EMERGENCY! SHADE NEEDED!

[Mmathis]

More later, but for now, before I run off to Home Depot......

Which do you think would be more beneficial as far as shade, but still giving air flow: current water temp. is reaching 90's and fish are not well!

• a light-colored sun shade (if I can find a lt. one)
• a tarp with reflective side facing up with slits cut into it -- slits so that breezes can circulate
• or any other ideas.......

I plan on having this elevated a few feet [maybe 4-5ft] from the pond's surface. I want to take advantage of any natural air flow, and I don't want to compromise the already-compromised oxygen issue!

And please, in this thread, only comment on cover for shade -- I'll go into more detail and ask for more input once THIS crisis is addressed!

 

[sissy]

I bought shade fabric in a big roll at sams club .29 dollars .I did a hoop house over my pond .I used well plumb pipe .The shade fabric i bought allows some light through and air I put rebar in the ground and cut the pipe to loop over and it is pushed down over the rebar

 

[sissy]

Oh if you buy a tarp and slit it all the strings of it will unravel and get sucked in your pump .

 

[Mmathis]

Oh if you buy a tarp and slit it all the strings of it will unravel and get sucked in your pump .

I don't plan for the tarp to be close enough to the water for that to happen -- and I'm thinking of a plastic tarp, like what we put under our tents.

 

[sissy]

Mine wasn't close to the water but the sun caused it to shred and rot .It was attached to the bridge on 1 end and 2 T post on the other end and guessing wind and sun caused it to fall apart .It was 3 ft from the pond surface .I lost most of my pics when my old puter died .I did not have time to put on the hard drive before it crashed or I could show pics of it before and after .

 

[Big Lou]

I think your ideas are good ones.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you're on th right track!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I would use horticultural shade cloth. It is made just for shading plants and is available in a range of opacity (i,e, 50% shade, 60% shade, 70%shade etc.)
https://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1a;gs_shade_houses_shade_cloth.html

 

[Mmathis]

@Meyer Jordan Thanks for that suggestion! I just got back from Home Depot. They had several 11' triangular shade sails, so I got 2 of those to use. I have some extra of the same material, so if this doesn't work, maybe I can throw a piece of the extra stuff on top for added "shade." If this will get me through the rest of the summer, I'll be happy! These say these block 90% UV rays....

As soon as we eat our Wendy's burgers, my son is going to help me pound some poles in the ground and set these up.

Pond water temp was around 86 when I checked it at 10am -- the sun hadn't had time to heat things us yet. The fish were active and not top-sitting like last night, and there were no floaters. Geesh, I can only imagine what they must be going through, being cold-water fish!

Don't worry, babies, Turtle/FishMommy is coming to help!

 

[Lisak1]

You inspired me to throw my thermometer back in the pond. I generally only use it in the spring when we're waiting for things to warm up. But I was in the pond yesterday and it was nice and cool, so I'm guessing it's well below 80 degrees - let's see how close I am to being right!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Although classified as Cold-water fish, Goldfish have proven themselves to be highly adaptable and tolerant of quite high temperatures.They have been known to tolerate temperatures as high as 38C/100F with no apparent residual physiological problems. They just seem to take it in stride.

 

[Lisak1]

Yup - a cool 74 degrees. We've had nights dropping into the low 60s, so that has helped a lot. Thank you Canada!

 

[Dave 54]

Maggie a sail cloth would be perfect another thing you could do is to figure out a way to spray water over the surface of the water as this also helps to cool the air above the ponds surface and should help with the pond.
The highest our koi have been at is around 24c and they took that in their stride....
You could also if your pond fits width wise place a casebo over the pond it will allow air to flow under it but you have the added option of lowering the side nearst to the sun down .
A parasol like the one I bought recently also would do a great job in sading the pond it has a 3m covering, last but not least white bedsheets secured to a number of poles and strung over the pond with gide ropes securing the poles .
Get extra airstones and also add them which I believe you have already done .
Above all dont pani and think of England

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

Although classified as Cold-water fish, Goldfish have proven themselves to be highly adaptable and tolerant of quite high temperatures.They have been known to tolerate temperatures as high as 38C/100F with no apparent residual physiological problems. They just seem to take it in stride.

Yes, but what if the available O2 is an issue, as I'm suspecting here? I don't have a way to check that, but going by their "evening" behavior of top-sitting and lethargic when the temp is up, I'm guessing that's an issue. But thanks for the encouraging post -- I feel some better! It scared me when I read in several places that "anything over 90F is fatal!" and already having 2 die on me......

Yup - a cool 74 degrees. We've had nights dropping into the low 60s, so that has helped a lot. Thank you Canada!

And I'm officially jealous! It's probably over 100F out right now -- I'll post this and see what my temp. thingy says.

 

[tbendl]

Are you sure it's temperature related TM? I'm assuming we have about the same weather and my pond is in full sun and while I have the snot thing happening the fish seem fine.