I certainly didn't expect so much excitement from my new pond so soon.
I am in the middle (I think) of a goldfish emergency. I noticed the
three goldfish this afternoon "gasping" and eating bubbles, also one
of them tailstandsing in the middle of the Hornwort. I am on my way to
get an O2 test kit now. But wait ! there's more. I tested the water
again to see if anything had changed from my test just a few days ago.
Chlorine and copper were zero, and the nitrates and nitrites were also
low. What had changed from the first reading was that the PH had
increased (It was about 7.2), to a little beyond the higher end of
what goldfish like. Also the alkalinity was up, though not
outrageously so.

While taking the test something else happened, that really got my
heart beating. On of our three goldfish started having what looked
like swim bladder problems. It was floating on its side. I removed all
of the fish from the pond.
When I did so I noticed what looked like small worms/larvae in the
water of one of the containers I had just placed the fish in. I placed
each in a seperate container. There were not many, just one larger one
and a couple of small ones. They have dark heads and a red color, and
the tips seem fanned or forked. They stay near the bottom of the tank.
The large one them is about 1/4 inch.

The fish do not have sore looking areas, and they seem to be doing
well now in the different tank. No longer gasping, and they are
swimming fine. Recently, we have also had some trouble with a feral
cat. It has been climbing onto some pots(digging up many of my
starting plants in the process) that are around the water garden, and
knocking dirt into the pond. Gold this cause the water change?

Advise Please!

Thank you

D.W. wrote:

They have dark heads and a red color, and
the tips seem fanned or forked.

Those could be mosquito larvae


Joe



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Try this page to ID your critter.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html


k30a

Wow, k30a, Great page to review.

J

--
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See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
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"K30a" wrote in message
...

Try this page to ID your critter.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/index.html


k30a

That is a great page to review. You all are right, it probably is just
mosquito larvae. As for what was causing the fish problems, I think it
was ammonia. I really can't know exactly what level it was when the
fish were having trouble, because when they first started having
trouble I made a guess it was ammonia and added some ammonia remover.
When I tested a few hours later, it was zero. I am surprised at how
quickly it developed, but I think it might have been jumpstarted by
the potting soil that was knocked into it. The stuff is loaded with
ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and also "composting forest
materials." Also, I really didn't let the pond balance before adding
fish. I feel so guilty. The fish are doing well in their new tank,
where they will stay for a while.


I am doing a partial water change today, and am cleaning out debris. I
am thinking of adding some "stress zyme." It is supposed to "speed the
development of the biological filter to eliminate ammonia and
nitrite." What do you all think? I am also moving a half the plants of
the plants, though the seem to be doing well. One of the water lettuce
is reproducing itself. And also another of the marginals has put up
lots of new stalks.

You all tried to warn me about getting into ponding.

what is the temperature? do you use an air pump? this sounds like lack of air.
stirring up the bottom of a loaded pond can result in loss of oxygen really fast. it
is a very good idea to keep the fish in a big tub of the pond water with an airstone
while cleaning the pond out.
how old are your test kits?
Ingrid

(D.W.) wrote:

I certainly didn't expect so much excitement from my new pond so soon.
I am in the middle (I think) of a goldfish emergency. I noticed the
three goldfish this afternoon "gasping" and eating bubbles, also one
of them tailstandsing in the middle of the Hornwort.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

save your money. Ingrid

(D.W.) wrote:
am thinking of adding some "stress zyme."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.