POSTING WATER QUALITY & GENERAL POND INFO

[Mmathis]

So perhaps as a title I could put "Read before posting: For queries about water quality, algae, fish problems etc" ?

Sounds good!

 

[HTH]

Maybe prefix that with

Water quality can have a great impact on fish health. To help us better you with your fish or water problems please read the following

Before posting, please take a moment to think about what information could really help the other members to help you. If your question is about water quality then this is particularly important! ...

 

[Becky]

Thanks for the input! This is the final draft - any more suggestions before I post it?

Before posting please take a moment to think about what information could really help the other members to help you. If your question is about water quality then this is particularly important! Water quality can have a great impact on fish health. To help us better help you with your fish or water problems please read the following:

The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for any issues to be identified. Please don't feel that you need to provide answers to all the fields below - use it more as a guide. You will need a test kit for the water quality queries, and these are usually cheap and easy to buy.

Photos can also be a big help!

Water quality
* Ammonia Level (pond)
* Nitrite Level (pond)
* Ammonia Level (tap water)
* Nitrite Level (tap water)
* Ph Level, pond (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)
* Ph Level, tap water (If possible, KH, GH and chloramines)

Other useful information:
* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops?
* Water temperature?
* Pond size and how long has it been running?
* What is the name and size of the filter(s)?
* How often do you change the water and how much?
* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?
* How many fish in the pond and their type?
* What kind of water additives or conditioners have you used?
* What do you feed your fish and how often?
* Any new fish added to the pond recently?
* Any medications added to the pond?
* List entire medication/treatment history for fish and pond
* Any unusual findings on the fish?
* Any unusual behavior like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.?

If this is an EMERGENCY and your fish are in immediate danger, we encourage you to post ASAP regardless.

 

[shakaho]

This is much better organized than the source that inspired it. Well done. A few suggestions.

" Please don't feel that you need to provide answers to all the fields below - use it more as a guide. You will need a test kit for the water quality queries, and these are usually cheap and easy to buy."

I can assure you that it is like pulling teeth to get people to provide answers to these questions. They don't need permission to not answer. I would suggest:

"Please answer these questions as completely as possible."

And for tests, I suggest:

"If you do not have a test kit, please take samples of your pond and tap water to your local fish store for testing. This is usually free. Please request numerical results rather than generalizations like "OK", "fine", "safe", "acceptable", etc. Since knowing your water quality is important, we suggest you get your own test kit. A drop kit, like the API Freshwater Master kit, is both more accurate and much less expensive per test than the test strips."

While nitrate is not particularly toxic, the nitrate concentration in the pond (and tap) is informative, so I suggest putting nitrate readings into the "water quality" section.

I think "chloramides" should be changed to "chlorine," since that's what the tests say. The home tests do not distinguish between these.

Also move "* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops?" to water quality.

 

[dieselplower]

Hopefully people on this site don't turn into Nazi's about it like on the other site I have seen it on. I agree the info can be helpful but some people just like to be bossy.

 

[Mmathis]

It all sounds good, and getting everyone's input is going to make it a great tool!

The only comment/criticism I can come up with, I guess, stems from my own ADD, and lack of willingness to "read through" too much information [well, it helps that I've worked with kids [Boy Scouts], too, and they are notorious for skipping the directions, so I've had to try REALLY, REALLY HARD sometimes to get my point across in as few words as possible....without LOSING my point ]

Becky, however you decide to format the final product, please keep the above in mind. Maybe putting the important "this is what we want you to do" instructions up front, then adding the "this is why, what, etc." info as an * in lower part.

If the fish owner is stressed enough to write [though there have been a couple that I wonder about their intentions...], chances are he/she just needs to know that initial stuff to start out: WATER QUALITY CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON POND FISH: please test your water -- what are the results -- what symptoms -- duration, etc. Then, once they feel better about what's going on, they can digest the rest of it. I'm like that. I read on a need-to-know-at-this-minute basis. I'll read through something, find what I need [based on my level of experience at the time], but just skim over the rest. I'll remember that "I read something about that" later, and will go back to that article or site, when I'm READY to learn more.

I'm excited, and I can't wait to see how it goes!

 

[Becky]

Thanks for the input everyone, very much appreciated! I've added the pinned topic to Newbies, Water Chemistry, and Illness. Final version below:

Before posting please take a moment to think about what information could really help the other members to help you. If your question is about water quality then this is particularly important! Water quality can have a great impact on fish health. To help us better help you with your fish or water problems please read the following.

The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for any issues to be identified. Therefore please answer these questions as completely as possible:


Water quality
* Ammonia Level (pond)
* Nitrite Level (pond)
* Ammonia Level (tap water)
* Nitrite Level (tap water)
* Ph Level, pond (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine)
* Ph Level, tap water (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine)
* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops?

Other useful information:
* Water temperature?
* Pond size and how long has it been running?
* What is the name and size of the filter(s)?
* How often do you change the water and how much?
* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?
* How many fish in the pond and their type?
* What kind of water additives or conditioners have you used?
* What do you feed your fish and how often?
* Any new fish added to the pond recently?
* Any medications added to the pond?
* List entire medication/treatment history for fish and pond
* Any unusual findings on the fish?
* Any unusual behavior like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.?


If this is an EMERGENCY and your fish are in immediate danger, we encourage you to post ASAP regardless.

If you do not have a test kit, you may be able to take samples of your pond and tap water to your local fish store for testing (which is often free). Please request numerical results rather than generalizations like "OK", "fine", "safe", "acceptable", etc. However since knowing your water quality is important, we suggest you get your own test kit. A drop kit is both more accurate and much less expensive per test than the test strips.

Photos can also be a big help!

I've made it so that each topic is closed, so if you have any concerns about the content of the pinned topic please let me know here.