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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

Dead fish in natural pond

15 years ago

Within the past two weeks many dead fish have started to float to the top of my pond. I have done nothing differently from last year, and I did not add any chemicals last season. Has this happened to anyone else? My pond is about 9 ft at the deepest place ane about 1/4 of an acre in size. Thanks for any feedback.

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Comments (6)

groundbeef1
15 years ago
Where are you? Depending upon the weather, if there have been large fluctuations from cold to warm to cold, that can adversely affect them.

Also, do you aerate the water? The O2 might be too low.
aquawise
15 years ago
Was the pond frozen over solid.? If so the fish probably succumed to gasses trapped under the ice, Winter airation is very important to keep the ice open so gasses cant get out. A natural pond has what they call a rollover time in the spring. The bottom later of gunk, algae and debrea roll's over releasing gasses built up underneath it into the water this gas is instant death to fish. This is just speculation on my part. But these 2 things are a good possability.
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Well, it was a nice day today so I got into the pond and took out all the plants in preparation to clean it, and my missing (dead) fish floated to the surface :(, but at least now I know that a critter didn't get him! Bob, I feel worse for you, now! You've had your fish much longer than I had mine! I guess sometimes things can't be explained, although I'm pretty sure now it had to be that catfishsam is right- the hole in the ice wasn't big enough - nothing else was different. I had a stock tank heater before, and it died this year just when things started to freeze, so I found a Thermopond deicer and used that. I guess it's back to a stock tank heater, even though they're more expensive. Live and learn.
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Just thought of something- what about the ducks and geese we have each year? I guess they mostly fly in and out. But they do hang on the edges and walk up to the banks at times. They never bring their babies back here though- the bass will take them. Would an electric fence kill anything? Or hurt a great blue or other water fowl? I know the GB gets fish- along the edge. Sunnies mostly. But the blue eats what he gets and moves on. This should be another post maybe- our pond is very established- but we have some large mouth bass in there that are BIG 18"? I think some should be fished out and relocated. They eat everything. A tennis ball fell in the water once and a bass took it- let it back up in a few seconds. We once found a bass at the edge of the pond with a big sunny lodged in it's mouth. The bass was dead- the suuny lived after we freed it. Our kids scared a frog to jump into the pond one eve. Bass took it. What's anyone's opinion about getting some of those great big bass out? We never fish and eat. If anyone ever fishes here, everything gets thrown back. We would relocate them to a big lake nearby.
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Reply to: "pondmaninal" You asked.. "Have you tried feeding them from the side of the pond?" and How long have I had the fish?... From my first post - "I throw the feed pellets down to the pond from a window far above"... Which means I am not disturbing them in any way except for the food pellets hitting the water. I can watch them for long periods of time and they just stay at the bottom. and "I cleaned the pond out about 2 months ago. I filled it and got 5 goldfish."... SO, the fish are 2 months old. As for the parrot feather, they are also a few months old, and yes they had roots, about 1-2 inches in length all along the stem. The roots were not bushy and full. I suspect, they need to be potted to establish. That is my answer... The fish are alive so I guess they are eating something. Thanks, L
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Comments (11)
I withheld from saying this in my first post because I thought others would chime in. I know you have very few fish, but you also have VERY little water. You have one koi and one koi needs 500 gallons, you have a max. guesstimate of 250 gallons. You also have other fish. IMO you are already over stocked and you're adding chemicals. Your pond had not had the time to develop natural benefical bacteria and I would think what beneficial bacteria that did happen to develop, you unknowlingly killed. Slow it down and let nature take it course. As for the koi, I feel sorry for it. It needs more space. Sorry for ragging on you, but you're wanting spristine results in a poorly planned enviorment. Read a bit more about ponds and fish, etc, etc. You'll get the hang of it and hopefully not at a lot of more fish deaths.
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denninmi
15 years ago
Letta, I'm not surprised that you had a fish kill in your pond, given the type of winter we've had here in Michigan. It happens, quite often. We've had deep snow cover and weeks of cold, all making for thick ice over the pond that cuts off oxygen.

Did you have some type of aerator going this winter? If not, in future years you should consider it.

Otherwise, you'll just have to assess the situation and move on. If it's not a total fish kill, the populations will recover, and, in fact, perhaps a thinning out of the population may be good for the survivors. If it's a total kill, you will have to restock if it's not a naturally occuring population with some sort of access from other bodies of water.
letta
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes, it has been a bad winter here in lower Michigan, the pond did freeze over for at least two months or more. No, I do not not have an areator. I've always wondered if an an areator would freeze up because we have wacky weather and the temps can plunge drastically in record time. I'm not sure if any fish are left. It is going to be at least 50 degrees here next week for a few days. With the warm up I would imagine the fish will come out of dormancy and then I'll know. Also, one winter I tried to keep a hole opened in the pond but it was too cold and kept refreezing.
imgay_yahoo_com
13 years ago
mr london is a douche
ilovemymom_hotmail_com
13 years ago
screw this class fags!

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