Fish Dead,,, Need To Know If It Could Just Be Old Age !?!

[speedingorange]

The pond is this :

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=187598&hl=

3500 gal
well areated via waterfalls
No deaths in the last 12 months ( since outbreak of valvet desease) No new items introduced to the pond since early last summer.

water stats
hope this reads right

N03 mg/l = 0
N02 mg/l = 0

<6d (gh=Dt=Th) hope thats right
carbon hardness = 3d
Ph = 6.6 /7.2 between the two

stock

3 Large Koi
2 large mirror carp
1 tench
various gold fish
1 sterlet
and (was 3 ) golden orf of about 18 years of age

could it jsut be old age? all the other fish loojk very well,

and the orf is in prestine condition (if you ignor two tiny leaches)

Pics of the fish





cant see any physicall damage! help!

what do i do?!

 

[speedingorange]

 

[WILDER]

Do you have an ammonia reading as they can go white like that with ammonia poisioning, and the bleach out tail.

 

[speedingorange]

unfortunately i dont have an amonia test kit... as far as i remember they ahve allways looked like that though. what would be a cause of an amonia spike?

EDIT

Just checked a pic with is 1 year + old and the tail and fins where exactly the same colouring

 

[WILDER]

I know they can change colour.
The velvet having it a while could of caused a bacterial infection.

http/www.fishtanksandponds.info/care-mai...a_poisoning.htm

 

[speedingorange]

hmmmm, the fish showed none of the symptoms in that page... and nothing has changed that i know of. the filter hasnt been messed with and we even have a seperate biofilter tank just with plastic bits in after the main filter...

so if it is amonia.. which im doubtfull it is... due to the fish all acting normally. the orf that was dead was fine this morning when i fed them..

only thing that i can think of thats changed which could drive amonia up is that we have started feeding the fish regularly again recently due to it warming up.

so instead of a handfull every week they get a small handfull in the morning and a small one in the evening . all of which is consumed within 5 mins. ( the sterlet food is in for a bit longer but he takes agis to find is as he really is very dumb but lovely)

could it just be old age? or is it wishfull thinking?

 

[WILDER]

Get ammonia test kit and test the water.
Ponds have to cycle again after winter.

 

[speedingorange]

ill get on it!

how come they have to cycle again after the winter then? even though the filters have been running all along?

 

[WILDER]

Everthing dies but if the filter was still running, usually turn them off I think, as ponds can freeze up.
Do a search on it.

 

[speedingorange]

dont seem to be able to find anything about it specifically on here, but from what ive read... the only reason people turn them off is to stop the water cooling. We bypass the waterfall over the winter and the intake is at the surface too.. (this is what the book i have recomends) so the only difference is now that we have the waterfall splashing rather tahn a pipe running the water gently to the surface. the filter was running all winter so that it didnt starve the bacteria

 

[WILDER]

Ok then.
Still check ammonia though just to rule it out.
Could of been old age.
Sorry for your loss.
R.I.P.

 

[speedingorange]

thanks very much wilder for the help! ill get on the amonia test kit tomorrow if the piggy bank can spring to it

Thanks again!

 

[WILDER]

Always something to buy not a cheap hobby.
Good luck.

 

[for_my_fish]

cut back on the feeding for a couple of days (or at the very least until you have tested for amonia). This should help stop you making things worse if it is in fact water related. My feel for it is as people have pointed out, the filter is cycling to some extent. Remembering that the bacteria in the filter will only be what the amonia etc will support. Increase the amonia (by suddenly feeding more) and the filter has to play catch up.

Most ponds I've delat with have had filters running all year round, but years ago learn't that as the weather warms, feeding should be built up gradually, seems to prevent all sorts of problems with the pond as the summer hits.

 

[speedingorange]

thanks for the reply