My goldfish died
- Thread starter Joyy
- Start date
Oh, that's too bad! There are lots of reasons fish die - some we can avoid, some we can't.
A few more details about your pond will be helpful: how old is your pond? How many gallons? Did you add the fish to a freshly filled pond, or was the water allowed to age a bit? How many fish do you have? Did you add any chemicals or treatments to the pond? You said the pH is good - what's the exact number? Are you testing all the water parameters? Did the fish show any unusual signs before or after dying like sores or red spots or gulping at the surface? What are the other fish doing that makes you think they aren't OK? Be as specific as you can - any details you can share may give us the clues we need to figure out what's going on.
Don't empty the pond - sometimes that's the WORST thing you can do.
A few more details about your pond will be helpful: how old is your pond? How many gallons? Did you add the fish to a freshly filled pond, or was the water allowed to age a bit? How many fish do you have? Did you add any chemicals or treatments to the pond? You said the pH is good - what's the exact number? Are you testing all the water parameters? Did the fish show any unusual signs before or after dying like sores or red spots or gulping at the surface? What are the other fish doing that makes you think they aren't OK? Be as specific as you can - any details you can share may give us the clues we need to figure out what's going on.
Don't empty the pond - sometimes that's the WORST thing you can do.
I moved in recently and pond was here already and pond already had water and some algae but more on bottom and sides.
I checked only ph as I wasn’t aware of checking anything else ? Ph was 7 the fish have been in there for month, they all seemed fine the day before this fish died which there were no signs but now the others are lethargic and hanging at the top of pond.
I am going to go pet shop soon and test the water to see if amonia is high ? My cousin said may have spiked ?
If my fish don’t make it I am considering emptying and refilling In case there was somthing in the water from previous people.
I checked only ph as I wasn’t aware of checking anything else ? Ph was 7 the fish have been in there for month, they all seemed fine the day before this fish died which there were no signs but now the others are lethargic and hanging at the top of pond.
I am going to go pet shop soon and test the water to see if amonia is high ? My cousin said may have spiked ?
If my fish don’t make it I am considering emptying and refilling In case there was somthing in the water from previous people.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,905
- Reaction score
- 29,890
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
Do your best to not drain and refill and do not scrub any of the algae growth off if you do.
Keep checking the ammonia levels. Hope they stay down for you.
Keep checking the ammonia levels. Hope they stay down for you.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,905
- Reaction score
- 29,890
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
Yes it helps process the fishes waste. Along with the bacteria that grows along the sides of the pond, in the filter etc.
What is the size of your pond? How many fish did you put into it? Do not put any koi in, no matter how small they are when you buy them.
It looks small, you will want to stick with few fish in it. I have a 300 - 350 gallon hot tub that we made into a pond. I put fan tails in it.
They stay small, breed slowly.
I have shubunkins/goldfish in my big ponds, they do nothing but drop eggs all summer. I quit feeding so they inhale the eggs as fast as they are laid.
What is the size of your pond? How many fish did you put into it? Do not put any koi in, no matter how small they are when you buy them.
It looks small, you will want to stick with few fish in it. I have a 300 - 350 gallon hot tub that we made into a pond. I put fan tails in it.
They stay small, breed slowly.
I have shubunkins/goldfish in my big ponds, they do nothing but drop eggs all summer. I quit feeding so they inhale the eggs as fast as they are laid.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,905
- Reaction score
- 29,890
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
Around 325 us gallons.
They will do fine with low feedings. That will also help keep the waste down from un-eaten food.
Mine do fine with never feeding in my big ponds. There is so much natural food in there for them.
They will do fine with low feedings. That will also help keep the waste down from un-eaten food.
Mine do fine with never feeding in my big ponds. There is so much natural food in there for them.
I bet it's the high ammonia - you may have added too many fish too fast. But that's behind you - just continue to test the water and use what I assume is an ammonia binder until the ammonia is at 0. It's hard to say if the rest of the fish will survive - but again, don't empty the pond. Starting over brings issues that you'd have to deal with too. Just be patient and see what happens. When you get the ammonia down, you're giving those fish the best chance they have at survival.
Where did you get your fish? I have found that Cabelas have great prices on the gold fish they use as bait fish. They are good sized ones too. As for the fish dying, it may not be you or the pond. Some times a few of the fish may die due to the stress of moving them. Also, city water has chlorine in it and many now use chloramine which is even stronger and requires treatment any time you add water. Hope this helps.