The Pond And The Goldfish Miracle

[Vin]

Hi All

I know I have been rather or totally out of order so I admit it.

We have a pond in our garden and we got 4 goldfish. 1 for each of the kid's.

This was many many months ago.

Well to say we let the pond go is an understatement. It became a stagnant hole
with green water and lots of algea. We thought all the fish had died as we did not
see any for a while. But tonight I was in the garden and low and behold there was a glimpse
of something golden just under the water. I ran upstairs and got some food for them and fed them

Miracle of miracles, 4 little heads appeared out of the water. I felt terrible that I had left them in this
state, thinking they had passed on. I filled a bucket with water from the pond and drained about half
of the pond out. 10pm at night , the neighbours must have wondered what was going on. I then caught
the fish and placed them in the bucket. I then filled the pond up again and then placed the little ones back
in the pond.

I examined them all closely and they all seem in terrific condition for what they have been through. There is
1 really large one and the other 3 are smaller. The pump was still running so maybe this kept them going.

Gosh I feel so guilty while typing this. The thing is now what do I do.


Do I keep doing a regular water change, for how long, how much etc.

Help!!!!!!

A very embarrassed and ashamed.

Vin

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Did you use dechlorinator when filling the pond back up with fresh water ? I think the main thing to do right now would be to test the water quality in the pond for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph with an accurate test kit/s to see what current state the water quality is in exactly, posting the results back here would be useful .

 

[Kets]

Actually, Green Water is actually very healthy for goldfish! The algea eats the ammonia and nitrates (Byproducts of the fishes wastes) and the algea also serves as a great food source for the fish. The water change wasnt really neccesary.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Actually, Green Water is actually very healthy for goldfish! The algea eats the ammonia and nitrates (Byproducts of the fishes wastes) and the algea also serves as a great food source for the fish. The water change wasnt really neccesary.

Not necessarily, goldfish can't eat green water (although they can eat certain types of other algae), the problem with green water is that the algae depletes oxygen levels and when it dies off it sinks to the bottom of the pond as a mucky silt/slime/mud, which can cause water quality problems in itself.

 

[Kets]

Actually, Green Water is actually very healthy for goldfish! The algea eats the ammonia and nitrates (Byproducts of the fishes wastes) and the algea also serves as a great food source for the fish. The water change wasnt really neccesary.

Not necessarily, goldfish can't eat green water (although they can eat certain types of other algae), the problem with green water is that the algae depletes oxygen levels and when it dies off it sinks to the bottom of the pond as a mucky silt/slime/mud, which can cause water quality problems in itself.

But when it dies off it serves as energy for the remaining algae.

Here's an article: http/geocities.com/greenngoldsg/greenwater-frame.html

 

[three-fingers]

The algea eats the ammonia and nitrates (Byproducts of the fishes wastes) and the algea also serves as a great food source for the fish. The water change wasnt really neccesary.

There should be much safer biological filtration doing that anyway...if there was no algae before and there is now that suggests there could be something up with the water - high levels of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, especially considering the knowledge that this pond has been 'let go' - hence why Tokis mentioned test kits.

But when it dies off it serves as energy for the remaining algae.

Yes, by decaying and being converted into ammonia which is bad for the fish - and if the algae is dying and reducing in number (like it will significantly at least once a year due to the seasons) - then there is going to be an excess of ammonia, especially considering the fish are providing ammonia too 'food' for the algae is unlikely to be a limiting factor to it's growth.

Here's an article: [URL="http/geocities.com/greenngoldsg/greenwater-frame.html"]http/geocities.com/greenngoldsg/greenwater-frame.html[/URL]

Have you read through the article? The people on that site "rotate" their fish though clear and 'green' ponds - the fish aren't going to be living in it permanently like you seem to be advising here.
That site even has a list of cons for the green water - the ones Tokis has told you. It also makes silly claims like the algae can tell you if the fish have disease, and that the goldfish eat it - as Tokis has said, goldfish cant eat this algae - they are not filter feeders .

By no means is this algae deadly and to be 100% avoided, but if it looks like a 'pea soup' then thats when it beomes a danger for the fish and sometimes indicates there is something up with the water quality. It's true that you often see fish in this 'pea soup' in nature, but remember that in nature the stocking densities are much less, and even in nature it very frequently suffocates whole ponds of fish.

 

[Kets]

Oh, I didnt mean that at all. Its just that the pea soup isnt the worst possible condition a goldfish could be in (Hello bowls and feeder tanks). I apologise for that.

 

[black angel]

with you being in scotland i would hold off with any more water changing for a while.

clean the pump out and keep it running. If the weather is mild enough next week (10c or above) then do another half water change but i suggest you get a thermometer to tell you when you should feed the fish. anything below 5c you do not feed and if between 5 and 10 feed lightly with wheatgerm based pellets.

how big is this pond?

Yes i agree with testing kits to show you what the levels are. As for the green water, ive heard of it being used to rear young goldfish and used in rotation.