In September, Cursor wrote an article about the state of Egbert and the Atlas pond – which turned out to be less dirty than it looked – and this unleashed a media frenzy revolving around the fate of the TU/e fish. People felt that Egbert needed a home that looked cleaner and a male or female friend, as that’s customary for fish, which live in schools. But when the Atlas pond was created, it was never intended to house a carp.

Healthy fish

“Following a request by TU/e, Koi expert Marco Zegers of the koi carp and pond advice group paid another visit to Egbert on Wednesday, taking further stock of his situation,” says TU/e spokesperson Frans Raaijmakers.

Zegers concluded that Egbert looked healthy at first sight. “If Egbert’s mucous membrane were too thick or too sticky, this could indicate an unhealthy situation, but this is not the case. His skin is shiny and even, which indicates a relatively healthy situation.” Zegers therefore didn’t see any pressing need to conduct microscopic research into parasites, so as not to cause Egbert any stress. “That bit of research can perfectly take place when Egbert is transferred to the other pond, which will be sometime in spring, because by then the new pond will have a better biological balance and will naturally have reached the right level.”

Varied diet

It happens regularly that bread is thrown into the Atlas pond. This practice is criticized by people, who feel it’s not good for the fish. Does this mean a stop should be put to it? Zegers: “I don’t want to jump to conclusions. A slice of bread now and then is fine, but it’s important for a carp to have a varied diet. And I think this is more likely in the Blauwe Loper.”

“For one thing, the new pond has natural vegetation on the sides, which will ensure Egbert gets more protein-rich and varied food, such as worms, insects, and plants. And the water volume is bigger there.” Incidentally, Egbert isn’t too fat. “He might look that way to a layperson, but as a koi expert I see many carp, and this one is definitely not too fat.”

Just like his current home, De Blauwe Loper is more than a meter deep. According to the expert, this is sufficient because the water won’t freeze in its entirety. What’s more, the oxygen level in the water is more stable at the new location, because of the plants that take root in the soil, says Zegers.

Friends

The university had already indicated it was open to a move and, possibly, a male or female friend after Egbert has been relocated to the Blauwe Loper. TU/e will put its money where its mouth is and is planning to add three more wild carp after the move. “Egbert will then decide for himself whether he joins the group of fish or continues his solitary lifestyle,” the koi expert says.

For those wondering if Egbert will be joined by a group of lady – hello babies – or gentlemen carp, or a mix: “I think a mix is pretty much inevitable. Carp are generally bought very young and at that time, it’s difficult to be certain about the sex. So salespeople don’t give any guarantees.” The previously discussed challenge regarding the eggs of the females that end up in the pond and negatively affect the water quality is, according to Zegers, not a problem in the Blauwe Loper because it’s much larger than the Atlas pond.

Water quality already better

The expert measured the ammonia level of the current location, which is about 0.09 milligrams per liter. “That’s much better than the measurement on August 15, which showed 0.16 milligrams per liter. The reason for this may be that a smaller amount of goose feces is ending up in the pond,” says Zegers.

Move

Until spring, Egbert will stay in his current location, where he’s spent the past six of seven years. It’s not yet clear when the big move will take place, but Cursor will keep following this story in any case. “Catching and moving Egbert won’t be that easy, but there are definitely experts that can do this,” says Zegers. TU/e also invited him to be present for the transfer and he definitely wants to, which will undoubtedly be the case for more people in the TU/e community.