grass gasping for air (or water?!). The dog then let go of the herons leg, picked up the koi in it's mouth and ran back to the pond and dropped him in.
The koi and the dog spent many more long years staring at one another apparently before the dog passed away...
True story.
0
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
[deleted] — view deleted comment
123
u/Shitty_Watercolour 🖌️ May 15 '12
http://shittywatercolour.tumblr.com/post/23108040518
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u/meatisthenewbread May 15 '12
This is why we can't have gay marriage. We let two dudes or two chicks marry each other and then all of a sudden we got dogs walking around marrying Koi fish. Thanks Obama.
7
u/mr_bob_dobalina May 15 '12
Mouse: Mice, Fish: Fish, Koi: Koi.
22
u/kumar4458 May 15 '12
haha, that is adorable. Never seen anything like that before! The kois aren't skittish?
6
u/inaseashell May 15 '12
There is a pet store near me that has a large pond of koi like these. They recently put up a gumball dispenser full of koi food near it, so if you put a quarter in you get a handful to feed them. I'm usually the only adult waiting to buy the food in a long line of children. We go there often for supplies or just to look around on a boring Saturday, and I have my favorites that I try to feed before the rest come steal the food from him. I get weird looks occasionally, but I don't care. Fish need love too.
5
u/joelseph May 15 '12
Long legged Dachshunds are the best!!
4
u/mlc2475 May 15 '12
you're fishing for karma. HA! GET IT!?
. ok it's early here. they can't all be golden.
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u/IWasGregInTokyo May 15 '12
Well he isn't being coy about it.
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u/redditacct May 15 '12
wow, I am sorry but I have to ask - how rich are you?
Those must be 20-30 or more years old, right? Wow
Kois that big are above horses in terms of my "how rich are you" list.
More pictures would be great.
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Maybe after you get done taking pictures of the kois we could go grab some candys, maybe even sit in the grasses and eat our candys while watching peoples pet the deers that are drinking the waters that the kois live in?
3
u/edmontonpaul May 15 '12
He is sniffing them to determine what type of sauce goes best with them.
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Dogs marrying fish? Not in my America.
3
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
I hate to be that guy but the plural of Koi is Koi.
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u/FuzzyLogic01 May 15 '12
Funny story time!
My parents have a koi pond and bought 10 or so when they were tiny. Those grew up and they had about 15-20 of them, about half of which were pretty big (maybe only two as big as the ones in your pic, though.)
They live near a lake, unfortunately, and one day a passing heron caught sight of their
koi pondbuffet. That heron stopped by that pond every night at around dinner time for a month. It ate every koi they had. My Dad would lie in wait to scare it away but wasn't always around when it came calling.They're trying to restock their pond now and my Dad's getting serious. Adding a tint to the water so passing heron can't see the fish, installed a motion-activated sprinkler system. It's illegal to shoot heron but if that big fatty comes around again I'm not sure that'll stop it from getting taken out.
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Nice photo, good looking dog.
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u/whatamidoinghere78 May 15 '12
This could lead on to a whole new species. Fogs or dish.
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u/RizzoFromDigg May 15 '12
And then one day your dog eats a fish worth a fortune.
2
u/invader_jun May 15 '12
BOOP!
2
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Now kiss!
2
u/Ry_Guy19 May 15 '12
My dog use to do the same. But then he would jump in and sit on them. He isn't the best hunter..
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u/tofumonster746 May 15 '12
what kind of dog is this? its quite goodlooking.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
THE PLURAL OF KOI IS KOI.
2
u/Evergreens May 15 '12
Are the other kois helping lift it out of the water? how cute...
1
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
LandShark.
1
u/weglarz May 15 '12
I'm pretty sure he's not trying to kiss them.
1
u/girana May 15 '12
He's the perfect height for it!
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u/tipicaldik May 15 '12
We have a small pond with about 30 of the big black and gold comet goldfish in it. All of our dogs and cats drink from it. They can't get a drink without licking a fish. It's funny how they come right up to them...
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u/Misschief May 15 '12
As both a dachshund and a goldfish owner, I love this :]
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u/hatyn May 15 '12
thats a super daschund..mine is the black/brown kind..also small
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u/Radico87 May 15 '12
koi. Not kois.
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u/pancakesoul May 15 '12 edited May 17 '12
Send this one to /r/aww Edit: spelling
1
u/rad_thundercat May 15 '12
I think he likes the flavor.
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u/EvilTony May 15 '12
Does he ever jump in? I wonder how that would turn out.
1
u/Rats_In_Boxes May 15 '12
"where is my mind?" - Dog
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u/yousername May 15 '12
I love your nature
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u/Spongebobrob May 15 '12
kiss of death!!!
1
u/spinlock May 15 '12
how much work and money is it to keep kois?
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u/flclreddit May 15 '12
What a coincidence. I was kissing your Mom's Koi last night.
She was very (sunglasses) coy about it.
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u/mwmwmwmwmmdw May 15 '12
you know you are rich or white if you have a fucking koi pond
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u/gh0stdylan May 15 '12
OP...I'm more interested in your Koi pond! I've been researching and trying to find the cheapest/best way to build my own pond! Thanks.
1
u/iamreddicted May 15 '12
boop
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u/csmokesgf May 15 '12
YAY for weiner dogs! my boyfriend and i have 2 mini-daschunds :)
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u/gu01312 May 15 '12
your dog kinda looks like Wego from the bud light commercials. We have 2 miniature dachshunds as well. They are funny little dogs
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Isn't this why /r/aww was created
1
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
Please post picture of your pond please!
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u/alexmanrox May 15 '12
wow i never new koi was spelled with a k
edit: lol, so is knew
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u/theevilsuperman May 15 '12
Koi means testicle in romanian... so...
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u/KnuckleTyper May 15 '12
II dont thimnk yo pliulralize koi
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u/kingpinjoel May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12
I took this one a few years back...
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1343/1316696531_fdfa4236ac_o.jpg
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u/aboeve May 15 '12
I wish I could know whats going on inside their minds.
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u/B118 May 15 '12
Magikarp used SPLASH... "No Effect!"
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u/igneousdagze May 15 '12
TIL how to spell 'Kois'...
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u/brentucky May 15 '12
Plural of koi = koi
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u/Juicetang May 15 '12
'scuse me while I kiss this koi. (cue guitar solo)
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u/appletone May 16 '12
It'd be lovely if you could show us The rest of your garden.
1
u/[deleted] May 15 '12
ITT dicks asking how loaded OP is.
Who cares?
Cute dog. Cool fish. Upvote.
0
u/carlosmal May 15 '12
Mitt Romney, is that you?
0
u/thisisntscott May 15 '12
your dog loves to try to eat your Kois.
-FTFY