The kiddie pool experiment was a disaster. The birds ate thier fill
yesterday, and i suppose that 'amonia spike' killed the rest of them.
All tads and young goldfish. Every single one of them. I am a bit
crushed that i killed them all. The ones in the pond are thriving. I
couldn't leave all those tads in the pond or i would have had dead
tads and my adult goldfish.

So now my concern (along with how to do this right next year) is that
everything in the pond doesn't go belly up. I "suppose" I am going to
have to test for amonia spike and then know what to do about it. I
don't have one dollar at this time, but maybe if someone tells me what
to do, i can borrow some for the good of the left over critters. I
planned to clean the pond after the tads, but that could be 2 months
from now.

Thanks.

On Mon, 12 May 2003 14:24:15 -0500, jammer j@mmer wrote:


So now my concern (along with how to do this right next year) is that
everything in the pond doesn't go belly up.

I am just champin' at the bit to run out and do a big water change on
the pond. There was no signs of distress last night with all these
youngins that perished in the kiddie pool. Someone tell me what to do
to safeguard my pond dwellers! (Please and thank you)

Do a water change right now! I would guess 15% to 20%.
Be sure to add De-chlor/Amquel!

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"jammer" j@mmer wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 May 2003 14:24:15 -0500, jammer j@mmer wrote:


So now my concern (along with how to do this right next year) is that
everything in the pond doesn't go belly up.

I am just champin' at the bit to run out and do a big water change on
the pond. There was no signs of distress last night with all these
youngins that perished in the kiddie pool. Someone tell me what to do
to safeguard my pond dwellers! (Please and thank you)

jammer wrote I "suppose" I am going to
have to test for amonia spike....

An ammonia spike is actually any ammonia at all.
The pond water should register zero ammonia.
The problem is when you add a bunch of critters to an environment (like toads
spawning) the plants and filter can't process that much sudden ammonia all at
once.
I would not have put the fish in the toads, no reason to. Considering that we
recommend 20 gallons per goldfish you can see where the fish would overburdened
the load the temporary pond was supposed to carry. Did you fill up the pool
with pond water? A sudden change of temperature can be a problem also.
Do you think you might have added too much food?
If you put in too much rotting plant matter it would have used oxygen while it
decomposed.
More details and we can track down the answer or answers.



k30a

On 12 May 2003 23:12:03 GMT, ESPMER (K30a) wrote:

jammer wrote I "suppose" I am going to
have to test for amonia spike....

An ammonia spike is actually any ammonia at all.
The pond water should register zero ammonia.
The problem is when you add a bunch of critters to an environment (like toads
spawning) the plants and filter can't process that much sudden ammonia all at
once.
I would not have put the fish in the toads, no reason to. Considering that we
recommend 20 gallons per goldfish you can see where the fish would overburdened
the load the temporary pond was supposed to carry. Did you fill up the pool
with pond water? A sudden change of temperature can be a problem also.
Do you think you might have added too much food?
If you put in too much rotting plant matter it would have used oxygen while it
decomposed.
More details and we can track down the answer or answers.

k30a

Thanks, i was hoping you'd be around
I am assuming i need to check pond for amonia. Do i go to a pool
store or what? I don't have a clue as what to ask for. Then what do
you treat it with? I am worried about the pond eventhough there aren't
THAT many tadpoles in there, there are enough to add a few extra fish.
The fish in with the tads in the kiddie pool were babies that got
sucked out of the pond accidently when retrieving water. I didn't want
them anyway....

The pool had maybe 80% pond water and 20% dechlorinated water. As far
as food, i put some goldfish food in there but was headed to the pet
store to get floating food for them.

Every single one, brutal!!!!!

My pond. Should i do a frivolous water change? In the last week i have
already done it with using water for the pool and water for the
aquarium.....I wish i would have kept some in the aquarium now. Maybe
weekly water changes? ........

I

I know not of this amquel, but i can figure it out. Where does one get
it? Walmart? Pool supply store? ? And i have done that water change
throughout the week with needing water for aquarium and pool, so do i
still change it again, and if so weekly or monthly or what? And i do
use de-chlor.


On Mon, 12 May 2003 22:21:03 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:

Do a water change right now! I would guess 15% to 20%.
Be sure to add De-chlor/Amquel!

Xref: kermit rec.ponds:109126

You can get an ammonia test kit at any petstore that sells fish.They will also
sell different stuff that will neutralize the ammonia.

For my 3000 gallon pond I stick a hose into the filter, turn the water on to a
slow stream and let it run for a while. The water goes down the waterfall and
overflows the pond onto part of the lawn.
As far as testing it is important to do it at the beginning until you get a
feel for things.

Others know MUCH more about this than me ;-)


k30a

I lurk here, so please pardon me for butting in on this one, but I know from
my fish tank keeping experience that using an ammonia neutralizer, such as
Amquel can be detrimental as you are screwing w/the natural cycle of things.

When you have a tank you need to add living things slowly so the tank can
cycle and the appropriate little goodies can grow - ie the ones that will
take care of your ammonia problem. If you use an amquel product you rid the
tank of what those beneficials need to grow and, thus, be able to control
your ammonia.

Would it not be the same for cycling a pond?

Thanks for the info,
LeeAnne

"jammer" j@mmer wrote in message
...
I know not of this amquel, but i can figure it out. Where does one get
it? Walmart? Pool supply store? ? And i have done that water change
throughout the week with needing water for aquarium and pool, so do i
still change it again, and if so weekly or monthly or what? And i do
use de-chlor.


On Mon, 12 May 2003 22:21:03 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:

Do a water change right now! I would guess 15% to 20%.
Be sure to add De-chlor/Amquel!

LeeAnne,

As I understand it, Amquel and similar products change the form of the
ammonia to ammonium. Ammonia is toxic, but ammonium is not. It is still
available to the good bacteria, so they will cycle even with the Amquel.
One problem that I see, is if you overload the system enough to find more
than a trace of ammonia, you will find a significant nitrite spike, and
Amquel does not do anything for nitrites, but salt does.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
I lurk here, so please pardon me for butting in on this one, but I know
from
my fish tank keeping experience that using an ammonia neutralizer, such as
Amquel can be detrimental as you are screwing w/the natural cycle of
things.

When you have a tank you need to add living things slowly so the tank can
cycle and the appropriate little goodies can grow - ie the ones that will
take care of your ammonia problem. If you use an amquel product you rid
the
tank of what those beneficials need to grow and, thus, be able to control
your ammonia.

Would it not be the same for cycling a pond?

Thanks for the info,
LeeAnne

"jammer" j@mmer wrote in message
...
I know not of this amquel, but i can figure it out. Where does one get
it? Walmart? Pool supply store? ? And i have done that water change
throughout the week with needing water for aquarium and pool, so do i
still change it again, and if so weekly or monthly or what? And i do
use de-chlor.


On Mon, 12 May 2003 22:21:03 GMT, "Nedra"
wrote:

Do a water change right now! I would guess 15% to 20%.
Be sure to add De-chlor/Amquel!

I couldn't have said it better. ;o) ~ jan


On Sat, 17 May 2003 00:55:38 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:

LeeAnne,

As I understand it, Amquel and similar products change the form of the
ammonia to ammonium. Ammonia is toxic, but ammonium is not. It is still
available to the good bacteria, so they will cycle even with the Amquel.
One problem that I see, is if you overload the system enough to find more
than a trace of ammonia, you will find a significant nitrite spike, and
Amquel does not do anything for nitrites, but salt does.


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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