Koi Spanning

So much is going on right now for us when suddenly

another event takes front and center of our attention.

Our

wonderful white Koi had become very

erratic. Her usual behavior is graceful, gentle and mindful of all her pondmates.

I could see her from my

kitchen window ~

she was in the shallows and

seemed to be trying to

beach herself by thrusting and coming out of the water onto the flat rock. Once with her head on the rock, out of water, she would take in large audibly gulps of air.

WHAT was going on? I watched in fear.

Pondside, I wondered if there was a "fish doctor" I could call...seems

she was dying. I don't know fish CRP or anything except how to feed them.

Two of the other Koi were with her as if harassing her. She doubled and thrashed...and I stood by thinking, knowing there was nothing I could do for her.

"Let nature take it's course," I kept thinking to calm myself.

Came to the Internet to discover, she was spanning. It explained the behavior of the males around her ...again I am thinking and will let nature take it's course.

I placed an artificial thick greenery over the place where we spanned to give the little guys a chance....and then made "safe houses" for them as well.

I cut little doors and a bunch of little windows (about 1/2 in sq)

in a couple of discarded black plastic flower pots that have the holes in the bottom and have submerged them here and there in the pond.

Our fish are beloved as they are so interesting.

Isn't she beautiful? Her head is shaped like a 747 and she has eyelashes. Disney could make a movie about her.

Do you have experience with Koi?