Fish pond water kills all fish within 24 hours.

I have a 150 gallon outdoor pond. It was populated by 3 koi, and a
small catfish for over a year and a half until the automatic refill
was inadvertantly turned off. When it was turned back on the fish
died the next day. I assumed it was from a large influx of
chlorinated water. Anyway, I took the opportunity to totally clean
out the pond including about a inch of sludge, and small rocks on the
bottom. New water was added, dechlorinator/conditioning solution
added, and the pond was left to circulate for 48 hours. New koi were
added (after acclimation) and died within 1 hour. I changed the water
3 complete times, reconditioned the water, let it circulate for 1
week, added some comets which died within two hours. I changed the
water again three times, let it circulate for 3 weeks, took a water
sample to my local LFS. They told me that the ammonia was slightly
high (but not deadly) pH, was about 8.1 (slightly high but not
deadly). Basically they told me that they did not know why the fish
died. Using the same tap water that the pond is refilled from, I
placed some comets which lived for a week without problem in a bowl in
my home. When placed the comets in the pond, after acclimation they
died within a day. WHAT IS GOING ON? It appears that there is
something quite toxic to fish in the fish pond. Still I have changed
out the water multiple multiple times with no improvement. The toxic
substance must be specific to the pond, since the tap water did not
kill the fish in a fish bowl. The only things I have in the pond are
two pumps (one is a new fountain pump (Beckett) and the other is the
waterfall pump which has been there for two years without problem.
The pumps are on GFI circuits so I don't think there could be a large
short circuit. There are Lava type rocks in the pond which, once
again were in there with the koi for over a year without problem. I
did power wash the rocks prior to putting them back in the pond. The
water temp is in the low 80's. The water is perfectly clear. Please
any help appreciated since I am at a loss what to do next.

There are Lava type rocks in the pond

Try a chunk of the rock in the fish bowl.

Look around the waterfall for a source of contamination.

Timothy Tom wrote in message
om...
I have a 150 gallon outdoor pond. It was populated by 3 koi, and a
small catfish for over a year and a half until the automatic refill
was inadvertantly turned off. When it was turned back on the fish
died the next day. I assumed it was from a large influx of
chlorinated water. Anyway, I took the opportunity to totally clean
out the pond including about a inch of sludge, and small rocks on the
bottom. New water was added, dechlorinator/conditioning solution
added, and the pond was left to circulate for 48 hours. New koi were
added (after acclimation) and died within 1 hour. I changed the water
3 complete times, reconditioned the water, let it circulate for 1
week, added some comets which died within two hours. I changed the
water again three times, let it circulate for 3 weeks, took a water
sample to my local LFS. They told me that the ammonia was slightly
high (but not deadly) pH, was about 8.1 (slightly high but not
deadly). Basically they told me that they did not know why the fish
died. Using the same tap water that the pond is refilled from, I
placed some comets which lived for a week without problem in a bowl in
my home. When placed the comets in the pond, after acclimation they
died within a day. WHAT IS GOING ON? It appears that there is
something quite toxic to fish in the fish pond. Still I have changed
out the water multiple multiple times with no improvement. The toxic
substance must be specific to the pond, since the tap water did not
kill the fish in a fish bowl. The only things I have in the pond are
two pumps (one is a new fountain pump (Beckett) and the other is the
waterfall pump which has been there for two years without problem.
The pumps are on GFI circuits so I don't think there could be a large
short circuit. There are Lava type rocks in the pond which, once
again were in there with the koi for over a year without problem. I
did power wash the rocks prior to putting them back in the pond. The
water temp is in the low 80's. The water is perfectly clear. Please
any help appreciated since I am at a loss what to do next.

Did your powerwasher ever hold soap or other cleaning supplies?
With repeated losses in such a short time, there is something toxic still in
the pond. Garden fertilizer? Decomposing residues fro before? I don't
think a high turnover with chlorinated water would have killed the first
batch. Were there any other changes in equipment at that time?

Jim

Did your powerwasher ever hold soap or other cleaning supplies?
With repeated losses in such a short time, there is something toxic still in
the pond. Garden fertilizer? Decomposing residues fro before? I don't
think a high turnover with chlorinated water would have killed the first
batch. Were there any other changes in equipment at that time?

Jim


The powerwasher has never had any kind of detergent or cleaner used in
it. My wife said she had added plant fertilizer to the plants, but
she said she had used this before without problem to the koi. In
addition my last two unsuccessful attempts to add fish were done after
multiple water changes with all plants/fertilizer removed. Following
the death of the first fish, the pond was totally cleaned with very
little residue left, with the exception of some crevices from the lava
rock. If rotting residue were the problem though, wouldnt there be an
ammonia spike? What I am planning to do is to remove all material
from the pond (pumps, rocks, everything, add water only and
conditioner) to eliminate all variables.

UPDATE

The pond water was changed (for about the 8th time). All rocks were
removed. A dechlorinator and chloramine remover was added. The water
was mixed and sat overnight. A goldfish was acclimated (sat in bag in
pond 1 hour, followed by adding approx. 1/2 cup pond water to bag,
followed by a cup in 45 min, followed by release into pond 30 min
later. NO electrical devices plugged in. FISH DEAD IN TWO HOURS. I
am now totally at a loss. The only possible variables not controlled
now is the liner in the pond, the pumps leaching some toxic substance,
or the temp in the pond being too hot. As mentioned earlier the same
tap water was used to keep goldfish alive in a gallon container for a
week.

I'm stumped. Are you allowing the water to spray from the hose as your
filling? Filling the bowl in the house the sink has an aerator. The
water could be oxygen deficient. That's all I can think of....... is
it a new hose??????? I think I'm grabbing at straws.
Try "rec.ponds" maybe someone there can help.


"Timothy Tom" wrote in message
om...
UPDATE

The pond water was changed (for about the 8th time). All rocks were
removed. A dechlorinator and chloramine remover was added. The
water
was mixed and sat overnight. A goldfish was acclimated (sat in bag
in
pond 1 hour, followed by adding approx. 1/2 cup pond water to bag,
followed by a cup in 45 min, followed by release into pond 30 min
later. NO electrical devices plugged in. FISH DEAD IN TWO HOURS.
I
am now totally at a loss. The only possible variables not
controlled
now is the liner in the pond, the pumps leaching some toxic
substance,
or the temp in the pond being too hot. As mentioned earlier the
same
tap water was used to keep goldfish alive in a gallon container for
a
week.

please cross post as he really needs help. Ingrid

(Timothy Tom) wrote:

I have a 150 gallon outdoor pond. It was populated by 3 koi, and a
small catfish for over a year and a half until the automatic refill
was inadvertantly turned off. When it was turned back on the fish
died the next day. I assumed it was from a large influx of
chlorinated water. Anyway, I took the opportunity to totally clean
out the pond including about a inch of sludge, and small rocks on the
bottom. New water was added, dechlorinator/conditioning solution
added, and the pond was left to circulate for 48 hours. New koi were
added (after acclimation) and died within 1 hour. I changed the water
3 complete times, reconditioned the water, let it circulate for 1
week, added some comets which died within two hours. I changed the
water again three times, let it circulate for 3 weeks, took a water
sample to my local LFS. They told me that the ammonia was slightly
high (but not deadly) pH, was about 8.1 (slightly high but not
deadly). Basically they told me that they did not know why the fish
died. Using the same tap water that the pond is refilled from, I
placed some comets which lived for a week without problem in a bowl in
my home. When placed the comets in the pond, after acclimation they
died within a day. WHAT IS GOING ON? It appears that there is
something quite toxic to fish in the fish pond. Still I have changed
out the water multiple multiple times with no improvement. The toxic
substance must be specific to the pond, since the tap water did not
kill the fish in a fish bowl. The only things I have in the pond are
two pumps (one is a new fountain pump (Beckett) and the other is the
waterfall pump which has been there for two years without problem.
The pumps are on GFI circuits so I don't think there could be a large
short circuit. There are Lava type rocks in the pond which, once
again were in there with the koi for over a year without problem. I
did power wash the rocks prior to putting them back in the pond. The
water temp is in the low 80's. The water is perfectly clear. Please
any help appreciated since I am at a loss what to do next.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

(Timothy Tom) wrote:

Did your powerwasher ever hold soap or other cleaning supplies?
With repeated losses in such a short time, there is something toxic still in
the pond. Garden fertilizer? Decomposing residues fro before? I don't
think a high turnover with chlorinated water would have killed the first
batch. Were there any other changes in equipment at that time?

Jim


The powerwasher has never had any kind of detergent or cleaner used in
it. My wife said she had added plant fertilizer to the plants, but
she said she had used this before without problem to the koi. In
addition my last two unsuccessful attempts to add fish were done after
multiple water changes with all plants/fertilizer removed. Following
the death of the first fish, the pond was totally cleaned with very
little residue left, with the exception of some crevices from the lava
rock. If rotting residue were the problem though, wouldnt there be an
ammonia spike? What I am planning to do is to remove all material
from the pond (pumps, rocks, everything, add water only and
conditioner) to eliminate all variables.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

(Timothy Tom) wrote:

UPDATE

The pond water was changed (for about the 8th time). All rocks were
removed. A dechlorinator and chloramine remover was added. The water
was mixed and sat overnight. A goldfish was acclimated (sat in bag in
pond 1 hour, followed by adding approx. 1/2 cup pond water to bag,
followed by a cup in 45 min, followed by release into pond 30 min
later. NO electrical devices plugged in. FISH DEAD IN TWO HOURS. I
am now totally at a loss. The only possible variables not controlled
now is the liner in the pond, the pumps leaching some toxic substance,
or the temp in the pond being too hot. As mentioned earlier the same
tap water was used to keep goldfish alive in a gallon container for a
week.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

FISH DEAD IN TWO HOURS.
Did you watch the fish? How did it act?
What is the pH, hardness, ammonia ect. ? Any friends have plant tank test kits?
Oxygen, co2, iron, phosphates, nitrates etc.
The only way to solve the water mystery is a water co. test. They can check for
everything.
Since the liner is old it should be OK but a piece in the bowl test will tell.