help, how do i keep fish living in my 4' by 8' pond for more than a week or two? what am i doing wrong?

Question

it has a filter that also has a fountain. we clean it often of debris from trees and surrounding bushes. it gets about 8 hours of sunshine a day.we chose a black liner to put over the hole we dug in the ground. the fish we buy are usually goldfish and mollies. my mother who had a pond for 30 years says i should get an 8 inch algae eater and a bamboo rake to help clean the algae problem.

Answer 1

Your pond is cycling, it takes 6 to 8 weeks for that process. It is building beneficial bacteria, the ammonia and nitrite levels are high, which kills the fish. You need to buy cheap feeder goldfish, make sure you have put in chlorine remover also, also add a UV sterilizer to your filter, it keeps out the algae so you don't have to rake anything. When your pond is done cycling you won't have fish die off, also another benefit of a UV sterilizer is that it kills parasites so you don't have to spend oodles of money trying to treat a whole pond.

Answer 2

How deep is the pool? The water should be at least two feet so the temps don't change alot durning day-night cycles.

Do you have any plants in the water? Aquatic plants help add oxygen and filter the water. And they give the fish something to hide under, some shade. Fish need shade too. And aquatic plants help keep the algae in check.
And plants make it look nicer too. Like Japanese Iris, or rushes. Something that grows in the water but rizes above it.

Put in some plants and let the pond settle with the fountain going for about 2 weeks before putting in fish. The water needs to become balanced with nutrients and impurities.

And like mentioned, what plants are dropping things in the water? Some plants are toxic to fish. Are you using any fertilizers or pesticides nearby? That can be toxic to fish also.
And check the pH. Do you have hard water? or is it florinated or chlorinated by the city? Florine is poison, tho it does help the teeth.

Was the liner you used made to be safe for fish?

Answer 3

Well the first question is: is there chlorine in your water? is the pond liner safe for what amounts to tropical fish? you should check with your local pet store to see if they have had other probelms. Also, take a water sample to the pet store - they will be happy to test it for you.

mollies are actually a brackish fish meaning that they require a little salt in the water which I doubt you really want to add. .

You say they die in a week or two - my gut is that it is either chemical (refiling with chlorinated water, release from the pond liner, possibly debris could contaminate it (what kind of trees surround it?))

Does the filter just remove debris? or does it have a charcoal packet in the filtration? there are lots of different types so I think you just need to narrow the possible problems by looking at the contaminants that may be getting in.

Temperature shouldn't be a big issue with the goldfish but Im not sure mollies arent in that 68-72 range of most tropicals.

Depending on your area you could be losing them over time to declining health due to the temps.

Answer 4

The ideal pond ecosystem will have:
1. Fish (you're trying, I know!).
2. An aerator (your fountain).
3. Water plants. These put oxygen into the water. Your fish need oxygen. The plants also provide shade for your fish.
4. Shade/sun in equal amounts.
5. To combat algae, I use "Microbe-Lift", a beneficial bacteria you simply pour into the pond. You can buy bacteria in powder, liquid, or ball form.
6. Your problem may be chlorinated water. Fish do not like chlorine. It kills them. I use well water, so I am not knowledgeable about dechlorinators, but your pond supplier should have a product that does this.

Good luck with your pond!

Answer 5

maybe the water temp.? i dont know what could be the problem. thats the only thing i could think of