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Hello, I'm not a member,
but have just found your website.
I have a small pond, approx. 250 gallons, with Shibunkin goldfish
that I have had going for about 8 years. I have never had
any major problems with my pond, or maintaining a healthy
pond, even tho I am not well versed in the biology of it all.
My brother also has a smaller pond, and earlier this year
all of his fish died off mysteriously. I had no answers for
him, other than to check the nitrate levels, which were slightly
elevated, but not bad. Now, all of of a sudden, about a third
of my fish died, after about three days of non-movement in
the water. They have been just sitting near the top, not gasping
for air or anything, but just like they were sleeping. My
pond looks normal for this time of year - just like it has
looked for the past 7 or 8 years.
I'm wondering if something external to the pond is going on,
like aerial spraying for gypsy moths, etc. Have you heard
of this happening anywhere else in the area?? I live in Woodridge,
my brother lives in La Grange.
Any advice or info would
be appreciated.
Goldfish tend to be pretty bombproof. Having
your brother's entire population die at once, and a third
of yours go down simultaneously, smells to me of outside influences.
Other possibilities could include new (and
infected) fish, filter problems (Nitrate is rarely toxic except
in large quantities, ammonia and nitrite are!), and sudden
temperature and/or pH fluctuations.
The most likely chemicals spread by municipalities
at this time and in these conditions would be air-sprayed
insecticides for mosquitoes (West Nile Virus prevention),
and these can be toxic to fish, too. A quick fix might be
to do a 90% water change (with appropriate dechlor treatment)
and see if your remaining critters perk up. I'd also add about
1.5 lbs per 100 gallons of salt (Menard's sells a nice pure
solar salt product in big blue plastic bags for cheap) to
your waterfall and let it dissolve slowly into your pond.
You can ask your municipality for their
spraying schedule, and for a product detail sheet on the chemical
they are using. They are required by law to give you this
information. You can protect your pond with a tarp or a plastic
sheet during spraying sessions.
Bob Passovoy
President MPKS
"Older than Bronze, Younger than Dirt"-Capricon
2002 Auction staff
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