Hi everyone!

I have an out door pond with 6 Koi, one red eared slyder (she is BIG!), 2 shubunkin and our newest additions ( as of 2 days ago) that the hubby brought home, a telescope and a oranda.

Sad to say after researching here for 2 days the oranda has SBD. I hope to have him at a friends fishy hospital tomorrow.

My question is about the telescope. From what I know Kalediscope (that's what we named him) is over 2 years old and about 6-8 inches. When I have fed the Koi (Quick Grow pellets, that where we bought him said was ok to feed him) he doesn't seem to come up for the food.

I see him come up near the edges by the rocks and act like he is eating the alge. It also looks like he swims around the bottom doing the same thing.

I wonder if he could see, I noticed pellets right beside him and he has little interest. Plus when I am right at the edge he comes up so close to me as if to say hi. That doesn't usually happen with a new fish until they get use to me.

I saw he ate 1 or 2 pellets, is that enough you think? Should I try peas? Will they sink or just float away into the filter?

Will peas be ok for the other fish in the pond?

I'm worried about floating food and him getting air going after it and maybe getting SBD like the other one has.

My other fish are quick to eat. I have trained them to go to a certain spot for food but even when I drop Turtle food in another area for Shelly they are quick to race over and gobble up some of that. The only thing the other fish don't eat is the banana pieces I sink for the turtle as a treat- or sushi, but the turtle only gets those treats now & then. Would those treats hurt the telescope?

Thank for any help, I am a newbi Mom to goldfish and want to make sure the have a happy home like the others.

Unfortunately,telescoped eye fish are known for having "not so keen "eyesight compared to the other fancy fish.Sounds like your guy is having a rough time at it an looking to eat anything that he can find. Koi are pigs and waste no time scarfing up the food,so I doubt that this fish is really getting enough to feed the size that he is.
Most times when keepiing Koi,it usually is best to keep them alone,or possibly with the stronger/faster swimmers such as Commons/Comets,and Shubunkins.
Do you test your pond params at all?If so,what are your Nitrate readings?If high,that too can play a factor in the SB problems.
I think your best bet for the Oranda,would be to pre soak all pellets so that it gets less air when eating.As for the Tele,JMO,but Id keep him in a tank,or maybe take him back and do a trade.They are some of my favorite fish,but with the Koi,Shubs and turtle,I don't see him getting alot of food.What size pond do you have?
Just wanted to add that the peas may indeed help the Oranda,and they definitely will Not hurt the other fish,but with floating food,the problem may continue to get worse.

I just want to kill my hubby. First of all he brings home a sick fish. He thought it was it's personality swimming upside down.

The the other he brought home is the telescope that will not live well with the Koi. I told him the last time he wanted to get fish like this that we would have to research if they could live happily all together. But noooooo, he thinks he knows it all. Now I am attached to them both and have no idea if I could keep up with thier needs.

Our pond is about 500 gal. No I have never tested it. The rest of the family that lives there seem well and thriving. I will not be able to do a inside tank, so there is the problem.

The Oranda will be going to a friends fishy hospital so he is taken care of. If we could get him strong and healthy again I will still worry about him living in the pond. From what I've been reading at this site this could happen often with this kind of fish. I will have to see if I could find a good home for him.

The Telescope I can't decide. I am already attached to them both even tho they have only been here 2 days. The thought of returning a pet seems cruel.

Do the peas work for him? Should I soak pellets for him? How much should he eat to know he is getting enough?

Thanks for your help

Obviously, the option to return them is always an option you can consider. I think we ALL know ###### well how tough it can be to say no to fish though.... I'm in the midst of building another aquarium myself.

As they will be stuck with faster fish, you will have to make an effort to ensure they receive food; while this is relatively easy in an aquarium in comparison, you have a sizeable pond, and the koi won't be shy about budging in for their share.

There is no other reason I can think that the telescope would not do well in the pond. As you also have the oranda who I can't help but think of as Clown, an indoor aquarium would seem like the logical option for them, but with that out of the way....

Is there any way your pond could be seperated/segregated with a physical barrier, sharing the water?

I'm not sure. The hubby spoke about dividing it with some chicken wire but I don't feel good about that idea. I.m worried someone could get cut or if it starts to rust it would hurt the water. I like to get smaller Koi so I can watch them grow up. Any kind of divider would have to be the size they couldn't slip through.

Not to mention the string alge I am always fighting- Oh my God- I didn't even think of that will the Algafix we put in hurt them?

By the way Shelly the turtle is no problem, she was a rescue we found roaming the streets on a very hot day. I don't think she was ever friendly with people. She is afraid of even the fish and ducks away when they come by her. I finally got her when she is really hungry to poke her head up at me and I throw her a pellet at a time so the Koi won't get it. If I divide the pond she won't be happy. She sleeps on one side of it but swims around to the other to crawl out to sun bath.

2 little goldfish have just rocked our world. My dogs love the one with the SBD. Since he moves slower & floats they sit there and just watch him.

I like stupidfly's idea of dividing the pond too. But not with wire. As you say, you have become attached to this telescope and i can understand why- they are lovely fish. You say he is 6-8 inches...well that is not a baby, not enormous but possible to live in the pond if he were separated from the large faster koi.

You cannot use wire because it will rust and anyway metal is toxic to fish in the water. But you could use stones and a net and construct acorner for the telescope. It would need a little planning and thought but I think it could be done. In a smaller space/corner you could monitor what your telescope is eating better and find a place that is always the same place to feed him that he will get use to .

That's cute that your dogs like the fish

Well, I think it's for certain, our Calico Telescope- Kaleidoscope is blind. I know he just had to be hungry so i just spent over an hour feeding him by hand.

I soaked the pellets and dropped them around him after putting the Koi food in thier spot so they would be away from him. He did not find the sunk food right beside him.

I then was laying on the ground holding my hand in the water and putting the pellets right in his mouth when he got near enough for me to reach.

Boy does my back hurt from that- but I got at least 10 pellets in him. I would have gave him as many as he wanted but that's all the time I had.

As you all said the Koi found the sunk ones and went right after them. I just don't think sunk food will work either.

I took a rubbermaid container filled with pond water and put him in there so it would be easier on me to hand feed him that way but no go. He seemed freaked out and would not take the food I was practically shoving in his mouth.

I thought that was to much stress for him so I didn't push it and put him back into the pond.

Any ideas why that didn't work? I don't know if I could keep up with me dangaling into the pond. Do you think he got enough to last a day or two?