Firstly Water quality is good for Nitrate, Nitrite,PH, Ammonia etc.
A few weeks ago my fish all went very shy and silly. They hid at the
bottom of the pond, were very timid and when fed would flick at there
food and dart away.
Unfortunately the goldfish and shubunkins started dieing first. When
netting the fish out, they looked totally healthy, had good colouring
and no sign of any disease. Then Smaller fish died and the final straw
came when one of my large orfe was at the surface not very well. We
drained the pond and caught the remaining fish which were just Orfe and
Rudd left.
Out of some of the deaths in the pond, some fish had their head and
their tails missing. (morbid I know) We hopefully have managed to save
about half the fish.
What has possibly caused this disaster as we do not just want to refill
with water and send the remaining fish back to their grave. Also after
draining could not see any predators but plenty of Frogs and toads.
Please help any advice would be welcome.
Graham

wrote in message
ups.com...
Firstly Water quality is good for Nitrate, Nitrite,PH, Ammonia etc.
A few weeks ago my fish all went very shy and silly. They hid at the
bottom of the pond, were very timid and when fed would flick at there
food and dart away.

My fish were doing the same thing. Early this afternoon we caught a huge 7'
black snake coming out of the pond. It saw us, panicked and got caught in
the net. It had to be put out of it's misery.

Unfortunately the goldfish and shubunkins started dieing first. When
netting the fish out, they looked totally healthy, had good colouring
and no sign of any disease. Then Smaller fish died and the final straw
came when one of my large orfe was at the surface not very well. We
drained the pond and caught the remaining fish which were just Orfe and
Rudd left.
Out of some of the deaths in the pond, some fish had their head and
their tails missing. (morbid I know) We hopefully have managed to save
about half the fish.

That sounds like the work of a snapping turtle. Do you have racoons in your
area?

What has possibly caused this disaster as we do not just want to refill
with water and send the remaining fish back to their grave. Also after
draining could not see any predators but plenty of Frogs and toads.
Please help any advice would be welcome.
Graham
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

I would suspect you have a predator terrorising the fish, the actual tail fins of dead fish might be being eaten by other fish or tadpoles etc but the heads being missing would suggest something 'powerful'. Stress from regular predator visits might lower the fish's ability to fight off parasites and render them susceptable to attack. Did you look at any skin scrapes under a microscope, those have to be taken from a living or JUST died fish?
I would also suggest ringing the pond in raked or sprinkled sand and see if you can pick up any animal tracks

On 11 Jul 2006 15:35:42 -0700, wrote:

Out of some of the deaths in the pond, some fish had their head and
their tails missing. (morbid I know) We hopefully have managed to save
about half the fish.
Graham

Refill pond, make sure temp & pH are similar to holding tank. Add salt
(0.1%) to destress the fish.... but.... prior to all that, decided what
kind of predator prevention you want to use. There are many on the market
now. Some swear by the Cat Scat, but it doesn't work on birds. I use a
motion sprinkler called a Scare Crow. I also hang metallic windsoxs and
mirror mobiles above my pond. And put fake decoy fish in my ponds.

So far no one has gone missing. ~ jan www.jjspond.us

-----------------

Also ponding troll free at:
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium

~ wrote:

.

I could do it, but I don't think I want to.

Refill pond, make sure temp & pH are similar to holding tank.

And your research is based on what?

Add salt (0.

Genius.

I just wish I could stop these negative thoughts!

Go here, janj:


http://www.newhopehealthclinic.com/p...it_suicide.htm

1%) to destress the fish.

The Bible is in you. You're not in the Bible.

but.

What did Reagan say? Trust but verify.

prior to all that, decided what kind of predator prevention you want
to use.

The You manuring, nervous, flawed hairy tongue. kind.

There are many on the market now.

Now that is really confusing. Can anyone make any sense of it all?

Some swear by the Cat Scat, but it doesn't work on birds.

Top Ten Things to do with a Dead Cat: 6. Paint a stripe on each end,
sew it up the middle, and play rugby.

I use a motion sprinkler called a Scare Crow.

Why do you use a motion sprinkler called a scare crow, janj?

I also hang metallic windsoxs and mirror mobiles above my pond.

You shouldn't be so sensitive.

And put fake decoy fish in my ponds.

It's not real?

.

Whitey. [viciously]

So far no one has gone missing.

No wonder.

~ jan www.jjspond.

Mom, was I adopted?

My girlfriend really enjoys oral.. so long as I'm doing it to her.
but she WON'T do it to me..! How can I get her to give me a BJ??
It's doing my head in.??

It could be worse; you could be psychotic. It could be better; you could
be suicidal.

us.

We sent a man to the moon, so surely we can design a safe car.

.

You're better than me?

.

You don't know that? Didn't they teach you that at Dartmouth?

Do you think it is possible to know you are a homosexual without
having slept with anyone? Do you think I should tell someone that I
might be gay?

Now that's a revelation, janj.

.

Ludicrous.

Also ponding troll free at: http://groups.

TROLL! Where?

google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium.

I will not surrender.

--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
I do not post from Earthlink.net
All rude and/or obscene messages posted in my
name are by my impersonator.
~~~~ ((((* ~~~ {{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*}