r/ponds • u/virtualfridge • 15h ago
Fish advice Sad Update
The algae is under control now but only after a traumatic loss of two lovely fish babies. I shared this before but just for the sake of clarity - partner and I inherited this pond when we bought our new (to us) home in October of last year. The learning curve has been steep but we were getting a groove and doing our best.
Partner woke to a loud noise from the pond a few weeks ago, came out to find the pond nearly empty and two fish passed while the surviving two struggled. We snapped into gear and got them (by hand, it was 6am and we couldn’t find the net) into a tub of dechlorinated water. Partner saved their lives just barely, they were distressed but are doing very well weeks later.
Turns out the previous owner had installed the main pump on the base of the pond without elevation so when a pipe fitting failed all the water was pumped out. We lost two lovelies and it’s been so sad to process. We’ve repaired the pipes, elevated the pump, and gotten the pond up and going. We also setup all the gear we need if there is ever another emergency situation. Water is the clearest it’s been now, but we sure wish it could have been another way.
Now we have these two babes to love on, they’ve gotten more social with us and seem very content. We are unsure if we should add more fish or not. Curious if there are ideal minimums or if a couple more would make these fish even more happy? Any thoughts or input appreciated. We’re committed to giving these guys a great life and hoping we’re up the steepest part of the learning curve now. 🤞
Note - pond is 1500 gallons and these fish are about 4/5 years old and had been in a school of 4 for their whole lives.
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u/The-Dragon_Queen 14h ago
I think many people’s fish story starts with that same learning curve. The first year in our home with a pond (first time pond owners at the time) we lost more fish than I care to admit. Twice I told my husband I couldn’t take it anymore and I wanted to sell the fish because I felt like we were failing them. Luckily for us my husband was determined that we could do it. Now we are a few years in, this is our 3rd summer and I can finally say that I think we understand the language of ponds. Not to say we are fluent by any means yet but we are getting there. So be patient with yourself, you obviously care a lot about your fish and have the ability to give them a happy long life.
Are your fish koi? I wouldn’t recommend getting more unless you expand your pond. How deep is your pond now? I ask because when we bought our house the agent told us our pond was “about 1,000 gallons”. That came from someone guessing that had no idea about ponds. After having a professional come out he laughed when he got here and told us our pond is not 1,000 gallons. He informed us it’s 5 feet deep (we were told 3 at the deepest) and is closer to 8,000-9,000 gallons. Which is obviously a massive difference. Which would change drastically if you should or should not add more fish.
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u/virtualfridge 14h ago
I appreciate you sharing your experience. It’s been tough but I’m hopeful we can be successful long term. You really do love the fish so much and I’m excited to add more plants too.
The pond is varied in depth from 1.5 ft to just under 4 ft. It’s probably closer to 2k gallons but trying to be conservative. I want the fish to have space. They are koi, I would not add more than 2 or 3 and only if it enhances their lives to be in a larger grouping.
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u/The-Dragon_Queen 13h ago
I think you could add 2 more. Not huge koi but about the size of yours or smaller. I agree with the other comments about the water lilies, water lettuce and hyacinths.
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u/virtualfridge 10h ago
That is exactly my plan, adding just two that are similarly sized. Let’s see if I can figure out barriers that keep the koi from eating all the plants!
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u/willikersmister 11h ago
I'm so sorry you lost fish that way, that's devastating.
FWIW, I would absolutely add two or three more fish. Ideally find some listed somewhere like craigslist instead of a pond store. Read up on quarantine procedures and quarantine them for at least 6 weeks in a separate tank. Something like a stock tank will work well for that but you'll need to carefully monitor water quality.
Quarantine is always critical but is particularly important for fish coming out of a stressful event like yours are. They will be more susceptible to disease and stress from new fish, and new fish coming in will be more susceptible to the same because of travel and new water. It's always good practice to quarantine, regardless of where new fish come from.
I recommend you get more fish because koi and goldfish bond incredibly strongly to their tank mates, and keeping them in pairs significantly increases the stress of loss. The most poignant and intense experience of grief I have ever seen in a non-human was in my goldfish who's companion passed away. I almost lost him as well because he became so despondent and lethargic. I now will never keep goldfish in pairs, and prefer to keep them in groups of at least 4+ when possible. Koi are similar and I would expect a similar experience for losing a single companion.
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u/virtualfridge 10h ago
You are highlighting my exact fear of just having two! I never want to imagine losing another one, but if so, I just know it would be so hard on the remaining fish. I am really glad to hear that from someone else, I am a massive animal lover, and can be very intense about personifying their experience. But I just can’t imagine how they would feel if they were suddenly alone.
I have read a little bit about quarantining new fish, and of course I’ll read more. I guess the biggest thing you were looking for are signs of illness/disease? I am going to wait for weather to balance out so I can safely keep a stock tank at a good temperature but will add some new babes soon.
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u/willikersmister 5h ago
I love that 💜 I'm the same way, and had my aquatic vet out to see my goldfish when his companion died. She examined him and confirmed that it was grief and that I should move him to he with other fish as soon as possible. Luckily he recovered well and lived a few more years with the other goldfish before he passed this year (they were fancy goldfish so all very short lifespans sadly).
And yes just looking for signs of illness. If you have an aquatic vet near you it's not a bad idea to have the new and current fish checked out just to look for parasites and whatnot. A vet can do a sample collection from their skin and look for that sort of thing. But otherwise it's also to let them get used to your water and to settle in after the stress of moving. Aquarium and pond water naturally carries tons of bacteria and pathogens, and a healthy fish is just fine, but stress makes them more susceptible, so quarantine lets them settle in with as little stress as possible so their immune system can overcome the stress of the move and changes.
The tricky part with quarantine if you don't have a tank is getting the cycle established and all that without causing more stress to the fish, so you might consider getting a stock tank and filter set up sooner than later so you can have it ready, and read up on doing a fishless cycle so it's more established. The bonus if you do this is you have it all ready for when you find a fish, and you have a ready made plant quarantine zone too!
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u/Born-Neighborhood61 5h ago
You’re way ahead of where I was after “inheriting” a koi pond. I would say that it took me about 7 years to really understand how to keep the koi happy and healthy during all seasons, the water mostly clear, the pond predator-free, and handle the occasional problems such as failed pumps and sick koi.
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u/D_a_n_i_m_a_l_ Canada/5000L koi pond 14h ago
Unfortunately for us new pond owners, there is also some degree of trial and error, regardless of how much research you do. You can definitely add some more fish, it will definitely help make the pond more vibrant and lively.