So I decided to construct a new pond. A big one. About 3500 gallons. I finished the hole late in the season so rather then spend the money on a black pond liner I decided to do something cheaper. I received a Namco Swimming Pool liner for free so I used that for now. I have a UV light and the biggest Tetra Pond Gravity Filter they make. I lined the edge and shelves with river rocks found locally. They were pressure washed and set out in the sun for days. I did a vinegar test on them and they did not fizz. Water lilies and floating pond plants thrive. The pond is a little over a week old. I decided to add some feeders to get the filter cycling. Within 24 hours all my fish were dead. The water temp is around 75 degrees. Ammonia is none existent since fish were not in there long enough, PH is around 7.5 and KH is around 175. I'm pretty sure these levels would not kill fish. I'm wondering if I played Russian roulette with my free pool liner and lost? Could toxins be released from a brand new pool liner and kill the fish? If so would it be possible to empty and fill the pond a few times to make the toxins go away?
Namco Swimming Pool Liner and Fish
- Thread starter J Miggidy
- Start date
You have the liner, we don't. keep us posted.
Within 24 hours of adding fish they died. I only added 4 small goldfish in my 3500 gallon pond. The KH and PH were a little high but not high enough to kill anything...especially goldfish. Ammonia levels were obviously none existent. My only guess is that there are toxins in the liner? If this is the case is there any way of removing them? I was told that if you drain and fill the pond 5 or 6 times you can get them out?
Sorry to hear of your loss. At least is was only gold fish.
42 years ago, when I was in the US Army, they issued us plastic canteens. I still remember tasting the plastic and to this day will not eat or drink form anything made of plastic. Good luck with your free liner.
You might want to go over to Koiphen and ask, but beware, they are brutal and you might wish you never went there.
As far as I know, the EPDM liner is the only proven safe liner to use. You might want to leave that one in place and cover it with one. A few hundred bucks is nothing to protect Koi worth potentially thousands of dollars.
42 years ago, when I was in the US Army, they issued us plastic canteens. I still remember tasting the plastic and to this day will not eat or drink form anything made of plastic. Good luck with your free liner.
You might want to go over to Koiphen and ask, but beware, they are brutal and you might wish you never went there.
As far as I know, the EPDM liner is the only proven safe liner to use. You might want to leave that one in place and cover it with one. A few hundred bucks is nothing to protect Koi worth potentially thousands of dollars.
I have read that pool liners are coated with algaecide that is fatal to fish and no amount of rinsing will rid it. You are right about the amm and pH levels.
Hi, sorry about your loss, i believe it is the liner that is the problem, if not maybe something dropped into your pond that could poison and kill your fish. And i have a question for you aswell, your Tetra Pond Gravity Filter does it require power or does it just run by Gravity like a Siphon?
Last year I worked for a pool installation company and acquired a liner also, the exact same thing happened to me. I found out swimming pool liners have an anti algae agent and anti-fungus agent in them and new liners are very toxic to fish. Sorry to hear this happened to you also but maybe it will prevent others from using new pool liners.