How did our goldfish die?

[Shan]

We woke up this morning to find our daughter's beautiful goldfish dead. Can anyone tell how she died from the attached pictures?

• We had a lot of rain yesterday, and I had placed new rocks on the berm earlier in the week. Maybe rain run-off caused a strong Ph change?
  
• When I saw her up close, I could see open wounds. Would a disease do this?
• Does it look more like a critter punctured her through the pond netting?

We have five other fish. I saw one who was huddling under her, and he swam away--slowly--and hid when I got her out. I couldn't tell if he was injured or ill. I have not seen the others.

 

[sissy]

an animal maybe .Don't think run off from fertilizer or weed killer could have done that .Do you have stray cats or wild animals .Looking at where you live I don;t it but could be maybe a heron

 

[Shan]

We have lots of snakes in the area, racoons, snowy egrets, hawks, and a neighborhood cat that hunts and catches mice in our front yard.

The netting didn't look lifted, but the pond is full, and some of the netting touched the water. I was thinking that maybe a bird swooped down on our fish, or a creature caught it from the side of the pond. Our dog always drinks from the pond water, so they are not afraid of creatures at the sides.

I wish I could see the others to inspect them, but they are hiding (I hope just hiding).

 

[dieselplower]

I agree with both of you that it looks like an animal got it but couldnt get it through the net so let go.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Definitely an animal of some kind. looks like deep wounds too that could've been caused by large claws.

 

[j.w]

If your net is too close to the water then yep a bird could have jabbed it and then could not get it through the net. I'd raise the net up 18" to 2ft or so so a heron's long beak can't reach it.

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hi
If you are seeing other fish being sluggish I would check water perimeters to be safe.

Ruben

 

[Tula]

Very sorry I couldn't tell if I was looking at a wound or a water bubble on the second picture. If it wasn't a bubble, it indeed seems to have been fatally wounded and the net prevented the predator from taking it with him.

 

[waynefrcan]

Better closeup pics would help. Beside a predator attack, looks like could be a type of ulcer disease that developes when fish are crowed and/or poor water quality.

 

[Dave 54]

Looking at the damage to your fish I would say that it fell victim to most probably a Heron but the amount of rain water into your pond is also worrying me so test your water perameters especially Ph .
We use a smaller mesh net than you that is 6mm hexagonal holes and this does not let sharpe beaks through it is also bungee strapped around its edges so to make it all the harder for both critter and heron as it keeps the net bar-taught
The company we use does take orders from abroad and their nets last a long time weve had ours 5 years now :-

http://www.norfinenets.co.uk/js/enl.../content/products/6mmhexmesh_lge-FS.jpg&item=

Check out their website :-

http://www.norfinenets.co.uk/

Dave

 

[Shdwdrgn]

When I go out to look at my fish after dark, I frequently see them swimming at the surface, right up along the edge of the pond -- which seems to be the worst place for them to be after dark!

 

[Tula]

Are heron's nocturnal? I know raccoons are.

 

[shakaho]

Herons are not nocturnal, but they do like an early breakfast and often visit at dawn.

 

[Shan]

Thank you, everyone. I saw the rest of the fish. I sprinkled food on the pond and then went inside to watch from the window. They all looked okay as far as I could tell.

I ended up putting a stiff, plastic mesh cover over the pond. It's ugly, but I'd rather keep the fish safe for now.

The fish we lost was the whole reason for building a pond in the first place. My kids won her at a fair two years ago. So sad/mad.

 

[Waterbug]

Some Herons are nocturnal, called night herons.

I sure can't tell from the pics but if the wound looks like meat it could be an injury. If the wounds look while and nasty, like an infection, I'd assume it was caused by bacteria, virus or fungus. It is possible an injured fish could live and the wound get infected so impossible to tell. Playing the odds the overwhelming choice would be infection, not animal attack. I think most people like thinking it's an animal rather than poor water quality.

Infection is generally a bigger risk in spring. Fish immune system is much lower at lower temps and as water temp increases there is a window where bacteria booms while fish immune systems are weak.