fish dying

[[email protected]]

Ok, I need help. I am down to 4 little fishes from 21. I just built a
large pond about 3500 gallons. I used 45 mil edpm for a liner, have
added a waterfall, and have a 5900gph pump. I got instructions from
another group on an idea for a filter. Basically, it is a plastic milk
crate with filter covering the sides, the pump inside it and filled
with lava rock. They suggested using furnace filter which can be
gotten at a local builders store. I was shown what to use by someone
there, but it was with the other fiberglass filters. He said he didn't
think it was fiberglass and there was no "ingredient" information on
it. If it is fiberglass, could this be what is causing my losses. The
pond has only been in operation for 1 week. I have well water with no
type of softener system. I also have an established 125g reef tank
which seems to thrive on the water so I would think it not to be a
problem. Of course these are just cheap feeder goldfish except for two
pond comets which are both dead too. I have been losing a handful each
day. There is no sign of odd behavior. They are eating fine. Today
in a last ditch effort, I added some bacteria and salt to the water.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am really lost on this one.

[[email protected]]

Check water parameters including ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH and temperature.
1. pond and filter need to age a while before putting fish in. first they go green,
then they clear up. the filter biobugs have to make colonies. check the water
parameters cause the greatest cause of fish death in new ponds is ammonia or
nitrites.
2. feeder goldfish are usually loaded with diseases.
3. the fish at the store were probably at 72o or so, now if you pond water was 68 or
lower tossing the fish into the pond gave em cold shock, which brings out ich, which
can kill the fish easily.
do you SEE anything on the fish? snag one out and look it over for thick slime
coat, dark gills, white or red spots, etc.
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/technique/technique.html#Jo_Ann's_Fish_Physical
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/disease.htm
..... nothing wrong with well water, GF love hard water.
take a sniff of the food, any off or rancid smell?
Ingrid

wrote:

>Ok, I need help. I am down to 4 little fishes from 21. I just built a
>large pond about 3500 gallons. I used 45 mil edpm for a liner, have
>added a waterfall, and have a 5900gph pump. I got instructions from
>another group on an idea for a filter. Basically, it is a plastic milk
>crate with filter covering the sides, the pump inside it and filled
>with lava rock. They suggested using furnace filter which can be
>gotten at a local builders store. I was shown what to use by someone
>there, but it was with the other fiberglass filters. He said he didn't
>think it was fiberglass and there was no "ingredient" information on
>it. If it is fiberglass, could this be what is causing my losses. The
>pond has only been in operation for 1 week. I have well water with no
>type of softener system. I also have an established 125g reef tank
>which seems to thrive on the water so I would think it not to be a
>problem. Of course these are just cheap feeder goldfish except for two
>pond comets which are both dead too. I have been losing a handful each
>day. There is no sign of odd behavior. They are eating fine. Today
>in a last ditch effort, I added some bacteria and salt to the water.
>Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am really lost on this one.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?hl=en&q=puregold&qt_s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan