Electrical shock in pond...what can I do?

[Jazzcats]

Hi all. I live in Kansas City, MO and have a concrete pond, about 1,000 gallons with 12 LARGE koi that are probably 10 years old. I have a submersible pump that runs 24-7, 365 and during the winter months I use a stock pond heater to keep the water from freezing over. A week ago the electrical GFCI outlet where I have the pond heater plugged in caught fire which shut off all electricity around the pond, the pump was also shut down. Three of the fish are suffering terribly, one cannot raise from the bottom of the pond without help, one cannot stay level and the other cannot stay off of her side and floats mostly upside down. It is so heartbreaking! At first I thought they were struggling because of being oxygen deprived but now wondering about the possibility of electrical shock. Do you know of anyone I could call? A fish doctor? Where to turn? Thank you in advance for any direction or help you can give me.

Jazzcats

 

[MitchM]

Welcome Jazzcats.
Sorry to hear about your problem, that's not a minor issue!
If the GFCI did cut off the electricity then catch fire, your fish most likely did not suffer from electric shock.
However, if your GFCI failed to trip as designed, shocked your pond then caught fire your fish could be harmed and the best you can do is make sure they have healthy water conditions while they hopefully recover.
Do you have a safe source of electricity now?
1000 gallons is small for 12 large koi, so it's imperitive that you have the pond water as healthy as possible as soon as possible.

What do you presently have for water filtration, circulation, and if your have any water test results, post them here.
Pictures always help.

.

 

[Jhn]

Do you have a test kit to test water params..especially ph, kh/gh, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate....

Did the fish start acting this way right after the gfci outlet shorted out?

that is a lot of fish in a small pond, w/o the pump running for a week they could be getting oxygen starved.

is the pond frozen over at the moment.? Lack of gas exchange could do them in quickly, as well.

See Mitch already posted, what happens when I get distracted while posting.

As Mitch said get the water as healthy as possible quickly, to prevent any of the the other fish from succumbing.

 

[Lisak1]

Oh boy! Like @MitchM said I fear you have too many fish for the size of your pond. Water quality is critical in that situation. Fish who are looking for oxygen would normally be at the top gasping for air, so it doesn't sound like that is the issue. But stick with us - lots of smart people here who are ready to try and help!

 

[Jazzcats]

Thank you for your quick reply. Within 4 hours of discovering the electrical fire, an electrician replaced the electrical box and GFCI outlets so safety was restored. I reached out for help from our local outdoor pond shop for advice and followed up with a 60% water change and have since treated the water twice with BiFuran (microbial disease treatment for bacterial & protozoan diseases) in hope that might help revive the fish. I really don't think this has helped much but hoping all the same. ALL of my fish are lethargic and please note that the day before the electrical fire ALL OF MY FISH were swimming happily so I'm assuming my water was healthy. My pond is approximately 10'x13' with tapered sides and about 4' in depth at the deepest point. I'm guessing at the 1,000 gallons. My fish have always had a strong appetite so I feed them year round. The day before the fire my fish ate lunch and since the fire I stopped feeding because they no longer ask to be fed. I don't recall the name of my submersible pump. The UV filter light is removed during the cold months but the pump is also used in addition to the submersible pump to keep the water flowing. I have not tested the water because I have no real idea what I'm doing in that area but would be more than willing to do so. I wish I pay to have a local 'fish doctor' or professional to come out to survey the situation, I'm in over my head with water testing and the like but am willing to try. If I can figure out how to post a photo I will. Thank you again for your help! I'm so worried.
Jazzcats

 

[MitchM]

If the electrician was able to replace the plug and box and get you running again, the problem was with the gfci. They should never catch fire when working properly, even if you have a faulty appliance.
I would check whatever appliance you were using at the time in a separate container of water.
The sudden change in your fish behaviour tells me that they perhaps received some kind of shock, but the best you can do is make sure they have good water quality with all water tests within correct parameters.
API makes a straight forward water test kit:
https://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=670#.WpwzS2YZNhE
In addition to the master kit, also purchase the KH/GH kit.
https://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=587#.Wpwze2YZNhE

Post the results here if you would like further help/advice.
Good luck!

 

[zeuspaul]

I don't think the *shock* is from electricity. There would have to be a path through the fish as in standing in charged water and touching something.

How long was the pump off?

 

[ChrisP]

I don't think the *shock* is from electricity. There would have to be a path through the fish as in standing in charged water and touching something.

Not necessarily.

It's completely possible to be electrocuted while completely immersed in water and not touching anything else.

"Gradient current" is key here.

That's why people "fish" using car batteries and electrodes in the water.

 

[Dave 54]

@Jazzcats We haven't had an electrical problem on our pond that electrocuted our fish but we have had a lightening strike hit once before, so please read this thread it may help you understand what can happen in a pond that has been hit by either an electrical fault or like our own a lightening strike in which three of our koi were electrocuted and hurt :-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/curvature-of-kois-spine-at-a-loss-to-explain-it.17288/

We hope this will help you to understand things a tad better should it happen again or if you are extremely unlucky like we were get hit by lightening

Dave 54