Wow! and then I need help

[anitapond]

Last week I had a missing fish - couldn't find him dead or alive after looking and staring for 3 days. I also had another goldfish that just wasn't "right". She was eating and swimming, but her fins were clamped. I tested the water: ammonia, nitrates, nitrates all 0, ph 8.6 (which it has always been high). I decided to add some salt (1 cup to 500 gallons) and some PraziPro. Well, lo and behold, today (3 days later) the missing fish was out swimming and the fish with clamped fins is acting fine. I was very, very happy...until I noticed a few things about different fish.

Now my biggest 8" goldfish is lethargic. When I did see her swim, her mouth is constantly opening VERY wide, like something is stuck. Well, I caught her in a net (only able because she is lethargic) and looked in her mouth. Her mouth stayed open the whole time she was in the net which I thought was strange - and nothing in her mouth. I have another smaller goldfish that was sitting on the bottom. When I went to catch her, she swam away. And, finally, the fish that was "missing" seems to be bloated on one side.

We did have major rain yesterday.

I'm just not sure what's going on here. Could it be a ph drop from the rain? It added about an inch to my pond. I've always thought bloating wasdue to an internal bacterial infection. Maybe I have multiple issues. (Personally I do, but I'm referring to the pond fish LOL!)

Anyway, I added another cup of salt tonight and another dose of Prazi (bottle states can redose after 3 days - only kills adults, not eggs).

What do you all think?

Oh, by the way, I have a waterfall for aeration and a 2500 gph pump, bio & mechanical filtration with a skimmer. Pond is almost 6 years old.

Thanks!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Have you added any new fish to your pond lately?

My first thought about the mouth being open is that either something is stuck in her mouth/throat or possibly the mouth was always deformed and you just didn't notice it? I had a fancy goldfish with a piece of gravel stuck in his mouth and he was not able to get it out. I finally had to remove it for him with round tipped tweezers. Very scarey....

It may be helpful if you can post a few photos.

 

[Dave 54]

Take another look at that mouth , it sometimes happens that a goldfish or koi will swallow a pebble down into its mouth then cant regurgitate it back out .
If this happens then it needs to be removed before it can cause a major problem.....
If you must salt your fish its far better to do a short term bath rather than commit your pond to having salt in it.just in case your going to treat the raised scales you mentioned earlier .

rgrds

Dave

 

[anitapond]

Sorry, I haven't been able to log on - computer problems. Very frustrating!

Since I last posted, my big fish has died. Something is definitely going on in my pond, but I can't figure out what. Before the big fish died, I noticed one of his eyes was bulging. And, I had the swollen fish (one side only). I did some investigating on the internet, and was wondering if they had gas bubble disease. This past weekend, I used hydrogen peroxide to clean my waterfall. Is it possible that too much oxygen was added to the water by the peroxide?

So, the other day I added an air stone and activated carbon. Today I peformed a 25% water change. I tested the water again prior to the water change. Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites all 0. Ph 8.6 and I also tested KH which was 143.

Several of my fish have clamped fins and are lethargic. They are skittish and hiding. Every once in a while one will jump out of the water, and sometimes they are darting.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Sorry about your fish....

Water changes, air stones and adding carbon never hurt

Not sure on the peroxide as I have never used it in my tanks or pond.

I would have bet by the symptoms your describe that you had a water quality issue. What kind of test kit are you using? How old is it?

Are you treating your fish in the pond or in a quarantine/hospital tank? How many fish and what kind are we talking about? (just trying to get a feel for the situation)

I had asked if you added any new fish because that could give us a big clue as to what is going on especially if they were not quarantined first. Generally if water quality is not an issue then the next thing to consider is parasites.

 

[anitapond]

Well, the mystery has been solved. Today when I was setting by the waterfall, not 1, but 2 snakes came slithering down the waterfall rocks at the same time. I was not prepared to kill them or catch them, but now I know they are there. My pond is netted 24/7, but of course, snakes can get through and under the netting, and that's exactly what they did as I watched. They were garter snakes, about 2.5 feet long, both of them. I had this problem 2 years ago - fish disappearing. I went and got the snake trap I bought back then, and set it up on the rocks. I went to church and came back about an hour and a half later to find that I caught both snakes! YAHOO! As I proceeded to pull the glue trap with the snakes away from the pond, another snake came slithering down the rocks! UGH! This time I was prepared - I had an axe! I chopped at it, but only managed to get about 4 inches of his tail. A few hours later I went to check the trap again. I had put down a new glue trap. No snake was in it, but instead he went slithering past me in the flowers! Axe in hand again - chop - got 'em this time. It was the one that I chopped the tail of earlier. I am truly sorry to any snake lovers out there, but when snakes eat my fish, it is war!

So, this explains the missing fish. I am also thinking that this explains the sick fish. I think that the snakes attacked some of the fish and injured them; they were just too big to catch and eat. It also explains why the fish have been so skittish. My poor fishies!

I am leaving the snake trap setup for now. Let's hope I don't catch anymore!

Dave and bettasngoldfish - thank you for your suggestions!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Your welcome and glad you are getting those snakes out of your pond area

 

[HARO]

John

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Well, the mystery has been solved. Today when I was setting by the waterfall, not 1, but 2 snakes came slithering down the waterfall rocks at the same time.

I must confess, I am having trouble following your thread. First you are talking about sick and dying fish, then you spot some snakes and kill them. What does one have to do with the other?

 

[anitapond]

Sorry if my post sounds confusing. The relationship between finding the snakes and having missing and/or sick fish is that it is a possibility that the snakes were trying to catch the bigger fish but were not successful, thus injuring them in the process causing sickness and/or death. Quite honestly, I did not check the dead fish for small puncture wounds b/c I did not know about the snakes then. Or, I could be completely wrong (not the first time, not the last) and there is no relationship between the two - perhaps I have snakes and a disease.

 

[HARO]

So the solution is to kill all the snakes? you would be further ahead killing the remainimg fish, as this would at least eradicate any disease in the pond! You have built an ideal habitat for garter snakes, yet when they show up you take an axe to them. Perhaps you could put up a few birdhouses so you can blast the little buggers with a shotgun when they move in!! :banghead3: WOW.... you DO need help!
John

 

[Mucky_Waters]

It is sort of ironic. I have been catching and releasing garter snakes into my pond area with hopes they'll stick around and add to the fauna of the pond area, while others are lucky enough to find them there already and hacking them to death. Strange world we live in.

 

[HARO]

Thanks, Mucky. I was starting to wonder if anyone else saw the irony in this situation. :bye2:
John

 

[addy1]

I save snakes, was really upset to find a dead one in my subbie tank, poor little thing,now making a critter get out safe ramp.

 

[mrsclem]

Had a 2 foot garter snake take up residence around my little front yard pond. Heard an animal screaming one day last week, found the snake with a frog in its mouth. Tried to save the frog but no luck. snake was relocated to the woods several days later. I had a garter snake as a pet when I was young. Don't hate snakes but don't want them eating my fish either. Black , garter & grass snakes are welcome but the copperheads and northern water snakes are not welcome.