(1) 2 »
fishy fishy
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 28/7/2005 13:22
  • From Clwyd
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 7
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 13:35
Help Please - Fish Deaths #1
Hi all,

After some advice,

Background,

I have set a pond up about 4 Weeks ago, Only small 200 Litres. Let it all get running for a couple of weeks, covered about 1/3 of the pond with oxygenating weed.
Have a 125 L/Ph pump with built in filter. Water was nice and clear, put fish in 2 weeks ago.
2 Small Koi (3") 2 small ghost carp (2") and 2 small Goldfish (3").
I have been removing any excess feed after 15 mins etc etc, about a week ago noticed green slime/algae building up on edge of pond (Moulded Plastic) thought nothing of it, just settling in etc,

Then came home from work last night to find the 2 Goldfish floating on the top and all the green algae on edge had turned red, i had to get remaining fish out, drain pond, then refill. The fish all seem ok today but does anyone have any idea what had happened.

Any Help would be grately appreciated.

Regards Lee
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 13:59
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #2
Hello I can't help you really 'never heard of algae turning red' wasn't rust at all was it anyway hopefully some of our pond keepers can enlighten us and help you in the process
fishy fishy
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 28/7/2005 13:22
  • From Clwyd
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 7
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 14:05
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #3
Cheers for the reply, there is nothing metallic in the pond so i would say it cant be rust! That is what it resembled though, but as i said before it was green on Tuesday and then red on Wednesday, very strange
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 14:32
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #4
Found this so its possible it is red algae

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/i ... k/mag/wimsmall/green.html

will see if I can find anything else although wouldn't think it would harm the fish, so why your 2 goldfish died maybe unrelated
fishy fishy
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 28/7/2005 13:22
  • From Clwyd
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 7
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 15:37
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #5
Thanks for that!

Hmmmmm, it could possibly be this, not sure what damage it could do to the fish though if any. Maybe it was a coincidence the fish died although i find this unlikely as they were chasing each other around and feeding the day before and all of a sudden they kick the bucket

Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 17:07
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #6
Do you test your pond water at all, if so can you tell us what your readings are as this may help tell us why your fish may have died
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 17:25
fishy fishy
  • Just popping in
  • Just popping in
  • Joined: 28/7/2005 13:22
  • From Clwyd
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 7
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 18:11
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #8
I'm afraid i have not tested the water "Slap my Wrists!"
I will call in the local pet shop tomorrow and get a kit, are there any you would recommend?
I have also inspected the fish now and all there tails seems to be shredded and faling off, also looks as if there scales are lifting slightly, i think i may lose all my fish is there anything you can recommend for this condition??? Thanks Again for your help.
seanmckinney seanmckinney
  • Home away from home
  • Home away from home
  • Joined: 4/6/2004 23:18
  • From County Antrim
  • Group: Registered Users Basic Membership
  • Posts: 218
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 20:06
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #9
By red do you mean bright red or a ruddy brown, I get the latter in a wild life pond but I have never seen bright red algae.
To be honest it sounds as if the fish are in a fairly bad way and may be getting dropsy. You could try looking on http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/index.htm but if they are as bad as they sound it may be kinder to kill them, clean and lightly bleach the pond then wash it out again to get rid of the bleach and then let it sit dry for a couple of days. Wash the pump and filter in tap water and start again but dont add fish for a month and then ONLY goldfish, 50UK gal is too small for koi. When looking to buy fish, they should be relatively active without prompting and the front fins should not be held tight to the body except when sprinting, the dorsal should also generally be up although this may go down when swimming.
If you can get pure ammonia from the chemist you may be able to cycle the filter prior to adding fish, read up on "fishless cycling" and I wouldnt add more than 4 fish. Most of my bought fish were under £1 each although I have paid £7 each for 2 6" sarassa comets but if you scan the goldfish tanks you can see sarassas that have slipped through the 'net'. I wouldnt mix new fish from different shops, buy from just one shop and perferably from 1 tank.
The pump is a bit on the small side, I would suggest 200lph plus you are unlikely to get full flow from a pump so your 125lph must have been running fairly close to the 1/2 a pond volume per hour which is the normally recommended minimum. '200lph' might allow you to drive a small fountain for added visual effect and oxygenation. All that I have read suggests inpond prefilters are a pain in the derrier however an external filter would be a bit of an over kill for a pond that size.
What oxygenators did you add and are there marginals etc? Test kits Aquarium Pharmeceuticals?? make liquid test kits that I think have a good colour range and that is important because you ae frequently otherwise trying to judge what shade of XXXXX you are looking at. They were about £5 at kit last time I bought them you want Ph, NO2, NO3 and NXx so £20. My first kit did all 3 for £11 and went in the bin because the colour scheme was rubbish
Goldy Goldy
  • Forum Manager
  • Forum Manager
  • Joined: 10/3/2004 21:05
  • From Cheshire
  • Group: Registered Users Image Admin Caresheets Moderators Advisers
  • Posts: 16771
  • Posted on: 28/7/2005 21:20
Re: Help Please - Fish Deaths #10
Quote:

fishy wrote:
I have also inspected the fish now and all there tails seems to be shredded and falling off, also looks as if there scales are lifting slightly, i think i may lose all my fish is there anything you can recommend for this condition??? Thanks Again for your help.


Shredded fins could be fin rot and When you say the scales are lifted slightly do the fish look swollen or bloated too as this is a sign of dropsy like sean mentioned and although you can try treating it really the kindest thing would be to put them out of their missery