Why are my fish dying?

[Nepen]

After the water change, I would, get air stone in there for more air, half that lily plant.

Sorry for your lost.

 

[CometKeith]

Hey fishnovice. Good luck with things. I think most of us have gone through these beginner mistakes when we first started so don't be discouraged! There is a lot of good advice on this thread that you can use to take better care of your water and fish. Obviously not everyone loves everyone here at gpf but most people are nice and very happy to help someone who is new to the hobby or just wants to learn more.

 

[TheFishNovice]

the fish were still alive this morning, but i did another ammonia test and i would say the colour is something between 4 and 6.

I will do another water change this evening.

I would like to remove that big plant, and was thinking to do it before the water change so any disturbed sediment gets removed.

Any special advice on removing plants? it seems rooted in the bottom of the pond.

I am concerned that pulling it out will create some kind of hole in the bottom of the pond and the water will seep out.

Should i just cut the leaves down?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[TheFishNovice]

half that lily plant.

just literally rip it out by the stem? or does it need a clean cut?

 

[Nepen]

First you have to see how it is planted. If it's in a basket? You can take the whole thing out and since lily has runners, just cut the runner/tube, what ever it called, and keep the size you want. It's pretty tough so you will need a cutter. Then re-pot it. Lily will be good in a pot so it doesn't take over. I think people use mud or clay. I put mine in sand/rocks so the roots get nutrient from the water directly.

For the big one, I don't know what it is but I'm positive you can try to do the same.

I'd take the plants out, then do a water change, then trim the plants and put them back.

 

[Nepen]

Oh, just re-read your post...

If you think it's rooted and afraid it will ruined the liner, you might have to go in the pond and try to cut the loose ones by feeling it. I'm not positive that lily roots will be able to puncture the liner.. I think there were discussion of this on the forum but I don't remember the verdict.

 

[TheFishNovice]

ok, so i got my hands right down near the roots and the thing just literally came up to the surface, along with a rotting fish carcass (which was no doubt bad for the other fish?)

it was so decayed, its head was crumbly like feta cheese (no, i didnt try any)....

the plant turned out to be enormous once i dragged it out, around 7ft long.

Looked like something from day of the triffids....

Unfortunately caused a LOT of sediment/soil to be disturbed, it had a clay pipe around one section, and had completely outgrown the plastic pot it was in.

I then quickly got to work with the water change and did 80% as the water was very very dirty, and ammonia levels still at around 6.

The fish are now swimming around (they cant have had much room with that plant in), and seem OK.

Only time will tell i suppose, will do another ammonia test in the morning.

The lady at the store said not to do another water change for at least a day or two - would you agree? do things need to settle?

 

[dieselplower]

Yes the decaying fish was not good. I did suggest taking the fish out before removing the plants and now with all the debris that was stirred up you probably see why? lol. So it sounds like you did the right thing by changing a lot of the water to get the debris out. You have some really great plants there. I have had to cut some of mine in halves or quarters with a hack saw when they get too big. You have asked a couple times if things need to settle but I am not sure what you mean. That pond does not seem to have a strong pump or much circulation. Debris should settle in a matter of hours. Maybe you can take a net and scoop the bottom in a bit. I would keep doing water changes daily until you get ammonia down to 0. Then I would try to get an accurate measurement of how many gallons are in the pond. I have found that it is easy to maintain good water quality with decent filtration and minimal maintenance when I allow for 50 gallons of water per goldfish. This is not a rule but it is my rule for my pond. Seriously that ammonia is rediculously high. I dont even believe it is possible after you have done many water changes. How old is your test kit? If it is really 6 PPM and not some generic number 6, I am pretty surprised any fish are alive.

 

[TheFishNovice]

i bought the test kit a couple of days ago.

I will do another test now, as im going to check on them.

I was considering throwing the entire plant away, as it seems like the fish need as much room as they can get.

Should you always have at least one plant in there?

 

[dieselplower]

The plants are good because they provide shade from the Sun. They also help suck up things like ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate, which are toxic to the fish. As you can see by how big the plants got, and from your water tests, there are plenty of those things in the water. I would say cut them down to a manageable size and put them back in. But it is totally your call. A plant in a pot really only takes up a few gallons in the water. A lot of the plant is above water. Should you always have at least one plant in there? No. But it does seem like your pond is lacking in filtration and circulation so I would stick with a couple plants if you so choose.

 

[TheFishNovice]

thanks for your input diesel, will have a think about that.

here is the ammonia test that i did today, and the test card that comes with it...

as you can see its nearly at 4.

the fish are swimming around, beneath the surface. No gulping or gathering near the inlet.

 

[dieselplower]

I would like to suggest you test your source water, be it tap or well or whatever. Maybe there is ammonia in it.

 

[Nepen]

whow! the rotten fish! glad you got the whole thing out and found it.

That kind of Lily might be too big for your pond. Cut it to about 4-5 pads, should be enough for it to start. But you can always throw it away and get a smaller type of lily that will not need to be cut back as much.

I agree with diesel in check your source water for ammonia and nitrite nitrate. With many water change you did and still get the green I think there might be some other problem.

 

[JohnHuff]

The ammonia is still really high. Since you've already done a lot of water changes, I'd think the fish are used to it, so I'd do another big one.The water change should such a lot of the sediment out as well. Clean your filter and keep running it. It should filter out a lot of suspended particles in it as well. Ya, and do the test on the tap water as well.

 

[Nepen]

Your other plant looks like golden club (but I might be wrong) so you can do it the same as the lily