2 of my goldfish died last night

MK3

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I found them floating in the pond this morning, last saw them yesterday evening. Very errie sight to wake up to. I have no idea why they died. I'm wondering if the water got too cold overnight. It's hard to believe that when it's still September (I hate the cold!!!). None of the fish seemed too interested in their food yesterday. And this morning they're all hanging out on the bottom, not really moving around too much. Maybe because their bodies are trying to conserve energy? Possibly unrelated, but I think I spotted a big frog in my pond this morning as well! It was only for a split second before it jumped away. So maybe the fish are hiding from that. The dead fish had nothing wrong with them on the outside, so I don't think they were attacked or anything. If it is the cold, that means I need to get a water heater, which won't come right away. Hopefully there isn't a mass extinction before then.

What do you think could have caused the death of my fish?
 

sissy

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I have seen this but it is usually a lack of oxygen as plants use lots of oxygen up at night .They give oxygen off during the day .I have had air temps. outside at night of 50's and day temps. of mid to high 80's .What are your water temps. and did you test the water and do you have an areator and were there any signs of injuries
 

MK3

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I have seen this but it is usually a lack of oxygen as plants use lots of oxygen up at night .They give oxygen off during the day .I have had air temps. outside at night of 50's and day temps. of mid to high 80's .What are your water temps. and did you test the water and do you have an areator and were there any signs of injuries

I haven't been checking water temps. I do test the water and all is well except for the pH which is around 8 (but consistent). I have an aerator on one side of the pond. There were no signs of injuries. I just got rid of a whole bunch of water hyacinths and water lettuce.
 

Meyer Jordan

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Doubtfull that it is either temperature or Oxygen that is your problem as Goldfish are very tolerant of extremes in each. This sounds more like an Ammonia spike or a pH crash. When was the last time that you tested the pond water?
See you posted that you have tested the water and 'all is well'. Describe 'well'. What were the latest numerical test results?
 

MK3

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Doubtfull that it is either temperature or Oxygen that is your problem as Goldfish are very tolerant of extremes in each. This sounds more like an Ammonia spike or a pH crash. When was the last time that you tested the pond water?
See you posted that you have tested the water and 'all is well'. Describe 'well'. What were the latest numerical test results?

i tested this past weekend. pH probably a little under 8. Ammonia, 0. Nitrite, 0. Nitrate, 0.
 

peter hillman

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How long had the deceased lived in the pond? It's possible that big frog fouled your water, or chased them to death. But wouldn't it have eaten the victims?
 

MK3

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okay i just re-tested the water.

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
 

MK3

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How long had the deceased lived in the pond? It's possible that big frog fouled your water, or chased them to death. But wouldn't it have eaten the victims?

Just saw the frog again. It's not HUGE. Maybe an inch and a half wide with a body length of 2-3 inches. I can only assume it arrived last night.

We've had these fish since the end of July/start of August.
 
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Would like to see more information about your pond, plus some pictures.
Could be surface runoff, a failed filter or many other things. Too little information right now.
 

Meyer Jordan

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We've had these fish since the end of July/start of August.
Are these the only fish in the pond or were these added to an existing population? If so, how many fish, total, are in the pond and what is the capacity of the pond in gallons?
 

Mmathis

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Just a note -- it's a misconception that heaters are used to heat and keep the water warm. For pond owners, heaters are used in the coldest areas where water freezes in winter, to keep a hole open in the ice to allow for gas exchange.
 

peter hillman

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Doubtfull that it is either temperature or Oxygen that is your problem as Goldfish are very tolerant of extremes in each. This sounds more like an Ammonia spike or a pH crash. When was the last time that you tested the pond water?
See you posted that you have tested the water and 'all is well'. Describe 'well'. What were the latest numerical test results?
Is it common to see zero nitrate, nitrite readings?
 

Meyer Jordan

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Is it common to see zero nitrate, nitrite readings?
Nitrite.....Yes. Nitrate.....No, but possible. Greatly influenced by the pond's fish load (biomass). This is why the inquiry was made as to total number of fish and pond capacity.

Let me add a caveat. In a pond containing fish, there is NO such thing as an absolute zero reading of Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. The levels may be too low to be detected by standard available testing but all three are still present.
 

peter hillman

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Nitrite.....Yes. Nitrate.....No, but possible. Greatly influenced by the pond's fish load (biomass). This is why the inquiry was made as to total number of fish and pond capacity.

Let me add a caveat. In a pond containing fish, there is NO such thing as an absolute zero reading of Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. The levels may be too low to be detected by standard available testing but all three are still present.
I thought so, there's a healthy nitrate level for fish.
 

Mmathis

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@MK3 Back to your original post..... I'm sorry to hear. I've been having problems with unexplained deaths so I feel your frustration and helplessness. Hoping you get help to figure out what's going on.
 

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