hole in ice all winter, 95% of the fish are dead as ice melts

[addy1]

I posted this under a thread called goldfish under ice, than thought I should have posted it in its own thread. It would be great if you all had an idea to help him out, I already told him I had no clue.


"
A fellow ponder here, around 7-8000 gallon pond, golfish only, aerator running all winter, hole open in the ice all winter, low stock load, ammonia zero, nitrates zero, nitrites zero, ph 7.9
anyways, he lost 95 percent of his fish. The ice melted and dead bodies started showing up. Pond bottom clean of muck and plant debris except dormant lilies. His filters are off, not sure what kind he uses in the summer.
He also has a small separate pond with goldfish, there too lost over 95% of his fish.

He asked me what I thought, tell the truth I have no ideas.

You wonderful pond people have any ideas? Lowest we dropped was around -10"

 

[sissy]

could it be a result of the polar vortex as I see more people this year saying they lost fish .The water I guess got colder down deeper than it ever was before .

 

[addy1]

could it be a result of the polar vortex as I see more people this year saying they lost fish .The water I guess got colder down deeper than it ever was before .

I would think that too, but if the fish live way up north under ice, why not here? We got cold but did not freeze like they do, i.e. deep

 

[sissy]

True but water does not get as cold down as deep as it did this year .I know I had my pond heater going more this year than ever before .I even have my pond close to my septic tank and pond water down deep was getting down in the 25 degree range and even a little lower and I submerged my pond heater because of it .I have never seen my pond water get that cold down deep .I kept dropping the thermometer down every day to check temps .I thought about even getting another pond heater because of it .Most it ever got to years before was 39 degrees by my book and that was the 2010 winter when I bought my first pond heater .I keep records just to see in summer and winter .Highest my temp in summer was around 72 degrees .

 

[addy1]

That is why this is confusing, if those fish in a very shallow pond, pond froze solid survive (goldfish under ice thread), why would his die? Everything he tells me, sounds like he did all correctly, per the experts at gpf, the net, common sense. lol

 

[mrsclem]

Is it possible it's not from the weather but from some other problem? Any chance with snow melting some chemicals got in the ponds?

 

[sissy]

I sometimes wonder if the weather is why my liner failed .It will probably all be a mystery that we may never solve .I saw on the net where people put ice melter down and it got washed into the pond a killed there pond fish and are now trying to sue the company over it .

 

[addy1]

Don't think so, he lives around 2 miles from me. A little less rural, but 100's of feet of his own land around the pond. Not on a slope like mine is. Pond raised a tiny bit. It just does not make any sense.
Snow melt does not enter his pond except what lands on the ice covering.

I asked him to join to try for the answers, but like a lot of men..........could you do it for me please?

 

[adavisus]

Low risk of pollution from toxic decomp, pond does seem vulnerable to cold kills, where the aerator has caused cold temps to disturb still waters

Regards, andy
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/media/users/adavisus.3206/

 

[j.w]

Haven't a clue but sure would be nice to figure out why these ponds of some are having this problem and others w/ even colder temps have no problem. So Andy you think the aerators could cause too cold water for the fish? Did Haro have an aerator going in his pond? I turn mine off in the winter but have my falls and bubbling fountain going but then we don't get too cold here for very long. Can snow falling pick up pollutants and then when it melts on a pond contaminate it?

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

My GUESS would be the aerator mixed with the colder water temp. A friend of mine lost all of his goldfish this winter. All he uses in the winter is an aerator.

 

[j.w]

So how are you supposed to keep the pond oxygenated then if you don't use an aerator, falls or fountain bubbler in the cold of the winter?

 

[brandonsdad02]

That's a good question. I left both of my pumps running all winter long. We had some really cold nights and days here in Iowa. I only lost one fish all winter. My guess is that maybe he fed his fish too late in the fall and they didn't go into winter on a empty belly.

 

[sissy]

I think like colleen does is big pond heaters .That would really help at night since I know I have heard from people around here that they have had problems this year .I lost my liner and Tammy lost hers with was only around 4 years old and was epdm also .Two ponds fairly new liners in VA lost this past winter .

 

[mrsclem]

I have only used heaters in the winter in the past. This year I left pumps running and my filters are all leaking. Next year no pumps! This is very puzzling as to why so many fish are dying.