Post
by Diana » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:53 pm
A fish that stays so close to the surface, and on its side is definitely sick, but I do not know with what.
Is it possible to bring this fish into a quarantine tank? Perhaps a large storage box in the cool garage or out of the sun in the garden? Add a bubbler for water movement. Nothing to violent, the sick fish cannot handle too much water movement.
Initially fill the container with 50% pond water and 50% new water with dechlor added.
Add salt (sodium chloride) at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons the first day, then another tablespoon per 10 gallons the next day.
Salt is very good for fish under stress, and Golds are very tolerant of salt.
Examine the fish for any signs of what might actually be the problem.
Swellings? Red or pale areas? Gill problems? Bruising?
Do enough water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite really low. This will be difficult unless you can add a cycled filter, or some rocks, plants or other things with nitrifying bacteria. Treat according to your findings.
Test the pond for all the same stuff as an aquarium:
When a pond is warming up after a winter chill the nitrifying bacteria need to wake up and start reproducing. The ammonia removing bacteria grow rather fast, and handle cool temperatures pretty well. (not freezing, though) The nitrite removing bacteria do not handle the low temperatures as well, and are slower to start reproducing as the weather warms. High nitrite in a pond is common in the early spring.
Ammonia: Water change (as much as possible- I understand about a 'fairly large' pond.), Ammonia locking water conditioner, add growing, thriving plants. Add nitrifying bacteria from a cycled filter, or 'bacteria in a bottle' such as Dr. Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start (do not waste your money on other products)
Nitrite: Water change, add nitrite locking product. Add plants. Add same bacteria products as for ammonia. Add salt @ 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons. High nitrite causes Brown Blood Disease. Nitrite enters the blood and makes it not carry oxygen very well. You may notice the gills and white areas of the fish look sort of brown. The blood is no longer red, but is brown. Respiratory problems, hanging at the surface, lethargy.
other problems:
pH too low: Check KH.
KH too low: Add baking soda @ 1 teaspoon per 30 gallons, dissolved in water. Recheck pH and KH the next day. If this is a chronic problem then you may be able to add some limestone rocks or gravel or coral sand to the pond or the filter.
GH too low: Add calcium and magnesium sold for this purpose in pond supply stores. It may be in a blend with pond plant fertilizer, the same way Seachem Equilibrium is sold for aquariums. Epsom salt will raise the GH, but it is not a complete blend of minerals. It is only magnesium.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
