Update on my pond disaster.

[R.Rose]

Sorry I have not been in touch and its time for an update. My husband changed the 2 outlet into a 4 electric outlet unit for running extra pumps. I realigned loose walking slabs around the pond for our safety. The water is very clear since the total clean out. We did not remove the algae that was growing on the pond sides.

Six black comets have survived. They had the greyish slime and ick. I used Tetra Pond fish treatment and treated for 600 gallons, added treatment for 50 gallons a few days later. My pond is 1000 gallons. As the days progressed the grey stuff disappeared and the ick dwindled to a few dots on the tails and bodies of three fish that were infected.

I have been testing the water every 3 days and today’s readings are:

Nitrate is at 0

Ph is 8.5,

Ammonia 0

Phosphate at 2. I tested our drinking water and it is at 2.00 with gunk that shows up after 5 minutes.


I will place the new UV purifier unit and filter into the pond with a 300 gph pump tomorrow. Aeration is provided by two pondmaster 1800 gph pumps, geyser spray upright and the other sprays sideways.

The fish are actively swimming and hungry. They are fed sparingly twice a day and allows me to do a visual inspection. Two frogs have returned to their home. My water lilies are doing OK in the pond. The other plants are still quarantined. I bought a shop vac, it is dedicated for pond use only. It has a drain and my husband will put a wire mesh on the nozzle so it won’t suck fish up. Every 4 weeks or as needed so the stuff wont have chance to turn to muck.

I appreciate all of your suggestions, expertise and support. I miss my fish but very thankful for the survivors.

 

[Dave 54]

Glad to have helped you turn things around R.Rose lessons have been learned here that you will not forget yes ?.... did you work out a maintenance routine for keeping the pond clean and your filters operating as they should ?
Columnarise is a nasty thing and a killer if not treated as you found out well done for turning things around the survivours are a plus
Remember to look into buying books on fish health and learning from them from there the pond is your oyster

Dave

 

[bettasngoldfish]

thanks for the update, glad to hear things are better

 

[addy1]

Great to hear

 

[pugle1]

Hi Rose, you posted something about "anchor worm" a few days ago. I've never heard of them, and I was wondering what they are, and if you got that problem fixed? Hope all is well with you.

Paul

 

[R.Rose]

Hi Pugle, they are a crustacean (like crabs, crayfish, lobsters basically animals that have critin for shells as do insects) not snails or mollusks. The larval stage is free swimming and will molt its shell a few times to grow larger and then become free swimming adults and search for a fish. The young adults feed off gills for a while, mate and then the females moves and burrows its head into the muscle tissue of the fish. (Males die after mating). The female's head changes to resemble a boat anchor and the body looks like quills sticking out of the fish. The head digs into the fish and secures itself. At the end of the quill is dual egg stalks. The female releases eggs over a period of time and the cycle starts over. The females are removed with tweezers poor fish ouch and the free swimming larvas are killed with dimlin or other chemical that inhibits the critin in the shells from growing and the larva is strangled in its shell. Life cycle is almost 4 weeks.
I couldn't find dimlin or Anchors Away by Jungle Labs was discontinued in 2008. Anchors Away sold on ebay could be expired or chemistry changed over time to be harmful. I treated my pond last Sunday with Microbelift Anchor worm & Lice treatment. It contains another chemical that retards critin. I have to do three applications every 7 days with 20% water changes. It maybe too early to see results. Here are some pics from google images. The Black fish is mine, looks like fish tangled with a porcupine, and view of a full anchor worm. I found a site that sells Dimlin, after I buy the other stuff, $49.99 1 oz. treats 4000 gallons! Strong stuff. Maybe i will order it just to have for future. Our government is frowning on its use for garden ponds and rare to find. If it gets into a body of water thru careless handling or water changes it will kill crayfish and dragongflies etc.
Thanks for your inquiry. I dont know where it came from and I hope your pond never gets it.

 

[pugle1]

Well thank goodness I haven't seen any of them. I wonder if maybe you got them from a new plant? Something to watch for I guess, although I've never heard of them. I suppose that if you're in Ohio, it's likely that they can occur here in southern Ontario as well. Thanks for the pics and the heads-up. Now I'm concerned about other parasites that may be able to invade the pond. Not worried or paranoid, but concerned. Research time Hope you get your anchor worm issue sorted. Two years ago I introduced wild duckweed to my pond. I was going to do it again this year, but now I'm having second thoughts. The duckweed I got a few years ago came from a marshy area of Cooks Bay (Lake Simcoe).

Paul

 

[Ponder Koi]

Glad your pond is turning out, my large pond just had a disaster and forced me to redo everything besides bottom pond and main piping, minus 14 koi and a few goldfish the pond is back and looking better than ever although I am still in process of treatment for flukes and anchor worm that some of my new fish must have contracted from my goldies. The first dose of profom c and big water change made my fish a lot more comfortable. Sadly I still have to treat at least once to make sure I get the rest that may be hatching

 

[R.Rose]

Ponder Koi sorry for your lost fish. How many gallons is your pond? Be sure of how many times you need to treat to get them all. Life cycle is 28 days if your water temp is 68 degrees.

Paul, Your wise not to put wild plants into your pond although very tempting, long time ago i read advice that they can harbor a lot of woe. My plants were repotted after they were soaked in fresh water, hosed off roots and in new baskets with purchased pond pea soil. I took a chance and returned them to the clean pond that was treated with a multi purpose liquid, Tetra Pond Treatment. If anything was on the lily's and Marsh Marigold I think the treatment would get them. I split off the marigold and bogbean and baby lilies in a plastic cement mixing tub. (new) It was a few feet from the pond and the frogs found it and laid eggs. Really? with a large clean pond they pic a tub? They went back to the pond on their own and the juvenile frogs are living in the tub, along with a few weird creatures. One is called a rat tail larvae of a bee fly that fertilizes flowers. It looks like a skinny long white bean with a "tail" a little thicker than a hair. It swims slowly and the hair is a breathing organ like a snorkel that reaches the water surface for air. It eats mosquito larvae. I cant ID these small skinny worm like creatures kind of light colored or clear that are attached to the plants and sway in the current. There are the many tiny frog tadpoles also in that tub. I wanted to return the bog bean which doesn't mind the semi shaded corner of the pond, it will float on the surface and hide the pumps and hoses on the bottom. Not sure if its good to put them back into the pond since I am dealing with the anchor worms. I got my copy of the Fish Health and Diseases Book that Dave recommends, It says that during the warm summer months sometimes anchor worm just happens. Animal visitors might bring them in.

I just drained 20% of water and topped it off. Tomorrow I put in the 2nd week of treatment. Observing my fish this morning I see a few new emerging worms on them and noticed that one of the worms fell off and I was going to get it but along comes a fish and eats it. Paybacks a "B"! My treatment instructions says that if I delay the 2nd or third treatment They recommend starting over. To me that means the active chemical potency is 7 days.
I cant believe how clear the water is. My chemistry is: PH 8.0, Phosphorus 1.0, Amonia 0, Nitrates and Nitrtites 0. General hardness takes 7 drops and the Calcium takes 5 drops.

This coming Feb. I plan to set up a QT for new fish in my basement for 2 months. Hopeful to add them to the pond if all is well in April. I miss my shubbies.

 

[Dave 54]

Glad your pond is turning out, my large pond just had a disaster and forced me to redo everything besides bottom pond and main piping, minus 14 koi and a few goldfish the pond is back and looking better than ever although I am still in process of treatment for flukes and anchor worm that some of my new fish must have contracted from my goldies. The first dose of profom c and big water change made my fish a lot more comfortable. Sadly I still have to treat at least once to make sure I get the rest that may be hatching

That may well have been the other way around Ponder you are asuming the new fish were the vector for this outbreak , which says that your not QTing your fish which is a must .

Dave

 

[addy1]

Rose, the frogs like the fishless, small slow moving, not moving ponds. My frogs never lay eggs in our big pond they lay them in the stream ponds the little preforms even in a pot on the deck. The tads stay in the small ponds, some do migrate to the big pond.

 

[Ponder Koi]

That may well have been the other way around Ponder you are asuming the new fish were the vector for this outbreak , which says that your not QTing your fish which is a must .

Dave

It very much could of been the koi that brought diseas but I did had them by them selfs 2 month plus but but the goldfish came from my old set up that had really high organics and toxins. What ever I did, I moved too fast and paying the price. Fist time using formalin and malachite green. How long should I wait before I water change after a full dose and how many treatments to be sure, my water is 63 high temps

 

[R.Rose]

I am a newbie in treating ill fish. I am very cautious in using treatment and it took me with hesitation to put in the pond treatment. I kept an eye on the fish for adverse reactions. I checked them every so many hours except overnight. I was able to add the 2nd treatment today and its 8:22 pm here and they are still swimming!. I hesitate taking RX penicillin & such ordered by my doc.
This is a quick summary of what the Manual of Fish Health Fish Book.
"Formalin is a gas dissolved in water for external fish pathogens, skin, gill flukes, sliminess. It is to be handled carefully. Formalin removes oxygen from the water so increase aeration and fish with gill problems should be removed at first sign of distress. If your bottle of formalin has white precipaitate do not use it is highly toxic. Soft water increases its toxicity.
Malachite green for wide range of external parasites 25 %water change before each repeat treatment is recommended. it is deactivated by organic matter.

Combined use: In the pond apply two or three doses over a 7 to 14 days period. no need to make water changes.
Above info assumes that you have followed dosing directions. The book explains treatment for aquariums and ponds.
I would wait for other members to comment on dosages it good to get other's experience and results. You can google both of these treatments and read additional info at websites. Check this site out: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/exotic_and_laboratory_animals/fish/management_of_fish.html#v3301763

 

[Ponder Koi]

Thank you I'm using a mix of formalin and malachite green (proform c)
I don't really feel comfortable not changing water between treatments . Just started second treatment today, fish looking a lot more active and aggressively eating their antibiotic food. Think I'm on the right path and really looking forward in a large water change after my last treatment then maybe start adding some pond clay to boost enzymes in fish and filter bacteria