Adding water with fish

[CreatureBlackLagoon]

Hello Fish Folk. I would like to learn more about fish and ammonia and chlorine levels. How do you add water to your pond when you have fish? We lose some water from time to time via the waterfall, so we run the hose about once a week or two weeks. (We'd love to redesign it at some point, but it probably won't happen this year.) We got fish last week (4 Shubunkins, 2 Comets, 2 Fantails — all juvenile).

We bought this attachment to go on the hose that is supposed to remove chlorine (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006IX87S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Also, we got this API Pond Stress Coat (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V7EI8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Before getting the fish, we added water to the pond with the filter and added the amount of stress coat in the instructions. I did a full API test immediately after, and the ammonia, pH, nitrate and nitrite levels were perfect for fish. Anyway, I just added more water today (with the filter and the stress coat), and two Comets were jumping by the waterfall, as if trying to get out of the pond. Could it be because of chlorine or ammonia levels? Or might they need another aerator? The waterfall is pretty powerful, but the water on the opposite end of the pond does stay more still than I'd like.

Here are the details about the pond:
1250 gallons
11' by 8'
Lots of plants (2 water lilies that are just now coming up, a bunch of cattails, water clover, swamp milkweed)
Laguna Max-Flo 2400 Electronic Waterfall and Filter Pump for Ponds Up to 4800-Gallon
Lava rocks bio filter
The pond is just under two years old
Nashville, TN
It's 90 degrees today!

Any advice appreciated. Thank you!

 

[poconojoe]

Your pond looks awesome!
I wouldn't trust that filter to remove chlorine. My fish are too precious to me! I use Tetra Pond Aqua Safe water conditioner, but there are other brands out there. It's the only additive I ever use in my pond.
I use a small economical water meter device that screws onto the end of my garden hose. It's called a "water saver". It was $25.00. With it I'm able to digitally count the water that I add to the pond. With this knowledge, I know how much conditioner to gradually add to cancel out the chlorine.

 

[CreatureBlackLagoon]

Your pond looks awesome!
I wouldn't trust that filter to remove chlorine. My fish are too precious to me! I use Tetra Pond Aqua Safe water conditioner, but there are other brands out there. It's the only additive I ever use in my pond.
I use a small economical water meter device that screws onto the end of my garden hose. It's called a "water saver". It was $25.00. With it I'm able to digitally count the water that I add to the pond. With this knowledge, I know how much conditioner to gradually add to cancel out the chlorine.

Oh, that sounds great! Thank you!

 

[Somethin' Fishy]

Cute pond!

I generally don't have to add water to top off my pond as it gets refreshed by the rainfall. However, if we should get a long dry spell, I have a large "toy tub" (those big round tubs with the rope handles) that I keep handy. I fill the tub with the hose, then treat the water with Pond Prime to remove chlorine/chloramines/heavy metals, let that water sit for about 10 minutes, then add it to the pond either by pails or with a small spare pump that I have.

 

[poconojoe]

Years ago I discussed how to add dechlorinating products with a local prominent pond expert. Previously I was mixing it in a 5 gallon pail, then adding it to the pond. Very tedious. He told me to just add the water to the pond directly from the hose while adding the dechlorinizer. I've been doing it that way for years now with no problems. Sometimes, maybe once a year, I will do a 300 gallon water change using this method. My pond is 1500 gallons.
As stated in my previous post, the "Water Saver" digital meter hose attachment takes the guesswork out of measuring the proper ratio.

 

[cas]

Does your tap water contain Chlorine or chloramines? My tap water has chlorine. When I top off my pond, I do not add anything.

• Chloramine is chlorine + ammonia. Chloramine disassociates in water into Chlorine and Ammonia. While the Chlorine will fairly quickly dissipate in a sunlit pond, the Ammonia does not. Always need to treat the water so it is not toxic to your fish. Depending on the percentage of total pond volume added, this could be a minor or major problem.
• Chlorine dissipates after 24 hours once exposed to the air. So not always necessary to add a dechlorinator if adding a small amount of tap water to the pond (5%-10%) at a slow rate. Sunlight on a bright sunny day can reduce the chlorination level of a pond by 90 percent in just two hours.

 

[addy1]

So glad our water is well water, even though it is acidic.

 

[Faebinder]

Honestly, I just use a serious prime and then add straight from the hose when I do a biannual water change post cleaning. It works fine. I toss the prime straight to the pond first as I open up the water hose.

 

[mgmine]

Does your tap water contain Chlorine or chloramines? My tap water has chlorine. When I top off my pond, I do not add anything.

• Chloramine is chlorine + ammonia. Chloramine disassociates in water into Chlorine and Ammonia. While the Chlorine will fairly quickly dissipate in a sunlit pond, the Ammonia does not. Always need to treat the water so it is not toxic to your fish. Depending on the percentage of total pond volume added, this could be a minor or major problem.
• Chlorine dissipates after 24 hours once exposed to the air. So not always necessary to add a dechlorinator if adding a small amount of tap water to the pond (5%-10%) at a slow rate. Sunlight on a bright sunny day can reduce the chlorination level of a pond by 90 percent in just two hours.

Cas you are dead on. But the stores that sell the snake oil don't tell you that don't necessarily need to do anything. People read that they need to do all sorts of things and since it's on the internet they do it.