Comets jumping out of pond!

[David]

I had three feeder goldfish in a forty gallon tank that my turtle never ate, they got about 4" so I put them into pond. Two of them have already jumped out! We have already determined that my pond is too small for koi (300 gals), is it a common problem with comets, the jumping I mean? Want to try some shubunkins but not if they too will just go airborne. Ideas?

[David]

It's getting weirder. The third and last comet jumped out of pond but this one got lucky and landed in lower pond where he is now happily swimming around with the four, oops, no, three small koi I had originally introduced. Where is the fourth? Not dead in the pond, not dead around the pond. Of course I do have dogs so if it jumped out and flopped to a non doggy-protected area around pond they could have taken it anywhere, but koi jumping out of ponds???? I thought they were sort of a pond fish, 'ya know? I doubt it was lost to predation, as I say two dogs in yard, neighborhood cats stay away and no one has seen a coon or opposum around here in many years. If this keeps up my wife will get her way- all plants, no fish.

[eses]

What is the water chemistry and temperature difference of the tank they were raised in and your pond? If it is a dramatic difference, I could see them getting stressed and even jumping. I've had comets in a open top feeder tank and have never had one jump before.

Is it possible that they could have died and decomposed in the pond rather than jumping out of it? Also, don't forget birds. Crows would remove a dead fish from the ground if it jumped out and died on the grass somewhere as well.

[David]

I found the first two little fishy courpses near the pond, and the third ended up in the lower pond so I'm sure all three jumped. The koi is OK, he had just become a master at hidding in the roots of plants. Good point though, the pond was much warmer than the tank was, that could be it. All seems fine now, I'm leaving the remaining comet where he is.