I've had a 200 gallon outdoor pond in Southern California for 30 years. It has cattails and hyacinths, goldfish and a 10-year old water turtle. Recently the turtle has gone blind in one eye and the other one seems bothered. The goldfish seem okay, some of them have been there for several years, but last week there were three dead ones. I never change the water, I just add more when it gets a little low. There has been A LOT of old oak leaf debris in the bottom, but I cleaned it out a month ago. The water is clear, but I worry about chemistry. Is it important to get a water test kit and what would I look for? Should I drain much of the water and refill?
Beginner at chemistry, older pond
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j.w
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I'm thinking your pond has become too small to sustain all the fish and the turtle. Turtles make a lot of poo and so do the fish as they grow. W/o a filter of some sort even makes it harder. Your water is getting too many nutrients from the fish and the turtle poo. Looks like your plants love it tho. You either need to dig a bigger pond or find homes for some of the fish. Not sure how big the turtle is but he might also be too big for that size pond. Fish like to keep the same water and don't like having all the pond emptied and refilled w/new water. Will just make things worse. For now you could have a slow amount of water coming in and a slow amount being sucked out so it does not shock the fish. This could save them for now. You have a lot to decide on what to do. Never scrub your pond all nice and clean. You need to keep all the good bacteria in the pond as that is how your pond stays stable.
Thanks for your help.
Making the pond larger is not really an option. As for the crud on the bottom, I really think it was a problem. It may have been a foot deep, and every scoop of old leaves released many bubbles of stinky gas. It took two days to remove a very big pile of oak leaves, which don't really break down, and black smelly scum. But I will stop doing further maintenance with a net to get the remainder.
There is no active filter in the pond. I suppose any fish pond ought to have one. You don't mention a water test kit. Is it not a high priority?
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a red ear slider can deal with a great deal of conditions, they are probably the most invasive turtle in north America . What i would do its get a container for at least 100 gallons . pull the fish turtle and put them in the saved water with an air stone and something for the turtle to climb up on or even just hold on to. i would then rip out half of your pond. laterally half of the plants half of the sludge at the bottom and i'd take a look for any bugs worms or beetles and throw them into the 100 gallons of saved water.
dump all the contents of half the pond and then let the water settle this will get some of the sediment to cover the bottom of the pond that you just cleaned out. once the water settles pump out the remainder of the water in the pond and then put in the saved water and your fish. add new water slowly but it too should hav similar tempeture as to the ponds water ad dechlorinator if using city water and your off and running
dump all the contents of half the pond and then let the water settle this will get some of the sediment to cover the bottom of the pond that you just cleaned out. once the water settles pump out the remainder of the water in the pond and then put in the saved water and your fish. add new water slowly but it too should hav similar tempeture as to the ponds water ad dechlorinator if using city water and your off and running