my fishies... :o)

Question
Hi Brigitte.. I have a 700 gallon pond in my backyard.. I have 2 Koi 3 fantail goldfish and 3 shubunkin. I set the pond up in May and cant even begin to tell you all the trials and tears I have been through. I finally got my pond up to par by the beginning of Sept. Then at the beginning of November I took my 2 Plecos and my snail out of the pond and put them in a 55gal tank indoors. My pond is set up under a huge Japanese maple and the maple has recently lost all of its leaves. I came home a few weeks ago to find only 3 fish left in the pond and it just so happened to be the 2 Koi and the largest fantail that were left. I figured it was a hawk or egret or other predatory bird and for now I have laid 2 large screen doors across the pond and it is sufficient for now but my question is can I use a fake owl and does it REALLY work and once the leaves on the maple come back and block the birdseye view of the pond will I still need to worry. Also all the squirrels rabbits and wild birds drink from the waterfall return and I really don't want a motion-activated sprinkler that will run them off. I also have another question, I recently adopted a weather dojo loach and I have read that they thrive in ponds and can remain in the pond through the winter and actually don't do well in artificially heated aquariums. Is this true and if so can I introduce the loach to the pond and if so should I do it now or wait until the spring.  Please help... Thanks

Answer
Hello Jaime!
It usually takes two seasons to get a garden pond running along nicely. We have to remember that this is a man made eco system imitating nature and no two ponds are alike due to all the uncontrollable influences on it (in your case the Maple, for example).
Patience is the key :-)
Whether or not certain decoys work to protect your pond fish depends on lots of factors. First and foremost it depends on the predator. Heron's, for example, are very territorial, and a Heron decoy works well if you move it regularly (they are very smart and figure out it is not real if it stays in one spot). Hawks, on the other hand, are not that easily gotten rid off.
Pond Netting works well in the winter, because it protects the fish when the plant cover is gone and they have no place to hide otherwise.
In the summer, lots of plants that provide hiding places help.
Motion activated sprinklers do the job for raccoons (usually) and other land based critters (and some birds).
Strips of aluminum foil hung with fishing line from trees and shrubs around the pond deter others.
Sorry that I can't be more precise, but we are dealing with nature...
As far as your Loach is concerned...I do not know that much about them, other than that they are bottom feeders like catfish. They should do well in the pond, but keep the bottom dirt stirred up (and you will accumulate that as the pond matures) which will deteriorate water clarity.
Best regards
Brigitte
pondmarket.com