New outdoor pond, fish are dying, and the ph level is alkaline; help please?
Hi, I have a new outdoor cold water pond, and five fish have died in two days. :-( I just went & purchased a ph kit and it reads high alkaline (blue). What do you recommend we do? I’m really worried I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning to more dead little ones. I have a filter and air pump, with two ‘live’ aquarium plants.I have read various things about adding some sort of product to the water, but it appears this may not be the solution.
Do I change the water in the whole tank or do I do part change? Should I put the remaining fish into a fish ‘hospital’ with salt water and wait until I can balance the ph? Should I buy some distilled water and mix it with half tap water? Your best answers from experience would be great. Thanks in advance.
Tagged with: amp • aquarium plants • cold water • distilled water • fish • little ones • ph kit • salt water • tank • tap water • thanks in advance • tomorrow morning • water pond
Filed under: Alkaline Water Filters
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You said it is new. It is still going through the Nitrogen Cycle. At first, ammonia reaches toxic levels, until ammonia utilizing bacteria hits the suitable numbers. Then, Nitrite comes out, reaches toxic levels, then nitrite utilizing bacteria appear. Then Nitrates appear, once again, toxic levels, then nitrate utilizing bacteria appear. This is called the New Tank (or pond) Syndrome. Don’t disturb the filter if you don’t want to mess up with the cycle and start it again.
Alkaline water is fine to hardy fish but if your fish are softwater, you are doomed.
Also, temperature matters. They can die if not maintained in the right temperatures.
CF
I’m going to ask an obvious question — you’re not using tap water w/o some sort of dechlorinator (sp) are you? If not, it sounds like "new tank" syndrom (the afore mentioned nitrogen cycle) — if you transfer your fish into a new tank that has not gone through the cycle process, it won’t help.
Here’s a link to one artical on fishless cycling:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php
and a good one on the nitrogen cycle in general:
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
get some water changed & put an almond tree leaf in the pond to control the pH.hope this would work.
you say new pond? made of what? liner pond or concrete pond or what? if concrete, did you allow the concrete to soak for a while? with some vinegar or something to neutralise the lime leaching out. if I’m correct, then that explains why your fish are dying. your gonna need more than one almond leaf, you’d need the whole tree. if this is the case I’m afraid you’ll have to remove the fish while you’re fixing the problem. just one of the many possibilities..