koiguyoz
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Jul 4, 2007, 7:50 AM
Post #2 of 16
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Re: [juliebien19] Fish all dying!!!
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I understand that your water's PH level is high. Can you please tell us the numerical value from the reading from your test kit? e.g. 9.0
High PH (above 9.0) and low PH (below 6.0) can contribute to fish being lethargic. They call the diagnosis to be alkalosis and acidosis respectively. Often you will see the fish at the bottom of the pond, barely moving.
You can correct the PH to a safe level using sodium bicarbonate that can both increase and decrease PH to a level of 8.4. It is recommended that you slowly increase the PH using sodium bicarbonate every hour until it reaches a safe level away from above 9.0 and and below 6.0.
Did you also obtain a nitrite and ammonia test kit at the fish store?
Both nitrite and ammonia are produced from the excretion of the fish, as well as through their respiration in the water. We use a biological filter to reduce these waste products. If the concentration of nitrite and ammonia is high it will result in a fish death fairly rapidly with 24-48 hours. A water change to dilute these concentrations (and do add a dechlorinating agent when using tap water) will ease the level to a safer level, in addition to the use of zeolite to capture the ammonia (zeolite absorbs ammonia - but don't use it with salted water as it cause zeolite to release ammonia back into the water).
Therefore, please provide the readings for:
*PH
*Ammonia
*Nitrite
I have a strong feeling your ammonia and nitrite are higher than the safe levels. This would have occurred as a result of introducing a large number of fish into the pond in such a short period. The high levels of nitrite can cause fish to go from orange or other colour to black.
I also note a lack of a biological filter, the clean out of the pond and the use of the algae control product.
When a pond is begun, nature begins to introduce itself into the pond. Some of it is good and some of it unsightly. The good element is biofilm. It is slower growing than the algae, but helps to consume the algae itself when its own population reaches a point that balances itself out between the algae and wastes and itself. The biofilm will also colonise biological filters that provide addition space for the colonisation of nitrobacter that will consume waste products of ammonia and nitrite, eventually if you have enough surface area on the biomedia of the biological filter you will reach a balance where the green water has been consumed through the processes of the nitrobacter and where the ammonia and nitrite levels come down to safe levels.
If you don't have enough surface area in the biological filter or if you haven't given the biological filter enough time to allow the nitrobacter to colonise (such as when you blasted the pond clean thereby washing away the biofilm) the balance will take much more longer.
As for the algae product, its purpose is to act as an algaecide and it would have killed all the algae in the water. Algae being a plant will therefore die. A death in the pond would cause a rise in ammonia and nitrites because it begins to decompose. Therefore the product would have contributed to more water problems.
I also note that you took a few fish out and placed them into a bowl. However I note a lack of biofiltration and aeration. Both are necessary to ensure the fish's respiration and excretion don't lead into a rise in ammonia and nitrites, in addition to ensuring that there is enough dissolved oxygen in the water for the fish to breath. As a temporary fix, age water in a large container and ensure that at least 25% of water is changed daily to dilute ammonia and nitrite levels.
As for the algal problem, this is directly related to the biofilter.
*What size is the filter (make or model, description or size?)
*How large is the pond?
*What is the size of the water pump?
*Do you have any aeration?
*Did you wash the biofilter media?
*In what water did you wash the biofilter?
*What type of media is in the biofilter?
*How long has it been since you cleaned the biofilter?
The biofilter is a place where nitrobacters grow. They process the wastes from the fish. Think about it as a waste processing centre for the pond.
The nitrobacters are slow to grow. Much slower than it takes for a pond owner to introduce large amounts of fish. They can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the design of the filter. The most efficient DIY filter you can make is a "trickle tower" and if large enough will quickly transform the green water in a few days. I would use lava rock in the first instance for the trickle tower before removing a bit of it in replacement for plastic bioballs.
If you do already have a biofilter, you must only wash the biomedia with water taken from the pond and never use tap water as the chlorine will kill the nitrobacter. However now is not the time to wash the biomedia. You must allow it time to colonise with nitrobacter, and do regular water changes only to dilute ammonia and nitrite.
IF you don't have a biofilter, I'd suggest making the trickle tower immediately. There are many plans online, and it is as simple as finding a large clean bin, drillinh holes in the bottom, adding in the washed lava rocks, redirecting water from the pond pump to spray water above the rocks, and allowing the water from the bin to drain into the pond. Ugly filter, but works wonders! I have three myself and my water parameters are 0ppm of ammonia and nitrite. They do consume a lot of carbonates in the beginning, so you must replace the carbonates with sodium bicarbonate.
IMHO, you've hurried the process of pond building and fish additions too quickly.
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