More dying fish

[Mark Ellwood]

I just got back from a week long canoe trip to the wilderness in northern
Ontario and discovered my own back yard wilderness has suffered. My pond is
400 gallons or so (4 feet wide by 8 feet long and anywhere from 12-30 inches
deep). I've got lots of oxygenating plants that have blossomed, but the
fish, which a neighbor saw thriving on Tuesday, have died over the last
three days.

My first thought was that numerous pears, which have been dropping in from
an overhead tree have changed the chemical composition of the water. The
plan was to snatch them out every day, which I was doing. (They float, at
least for a while) But in my absence a whole bunch came down. Some have
already been chewed on by ravenous squirrels. I noticed also the rocks under
the small waterfall are a bit slimy.

Would a lot of pears adversely affect the chemistry of the pond? My plan for
next year will be to put up a sloped netting during pear-dropping season to
avoid this problem.

(By the way, I don't think our power shortage problem up here in the north
east was the cause, though perhaps it may have contributed. The oxygenators
are plentiful and the pump / waterfall was probably only off for about 10
hours.)

Mark

[Jeannette]

"Mark Ellwood" > wrote
in message
...
> I just got back from a week long canoe trip
to the wilderness in northern
> Ontario and discovered my own back yard
wilderness has suffered. My pond is
> 400 gallons or so (4 feet wide by 8 feet
long and anywhere from 12-30 inches
> deep). I've got lots of oxygenating plants
that have blossomed, but the
> fish, which a neighbor saw thriving on
Tuesday, have died over the last
> three days.
>
> My first thought was that numerous pears,
which have been dropping in from
> an overhead tree have changed the chemical
composition of the water. The
> plan was to snatch them out every day,
which I was doing. (They float, at
> least for a while) But in my absence a
whole bunch came down. Some have
> already been chewed on by ravenous
squirrels. I noticed also the rocks under
> the small waterfall are a bit slimy.
>
> Would a lot of pears adversely affect the
chemistry of the pond? My plan for
> next year will be to put up a sloped
netting during pear-dropping season to
> avoid this problem.
>
> (By the way, I don't think our power
shortage problem up here in the north
> east was the cause, though perhaps it may
have contributed. The oxygenators
> are plentiful and the pump / waterfall was
probably only off for about 10
> hours.)
>
> Mark

Mark,
Check the water quality. Do a 1/3 water
change and yes, even a small change in oxygen
can affect the fish.

Did the fish have any marks on them? How did
the scales look?

Anything that enters the water can change the
water composition. I don't know if pears
would be fatal. Oxygen is a ~huge~ element
for fish and even too many plants can harm
them too!!!
Its a balancing act all the way around.

I am sorry for your loss. I wish you the
best for the future.

Jeannette

[Karen Mullen]

Mark,

When my crab apple dropped it's spent flowers my fish tried to eat them and I
lost one when it got caught in the throat and an otherwise heatlhy fish was
dead within and hour. I don't know how pears compare to crab apple, but you
might check a dead fish's mouth to see if they tried to eat something too big
to swallow. Just a thought. Sorry to hear of your loss.

Karen
Zone 5
Ashland, OH
http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html
My Art Studio at
http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K.M.Studios/K.M.Studios.html
for email remove the extra extention

[Simon Avery]

"Mark Ellwood" > wrote:

Hello Mark

ME> Would a lot of pears adversely affect the chemistry of the
ME> pond?

Definately, as with any rotting matter, animal or vegetable. A little
is ok, but a lot will seriously mess the balance up.

That's why you ain't "supposed" to put ponds under trees, especially
not fruit trees, but it's probably too late to move yours now. :)

Change some water several times over the course of a few weeks.
(Syphon/pump 1/4 - 1/3 out, then refill from water butts or a tap if
they're not available), maybe check the chemicals level, but you can
probably tell when it's getting better since you've noticed it getting
worse.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/