It's going to be a bad fish year

[brokensword]

well, a little over a week has gone by and the ammonia is still zero, ph is. Unfortunately, ich is now the issue. There are several fish that are covered and not doing well but still swimming well enough to not be caught. Is there anything that can be done when the water is 40 degrees or do i wait until spring and start over?

I'm afraid your fish won't make it till spring. Any way to lower the water and catch them? Or, lower, treat in the smaller amount of water, pray the temps don't drop so fast that you get ice, wait the prescribed time for ich eradication, and slowly, slowly, fill the pond back up. Without feeding, the fish should not foul the new water. If you have capacity to house/treat the fish inside, like a garage in either a kiddie pool or multiple rubbermaid containers/trash cans, replete with aeration, I'd do that. I forget how many fish you have and how extensive this might be but you're going to probably lose them all if you do nothing, imo.

Sorry this is all happening to you. If I'm not mistaken, ich is transferred in by a new vector (fish); have you added any recently? And, you're sure its ich?

 

[snoozer]

I'm afraid your fish won't make it till spring. Any way to lower the water and catch them? Or, lower, treat in the smaller amount of water, pray the temps don't drop so fast that you get ice, wait the prescribed time for ich eradication, and slowly, slowly, fill the pond back up. Without feeding, the fish should not foul the new water. If you have capacity to house/treat the fish inside, like a garage in either a kiddie pool or multiple rubbermaid containers/trash cans, replete with aeration, I'd do that. I forget how many fish you have and how extensive this might be but you're going to probably lose them all if you do nothing, imo.

Sorry this is all happening to you. If I'm not mistaken, ich is transferred in by a new vector (fish); have you added any recently? And, you're sure its ich?

View attachment 145408

I think it's ich. big white fuzzy stringy looking gunk. Fins on them look to be rotting a bit. The wind picked up so much here that they all went deeper. The temps are going to be low 30's during the day and low to mid 20's at night. I will see if i can catch them and head to the aquatics store on Friday before I head out of town and see if they can tell me what it is and how to treat. Crummy time of year for this to happen.

 

[WaterGardener]

That doesn't sound like ich. Ick is very small white elongated specks like little pieces of rice.

Can you get a picture?

 

[snoozer]

That doesn't sound like ich. Ick is very small white elongated specks like little pieces of rice.

Can you get a picture?

Here is the one fish i could find this morning but the wind is still crazy and the fish aren't out and about. The gunk is darker but might be because it was in the floating leaves i was scooping before work (which i will be late for). It is on it's body and tail/ Sorry for the bad picture.

 

[brokensword]

Here is the one fish i could find this morning but the wind is still crazy and the fish aren't out and about. The gunk is darker but might be because it was in the floating leaves i was scooping before work (which i will be late for). It is on it's body and tail/ Sorry for the bad picture.

yeah, I'd say NOT ich but a fungal attack. Whatcha think @WaterGardener ?? Probably best to just treat the whole pond? Need to know the gallonage fairly accurately and I still think I'd lower the water level a bit; some ice on top isn't going to get down that far that fast before the chem will do it's job, imo.

 

[WaterGardener]

That was my thought as well. But the picture isn't very helpful for me since I am on my phone. Will have to look again later on a larger screen.

I agree though. Most likely fungus.

 

[Corgi Mom]

I'm no expert but 75 fish might be your limit. Think you've reached your max load? I'd increase the bubbler power for more aeration. You can't go wrong there. I lost 14 fish this summer in 2 days and that was due to heat and no bubbler! Stupid me forgot to put it in.

 

[snoozer]

The

yeah, I'd say NOT ich but a fungal attack. Whatcha think @WaterGardener ?? Probably best to just treat the whole pond? Need to know the gallonage fairly accurately and I still think I'd lower the water level a bit; some ice on top isn't going to get down that far that fast before the chem will do it's job, imo.

View attachment 145414

The aquatic store confirmed it is a fungal issue. What is used to treat that in a pond? I can't imagine netting and treating individual fish is realistic. They have methelyne blue but small bottles for aquariums.

 

[snoozer]

I'm no expert but 75 fish might be your limit. Think you've reached your max load? I'd increase the bubbler power for more aeration. You can't go wrong there. I lost 14 fish this summer in 2 days and that was due to heat and no bubbler! Stupid me forgot to put it in.

I don't think over stocking is the issue with the pond which is just shy of 7,000 gallons though I may be wrong.

 

[brokensword]

The

The aquatic store confirmed it is a fungal issue. What is used to treat that in a pond? I can't imagine netting and treating individual fish is realistic. They have methelyne blue but small bottles for aquariums.

I've never used this;


API Primafix

but it's made by API which is reputable. I'd ask @WaterGardener as he/she seems more aware of the pond treatments than I am. Follow the link, read some comments, search that name with other forums and see if it's okie dokie.

 

[WaterGardener]

Malachite Green is good for fungus. Some products combine that with formalin for a broader approach.

You can order it online. Also, it should not be used with salt in the pond.

Some products in a pet store may be malachite green based, but I'm not familiar with the names of those products.

Can you get your filtration going again for a few days while you treat the fish? I would be hesitant to use any medication if it was going to sit there for days at a time. The filter will be able to filter it out in a reasonable time period and not have your fish exposed for an extended amount of time.

I don't know how long that medication lasts in the water so it might not be an issue. I've never used it without filtration.

Sorry you and your fish are going through this, especially at this time of the year.

Maybe someone else will have a better solution.

 

[snoozer]

I've never used this;


API Primafix

but it's made by API which is reputable. I'd ask @WaterGardener as he/she seems more aware of the pond treatments than I am. Follow the link, read some comments, search that name with other forums and see if it's okie dokie.

View attachment 145424

Thanks much. I figure at this point it can't make things too much worse.

 

[brokensword]

Thanks much. I figure at this point it can't make things too much worse.

btw, do ALL your fish have fungus, or just a few? If just a few, were they mine, I'd do what I could to just treat them inside in an aquarium setup. To make catching easier, I have this trick; have TWO nets; one the slow chaser/steer-er and the other lies in wait as the 'trap'. Steer the one you want slowly toward the 'trap' net and it'll practically go in all by itself. Now, for a pond, you'll need a large net, 20" if you can, for both. And depends on how much latitude you have with reaching them. I know in my pond, I can do it but I have very little room on the sides but a net CAN reach them. Again, steer, be like a ninja, stealth is your friend!

 

[snoozer]

btw, do ALL your fish have fungus, or just a few? If just a few, were they mine, I'd do what I could to just treat them inside in an aquarium setup. To make catching easier, I have this trick; have TWO nets; one the slow chaser/steer-er and the other lies in wait as the 'trap'. Steer the one you want slowly toward the 'trap' net and it'll practically go in all by itself. Now, for a pond, you'll need a large net, 20" if you can, for both. And depends on how much latitude you have with reaching them. I know in my pond, I can do it but I have very little room on the sides but a net CAN reach them. Again, steer, be like a ninja, stealth is your friend!

View attachment 145429

I have a large pool net and a smaller pond net that I can try to catch those that are sick. I have 20 gallon tank I can setup in the garage or basement for them. Thinking the garage is less of a temp change as long as it doesn't freeze. That may be tonights project as it is easier to see them using a flashlight at night than during the day

 

[snoozer]

Malachite Green is good for fungus. Some products combine that with formalin for a broader approach.

You can order it online. Also, it should not be used with salt in the pond.

Some products in a pet store may be malachite green based, but I'm not familiar with the names of those products.

Can you get your filtration going again for a few days while you treat the fish? I would be hesitant to use any medication if it was going to sit there for days at a time. The filter will be able to filter it out in a reasonable time period and not have your fish exposed for an extended amount of time.

I don't know how long that medication lasts in the water so it might not be an issue. I've never used it without filtration.

Sorry you and your fish are going through this, especially at this time of the year.

Maybe someone else will have a better solution.

I don't have a filter. Pond plants, lots if rocks, skimmer and the stream and waterfall is all I have had since my son and I dug the pond.