# Pond/Fish Keepers: What Happened To My Fish??? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617 "2007-06-19T18:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/21 "2007-06-20T01:38:55Z")
[QUOTE=Mirror Image egamI rorriM] For the fish to hide under? [/QUOTE] Drain tile is a really misleading term! It’s not a flat tile; it’s a big ol’ clay pipe or tube, about 6" in diameter. The fish can hide inside it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/22 "2007-06-20T01:46:57Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] The fish can hide inside it. [/QUOTE] Assuming they realize that the shadow on the surface is a raccoon and not you with fish food. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/23 "2007-06-20T01:49:54Z")
By the way, I’m giving away hardy pink :rolleyes: water lilies for the postage. I’ve had some luck with many leaves covering the water hiding fish from that damn hawk, but I doubt it would fool raccoons. Anyway, they need a home. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/24 "2007-06-20T02:11:34Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Assuming they realize that the shadow on the surface is a raccoon and not you with fish food. ☹ [/QUOTE] Heh! They even hide from me! (They’re free-range goldfish. I only feed them in the fall to fatten them up for the winter.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/25 "2007-06-20T02:58:09Z")
[QUOTE=freckafree] Heh! They even hide from me! [/QUOTE] Nor do I feed mine, although they seem to have grown so much I’ve been feeding when I think of it this Spring. They still hide from me, though, a good thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/26 "2007-06-20T13:03:02Z")
I vote for large predator, such as heron, raccoon or neighborhood kid(s). Alternate choice (less likely) - large hungry snake. Several years ago I gradually lost goldfish from a small above ground water feature and it was due to a snake (something I found out one evening when I was submerged to my elbows removing algae, and finally spooked the snake into lunging out of the water). Fencing or netting might help prevent a reoccurrence.\* Regarding herons, some people have used a large plastic heron stationed near the pond to discourage competition from the real thing, but I suspect these birds aren’t dumb enough to be fooled on a long term basis. \*or a Labrador retriever. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/27 "2007-06-21T01:18:02Z")
This happened to an acquaintance of mine. When they restocked it and watched it more closely, it turned out to be a combination of a heron and neighborhood kids fishing in it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617/28 "2007-06-21T01:50:36Z")
[QUOTE=nevermore] This happened to an acquaintance of mine. When they restocked it and watched it more closely, it turned out to be a combination of a heron and neighborhood kids fishing in it. [/QUOTE] Too bad the kids didn’t chase the heron. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pond-fish-keepers-what-happened-to-my-fish/408617.md?page=1)