I had a small kiddie wading pond that I decided to use as a small fish pond. I had a tank of dalmation mollies that I wanted to experiment with along with a few feeder goldfish so I put them all in the pond after setting it up prior. Everyone was doing great and the feeders has doubled in size in the past month. I usually did a weekly water change because of mixing the goldfish with the mollies and the excess urine from the goldfish. I had a bad algae bloom as I had no plants in it even though it was in shade. I bought a bottle of Algae Destroyer and added some last night. I probably was a bit heavy with it. Anyway, I am so upset becuase I went out a little while ago to feed and everything in there was dead. The only warning on the bottle was not to use with fresh water crustaceans. Do you think possibly using the algae killer may have been what did them in? Nothing else was added.
I am so upset over this. These were like 6th generation Mollies but fortunately, I pulled in a pregant female and a separate 10 gallon aquarium with about a doze mollie fry so hopefully, they will carry on.
Jan...
All my fish died.
Possibly the algae die-off could have caused oxygen deprevation(sp?)for the fish. You didn't say what kind of aeration/filtration you have on the pool.
Lana
I didn't have any as yet. I was waiting to see if the dogs would bother it before deciding on a more permanent pond. I never though of o2 deprevation or I could have put some o2 pumps out there for the time being.
Jan,
Maybe that was the problem. Even in a still pond, it's a good idea to put some oxygenating plants like um, hornwort, and that other one is actually better, anachris. Anachris not only oxygenates, it helps to recycle fish waste and gives your fry a place to hang out until they grow a bit. Just take the live stuff out of your aquarium and throw them in the pond.
I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with your 4 leggers, but I have 2 of them. Only one bothers the pond at all and she just drinks from it, and the birdbath and the bog buckets. With the marginals in pots set in the pond and with some plant floaters, I think the dogs would realize the pond isn't their toy.
Mine is stillwater, it has dappled shade and I keep a minimum of 50% plants on the surface to avoid the algae. Actually, the plants are doing so well, I have to keep cutting the plants back to maintain the 50%. I think you need some sensitive floating vines for your pond Jan. I need to figure out how to get you some safely.
So sorry to hear about your fish. Glad you held one back for propagation. So try it again, with feeders only and some floating plants etc. I think it's worth a try, then re-introduce your Mollies after things have settled in.
:^)))
The plants will help oxegenate during the day but at night they use O2 out of the water so could also cause O2 problems for the fish with no other aeration at night. Good luck.
Lana
Thanks,
I'm going to clean it out well and put it in more shade and get some live plants and some kind of aeration system. It's the first time trying fish outdoors and I was really enjoying going out there every night after coming home from work and watching them.
Jan...
Jan,
I know you are someplace north of here, but other than that I haven't a clue, by Tampa? Anyway, what I was getting at, having the dogs is a good thing. Their scent in the yard will discourage other neighborhood predators from spending too much time in your yard after your pond. Things like, herons, egrits, possums, raccoons.
At my old place, my pond was pretty safe, but when I moved and left the pond, fish etc, I didn't leave the dogs. They are my girls. Unfortunately for my old fish, the food chain took over without the canine protection.
And here, the pond is safe again. Now, about those pond plants..........any ideas for shipping, transport? I was thinking, hornwort, anachris, floating sensitive, 2 kinds, a little lettuce, parrot feather? Our dg friends have been very generous and all the plants are doing exceptionally well.
Molly
:^)))
Hi Molly,
I'm in the St. Pete area. I've never got water plants before except for some parrot feathers(?) which I put in the aquarium but they didn't survive long. They came in a baggie in a small amount of water and I think maybe spagnum but I don't remember. Wait till the November roundup and if I am able to make it down there, I'll get some from you then.
I'm sure they'll travel better than way. I'll hold off on the pond now until after the "H" season so I won't have to worry about it.
Jan...
This message was edited Jul 30, 2005 4:51 PM
Grand idea Jan. and I hope you can make it down here.
Molly
:^))
Jan, I'm wondering if you tested your water when the fish died. You said you had an algea bloom because you had no plants, but it also may have been because ammonia/nitrates/nitrites were building up in the water because there were no beneficial bacteria to break them down. If you add a oxygenator and lot of plants under the water, that will help, but it will also help to add fish slowly and keep testing the water. Doing a partial water change will definitely cut down on the ammonia from excess fish waste, but it also adds minerals and salts from tapwater that can trigger an algea bloom. You might need to add some cheap biofiltration to your pond so that the ammonia can be broken down. When you kill algea in the water, that's basically dead plants that are decomposing in the water, taking the oxygen and adding their own waste products. Maybe that had something to do with your fish deaths. Good luck setting it up again. Glad you could save the molly!
Pixydish :)
Hi Pixydish,
No I didn't check the ammonia levels because I had been doing about a 50% water change weekly plus the rainwater. I have also been using a chloramine neutralizer when added new water.
I'd be curious about the ammonia/nitrate/nitrite levels, in spite of the water change. I do think WVDaisy has an important point about O2 deprivation after the algea die off. I'm certainly new at this pond stuff, but I had large aquariums for years. Sounds like you do ,too. Good luck with it.
Jan...most assuredly...the decomposing algea caused a lack of oxygen and your fish death.... I have seen in very large ponds...I mean cattle pond size... if a weed killer was added and alot of plant material died...we would have a fish kill....
if you have fish....I believe that aeration in the form of a fountain or something is essential... also...maybe if you needed to add algea killing chemicals you would do so in smaller doses at a time.