Emergency! 4 pond goldfish dead- 3 still living

[enfiskejer]

I have a outdoors pond with 7 goldfish in it. I accidentally left the hose in the pond with the water running, the chlorine in the water probably killed them. I've removed all the fish from the pond, the dead ones have been disposed of and in a 50 storage tub I filled it with dechlorinated water added beneficial bacteria and put the pump from the pond into the tub. I scooped the remaining three (who don't look too good) and put them in because I'm afraid the ammonia released by the dead fish and the chlorine in the water will probably finish them off.

I tested the pond water for ammonia, nitrite and ph. Ammonia is 0, nitrite zero or very close to it and the ph is 7.6 which it has always been. I don't have the ability to test for chlorine.

If anyone has any advice to what I can do for the next few days or now it would be greatly appreciated.
It all feels numb- I've had these fish for quite a few years and I'm very devastated and sad.

I don't know how to get them to eat, none of them will take any food. I'm considering going to the shop to buy some frozen bloodworms or something...

 

[Colin_T]

Add a double dose of dechlorinator to the pond. Increase the aeration/ surface turbulence. Put the fish back in after a few hours.

 

[enfiskejer]

I haven't put them back in yet because two of them look like they are about to die and if I do put them back I have no way of giving them food, then they definitely have no chance...
Only one looks ok and I tried to give them some softened frozen peas but neither would take it.
This is so sad

 

[Colin_T]

There is no point trying to feed them, that will only pollute the water. Just get them back into clean dechlorinated water and let them recover. Lots of oxygen is what they need now.

In a few days time, if they are swimming around normally again, then you can start feeding them. But for now just clean dechlorinated water and lots of oxygen.

They will need lots of oxygen for at least the next month while their gills heal.

 

[enfiskejer]

Yep, I did that.
I put in an old air pump with an airstone but it is small and probably isn't doing much..
They aren't looking good, the two I was talking about before are getting worse and the one I thought was fine is also going down hill.

 

[enfiskejer]

Got up this morning had a look...
The remaining three are about to die and are definitely suffering. I don't have anything to euthanise them with and I can't believe this is happening

 

[Colin_T]

Depending on the size of the fish, you could put them in a bucket of water and freeze them. Goldfish go to sleep when it gets really cold and when it freezes they die.

 

[enfiskejer]

Depending on the size of the fish, you could put them in a bucket of water and freeze them. Goldfish go to sleep when it gets really cold and when it freezes they die.

Thanks for the idea but they are definitely too big

 

[Colin_T]

The only other option is to put them on a hard flat surface and use something solid to hit them on the top of the head just behind the eyes. But it can be messy

 

[Olympia]

I have a outdoors pond with 7 goldfish in it. I accidentally left the hose in the pond with the water running, the chlorine in the water probably killed them. I've removed all the fish from the pond, the dead ones have been disposed of and in a 50 storage tub I filled it with dechlorinated water added beneficial bacteria and put the pump from the pond into the tub. I scooped the remaining three (who don't look too good) and put them in because I'm afraid the ammonia released by the dead fish and the chlorine in the water will probably finish them off.

I tested the pond water for ammonia, nitrite and ph. Ammonia is 0, nitrite zero or very close to it and the ph is 7.6 which it has always been. I don't have the ability to test for chlorine.

If anyone has any advice to what I can do for the next few days or now it would be greatly appreciated.
It all feels numb- I've had these fish for quite a few years and I'm very devastated and sad.

I don't know how to get them to eat, none of them will take any food. I'm considering going to the shop to buy some frozen bloodworms or something...

Did you add some declorinater to the water. Mine arent really eating at the moment as its very cold outside although they seem to be near the surface all the time

 

[enfiskejer]

Update:
Yes I added double dose of dechlorinator, I'm in Western Australia so its very hot at the moment. Like 30 degrees plus and mine are used to eating all year but thanks

The fish that I thought were going to die have started to swim around a bit. The biggest of them all, I was very concerned about him but to my surprise, this morning he's swimming around a little and then resting underneath my water lily. They all are, now I'm starting to have a little hope again..

 

[Colin_T]

When the weather warms up, the water company tends to increase the chlorine levels to compensate for the warmer water. When we had 44C over Christmas, I could smell the chlorine coming out of the tap water when I was filling my water bottle.

If you do water changes in hot weather, either dechlorinate and aerate the new water for at least 30 minutes before adding it to the tank, or add a double dose of dechlorinator.

The WA Water Corp is terrible when it comes to chlorine in the drinking water. When they came out to my place to check the chlorine levels about 10 yrs ago, there was 3.5 times the safe recommended level of chlorine in the tap water. It hasn't gotten any better since then.

 

[enfiskejer]

When the weather warms up, the water company tends to increase the chlorine levels to compensate for the warmer water. When we had 44C over Christmas, I could smell the chlorine coming out of the tap water when I was filling my water bottle.

If you do water changes in hot weather, either dechlorinate and aerate the new water for at least 30 minutes before adding it to the tank, or add a double dose of dechlorinator.

The WA Water Corp is terrible when it comes to chlorine in the drinking water. When they came out to my place to check the chlorine levels about 10 yrs ago, there was 3.5 times the safe recommended level of chlorine in the tap water. It hasn't gotten any better since then.

Wow, I will do that thank you