fish not eating

[randy baker]

my outside pond is about a 1000 gals. theres 23 new goldfish added to the pond 2 wks. ago there are the only fish in the pond. the fish will not eat they put the pellets in there mouth and spit them out. the ph is 8.0 the water temp is 75f and the water is nice and clear. Ive tried two differant types of food and flakes and same thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. theres water lillies and parrot feathers plants in the pond

 

[Stephen Noble]

My first thought is water quality problems. Water that looks good isn't necessarily healthy. Have you tested the parameters other than for pH? Another thought is something like flukes. Goldfish are normally 'enthusiastic' eaters and spitting out food is a major red flag. Adding 23 new fish at one time is questionable. Were there any other fish in the pond prior to the 23 goldfish?

 

[Mmathis]

I, too, was thinking water quality issues — most of the time, that’s the root of most fish problems. And what @Stephen Noble already said.

Do you test your water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, KH, GH? If not, we recommend getting a liquid drop test kit — most of us use API Master. KH and GH tests have to be purchased separately. If all you have are test strips, then that’s better than nothing, but we find that strips aren’t as reliable as drop kits. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU TEST YOUR WATER, at least in the beginning, when your pond is new.

What kind of filtration do you have?

How big are these 23 new fish?

Be sure that whatever food you are feeding, that it’s small enough to fit in their mouths.

 

[randy baker]

My first thought is water quality problems. Water that looks good isn't necessarily healthy. Have you tested the parameters other than for pH? Another thought is something like flukes. Goldfish are normally 'enthusiastic' eaters and spitting out food is a major red flag. Adding 23 new fish at one time is questionable. Were there any other fish in the pond prior to the 23 goldfish?

thanks for getting back to me the pond has been established for about a year with no fish in it. i got a high end test kit and tested for ph 8.0 amonia is very low to nil and nitrates are very low

 

[randy baker]

I, too, was thinking water quality issues — most of the time, that’s the root of most fish problems. And what @Stephen Noble already said.

Do you test your water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, KH, GH? If not, we recommend getting a liquid drop test kit — most of us use API Master. KH and GH tests have to be purchased separately. If all you have are test strips, then that’s better than nothing, but we find that strips aren’t as reliable as drop kits. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU TEST YOUR WATER, at least in the beginning, when your pond is new.

What kind of filtration do you have?

How big are these 23 new fish?

Be sure that whatever food you are feeding, that it’s small enough to fit in their mouths.

the fish are from 2in to 4 in all a good size im new to this so really appreciate your help

 

[IPA]

Were they eating previously? As long as they aren’t looking emaciated I wouldn’t worry too much. I haven’t feed my fish in weeks. If the pond was well established there is plenty of food for them provided by nature.

 

[randy baker]

Were they eating previously? As long as they aren’t looking emaciated I wouldn’t worry too much. I haven’t feed my fish in weeks. If the pond was well established there is plenty of food for them provided by nature.

they were eating in the pond they came from but it was very small with lots of fish in it. They all look very healthy so you may be right i hope so. the pond has a waterfall and three air stones going 24 hrs.

 

[Mmathis]

I am a little concerned that your fish came from a small and overcrowded pond. This sounds like they might be “feeder fish.” Feeder fish have a reputation for not being healthy.

Other than “not eating,” are you noticing any other changes in their behavior or activity, or in their appearance?

Did you have any other fish in your pond when you added these guys?

And just an FYI, I would recommend that you not add any more fish to your 1000 gallon pond. Those 23 will breed, and whatever eggs aren’t eaten will become even more fish — and you really will have water quality issues.

What kind of filtration do you have?

 

[Mmathis]

@randy baker I just looked back at your previous threads. Two weeks ago you said that you added 12 fish “from a reputable dealer.” So, have you actually added 36 fish, total?

You also clarified that your pond is 3 years old, and that you have “a waterfall and 2 air stones.” That is a positive as it sounds like you have plenty of water movement. Do you have a filter hooked up to your waterfall?

Is there algae growing on the sides of your pond? It’s possible that the fish are eating algae if they aren’t showing an interest in food.

Are you removing uneaten food?

You also mentioned 2 weeks ago, that you were in the process of getting a “drop” test kit. Have you gotten that yet? Can you give us the results of your current ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, KH, and GH? At the beginning of this thread, you only gave us your pH and water temp.

 

[randy baker]

@randy baker I just looked back at your previous threads. Two weeks ago you said that you added 12 fish “from a reputable dealer.” So, have you actually added 36 fish, total?

You also clarified that your pond is 3 years old, and that you have “a waterfall and 2 air stones.” That is a positive as it sounds like you have plenty of water movement. Do you have a filter hooked up to your waterfall?

Is there algae growing on the sides of your pond? It’s possible that the fish are eating algae if they aren’t showing an interest in food.

Are you removing uneaten food?

You also mentioned 2 weeks ago, that you were in the process of getting a “drop” test kit. Have you gotten that yet? Can you give us the results of your current ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, KH, and GH? At the beginning of this thread, you only gave us your pH and water temp.

yes i added 11 more fish a week after the original batch from the same breeder.any uneaten food gets taken out and i added another air stone for a total of three.Theres a pump at the skimmer and it goes up about 10 ft to a filter at the waterfall all this was lprofessionally installed by a pond company in victoria bc i appreciate your help with this

 

[randy baker]

I am a little concerned that your fish came from a small and overcrowded pond. This sounds like they might be “feeder fish.” Feeder fish have a reputation for not being healthy.

Other than “not eating,” are you noticing any other changes in their behavior or activity, or in their appearance?

Did you have any other fish in your pond when you added these guys?

And just an FYI, I would recommend that you not add any more fish to your 1000 gallon pond. Those 23 will breed, and whatever eggs aren’t eaten will become even more fish — and you really will have water quality issues.

What kind of filtration do you have?

there were no fish in the pond when i added these guys and im the first person the lady has let have fish just because she has too many and the plan is to keep the pond at that level. the filter system was installed by a pond company 3 yrs ago i think one person said they may be getting enough food to eat without the pellets and me being a newbie to all this has a lot to learn..i bought a high end water test kit and everything is testing great. thanks for your help much appreciated