Blue Orfe

p00rrrn00 · Guest

I put a blue orfe in my pond 3 weeks ago and since last weekend I have not seen it. Could it have jumped out as someone has suggested. My pond is 12ft x 9ft and is 3ft deep and has a 10" ornamental wall around the edge.

Thom · Site Admin

Hi cjbuck, Welcome to the Fishkeepers Forum!

With a 10" wall around the pond, it must have jumped quite a height to get out...Im not sure how high orfe can reach. Have you had a good look around the pond?

Also, is your pond well planted, or have other hiding places? Your pond is a good size, so it is possible its still there hiding. Some fish can go 'missing' for quite a while in tanks and ponds, only to reappear months later to everyones suprise after being declared dead.

It could also be that you've had a predator visit your pond...cats and herons being two main culprits. Have you noticed anything 'sniffing' around your pond? Even if it wasn't caught, it could be that a visit from a predator has caused it to become nervous whenever anything approaches the pond.

Thom.

p00rrrn00 · Guest

Hi Thom, many thanks for the reply.

Think I may have misslead you slightly regarding the wall. Although it's 10" high the water level is only about 3" below this.

Not had any problem with cats or herons in the past and as I understand herons like to wade into the water, this being one of the reasons I built the pond with a wall.

There is only a few iris in the pond and a new lilly with only a few pads at the moment.

Regards
Chris.