Basically new pond, all fish dead!

[mgmine]

I don't think your problem was your water, I think it was the classic mistake of adding things to your water to make it better It could be that your new fish were sick but I doubt it. Over and over again people talk about adding this or that to their water because they read it was the thing to do.. IMHO just let your water alone and don't add anything and don't test it because you're going to fall into the trap of trying to cure something that will take care of its self. Next time you have green water add a UV light.

 

[kaarl]

I agree that a UV sterilizer is the best (perhaps only) way to clarify green water.

 

[Lisak1]

I agree that a UV sterilizer is the best (perhaps only) way to clarify green water.

Sorry... I'll have to disagree with that. Time after time we've seen people report that the greenest water you can imagine cleared up literally overnight. Why? The pond was finally able to get into balance. Green water is a symptom - it's not the problem. Anytime you have algae overgrowth, it means you have too many nutrients in your water. Solve that problem - fewer fish and more plants generally speaking - and your water will clear without a UV. We've seen it here too many times to not acknowledge that it will happen.

@mgmine has made the point that sometimes you don't want to wait all season for your pond to clear and I do agree with that... however, green water should NOT be a regular occurrence in your pond. New pond, yes. Established pond, no. If you routinely get green water, something needs to be changed.

 

[Sparky]

Agreed. My pond is restarted in the spring and it’s a mean green. Add plants and last spring took about 9 days. Gin clear for the rest of the season.

 

[mrsclem]

This is why I gave my UVs away. Haven't needed them! The one pond that has no plants takes a couple of weeks in the spring to clear but it does!

 

[kaarl]

Ideally we'd have a pond that's biologically balanced... Two problems my pond has are all day exposure to full sun and constant exposure to flocks of mourning doves and brown towhees using my waterfall for a bath and toilet, thus depositing lots of phosphorus and nitrogen into the thing. <8)

 

[Lisak1]

To me it's just one more thing to maintain, one more thing to buy. And you're left with more dead organic material in the pond.

@kaarl - every pond is different and I'm certainly not telling you or others what to do to make their pond experience more enjoyable. I was just questioning that a UV sterilizer is the best or even the only way to clear a pond.

It does sound like you have a unique challenge there with extra waste finding it's way into the pond. Add a bog! (That's my standard suggestion!)

 

[kaarl]

Perhaps my 40 gallon bead filter is not operating correctly. But the green water does seem to coincide with the UV lamp going out.

 

[Lisak1]

There’s no question UV will kill single cell suspended algae. But what else is it killing at the same time? And the bigger question should be why is the algae appearing in the first place. Address cause, not the symptoms

 

[Ray G]

So back to the tragic original problem from Cshannon3. I am wondering how much of the pond volume you replaced when you did the waterchange? Do you think it was 50% or 75% or more changed? I think that is what caused the problem. Adding the fish the day after a large waterchange might have led to them having too much demand on the new water (without nice mature water). I suspect that if you did a large waterchange that is the only problem. If you did a small waterchange (say 10% or less then other things need to be looked at.
Ray

 

[Jhn]

If the fish are gasping at the surface it is usually ammonia poisoning or low oxygen levels.

You said the pond is 1400 gallons, so you should have a pump between 2100-2800gph, so it gives the pond adequate circulation. Adding the pond shock is a waste of money at best, as there is already bacteria present in the pond and their population will grow to convert the waste produced by the fish into less harmful by products ie nitrate.

At worst the pond shock, if it has some product in it that kills the green free floating algae in a pond, can reduce oxygen levels as well as possibly effect the biological filter. Personally, I don’t trust most products whether it says natural or not, I have seen too many all natural products kill off bacteria populations or algae reducing oxygen levels, which in turn kills fish.

As was mentioned draining the pond like you did resulted in basically starting over with a new pond. Take it slow, have proper circulation, plenty of plants and let the pond build its biological filter, ie let the water turn green, it will clear on its own and if the pond is setup properly and kept in balance it won’t occur again.

 

[CometKeith]

Perhaps my 40 gallon bead filter is not operating correctly. But the green water does seem to coincide with the UV lamp going out.

Hi. I'm so sorry about your fish loss. I would make a few recommendations. When you start your pond maintain great water circulation with as many pumps, airstones, and waterfalls for maximum oxygenation. Only put in 2 small fish the first month until the nitrogen cycle is working. Don't add any chemicals except using declor when you add water. Don't do more than a 10-15% water change at any one time. Don't worry about green water. Green is good. The green algae is eating the waste the fish are producing. After a month you can add a few more fish. After another month you can add a few more. At this time your pond should be cycled and most of the green should have gone away. Never worry about green water or do anything to get rid of it other than natural means like plants and leaving the the pond cycle. Everyone here has made beginner mistakes and it takes time to learn what to do. Also every pond is slightly different and you may have to do a few things differently as you try things out. Also you will need to find a way to shade it if it is too sunny like installing screens or floating plants that will protect it. I hope this helps. Good luck!!

 

[Faebinder]

To me it's just one more thing to maintain, one more thing to buy. And you're left with more dead organic material in the pond.

@kaarl - every pond is different and I'm certainly not telling you or others what to do to make their pond experience more enjoyable. I was just questioning that a UV sterilizer is the best or even the only way to clear a pond.

It does sound like you have a unique challenge there with extra waste finding it's way into the pond. Add a bog! (That's my standard suggestion!)

Indeed, add a bog.

 

[JamieB]

Be sure to quarantine your fish. Basically, you set up a big tank or other body of water that you can keep an eye on, with good filtration and airation, and watch the fish for a month or more before adding them to the pond. You’re watching for parasites and signs of illness. If you see symptoms, you can then treat them away from the others and keep them separated until they are healthy. Kiddy pools work great.