I lost my first fish

[richyd]

Went out this morning and found this poor guy laying on the bottom of the pond. I checked my water parameters. ph-7.6 / No2-0 / Ammonia-0.
I can only conclude that its the brutal temps we are having . This winter is really dragging on. This guy would have been 1 year old next month. No signs of parasites or disease.. Really depressing me. I wish i had not taken up this pond malarchy. Been very unsuccessful thus far and I see no rewards whatsoever.
Thinking forward to next winter is there a way a keeping your pond water from dropping below a certain temperature? Even if it costs a lot. Breaks my heart

 

[richyd]

I give up.
Anyone in the Birmingham UK area wan't my fish. I have 3 ghost koi, comets, goldfish, shubunkins. I can bare to watch them die one after the other. Literally in tears. My old man keeps saying "they're just fish" makes me want to punch him in the face. I've tried my hardest all year round to get the hang of things but I just can't deal with it.

 

[JohnHuff]

Sorry to hear about your loss, but dead fish happens in the best kept of ponds. I won't repeat any of those life platitudes. If this is your first dead fish (almost a year old) then you're a very successful pond keeper already as you have been able to keep your fish alive until now. In fact, that's a remarkable feat.

If cold temperature is your bane, then your problem is easily solved with an in-pond heater. Just go to your local fish store and ask. I don't use one myself as the temps here don't really go that low and my pond is deep enough.

As for rewards, did you enjoy watching your fish so far? You've kept all the others alive and they're your community, your pals. Don't give up, I say. Rise to the challenge and make your already super pond even better. Can we see some pics of your pond? I love my fish because they are pretty and have distinct personalities. Also, I love fooling about with my pond, trying to make it better all the time, those are my rewards. I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences.

 

[j.w]

Sorry for this happening. And it could be that that particular fish was weak just from the start and the cold was just the kicker that got him. Were you able to keep a hole open in the ice all winter? Cuz that needs to happen. I agree, get a pond heater. They are all over the Internet and not expensive...........ebay etc. Might be somewhat costly to run in the very cold dead of winter but some are more energy efficient than others. Fortunately I don't need one here either but others here use them. Check out Colleens pond thread. She in Medicine Hat,Alberta and it gets super cold there some years. Don't give up!