Got a request to take a local persons fish for a while as their home is being tented and treated for termites.
There is a pond in a courtyard with large 13 year old fish and they feel they will be killed.
Termite contractor now tells them they can seal pond off to not damage fish. To me that is ridiculous. Wish I had more pond space and could take them. Don't know the people personally but hate to see fish that age damaged or killed.
I'd like to hear opinions on this. Owner says they will contact me further but all I an do is offer to farm them out here and there once I move all my small fish into larger pond and have small pond to put some in. I sure feel bad for these folks.
Your thoughts
Bonnie
Fish subjected to termite treatment
Hi Bonnie,
My thoughts are they should be protected or moved. Here is a list I found of recommendations preparing for tenting.
http://www.qualitycaretermite.com/fumigation.php
I've heard of dogs and cats dying after termite treatments, so I can't imagine that a fish would be different. Fumes can settle on/in water just like anything else.
Haven't heard any more from people about termite treatment but I'll bet if they go ahead without moving all the fish out they will die. Sure makes me sad.
RJ I'll check that info. Thank you.
Bonnie
I agree Bonnie, better safe than sorry!
A lot of people seem to have the thought 'well they are just fish'.
Personally I don't feel that way. I have seen where people have that type of attitude with animals as well. My vet offered me cats on a couple of occasions, where people had brought an animal in to have put down when a simple surgery or even less would have cured the animal - the vet did the procedures with her own time and money and then offered those animals out for adoption.
Personally, I don't get that attitude, but that is me.
I've honestly put more money into my fish than any other pet !
Me too MM.
I don't want to admit how much I have spent just doctoring them. To me there a creature of beauty and elegance. How's that for poetic!!
So we are plantaholics and fishaholics . LOL Could have a lot worse addictions.
Just fish!? I would wonder why a pond then. Oh well.
If you read the others posts you see I'm going through sickly fish again. Big ones this time.
Ordered an aerator should be here tomorrow. Ordered medicated food today locally which should be here tomorrow.
A few don't seem affected at all. I am feeding very lightly.
Hope they make it through this ordeal.
I hope your fish are doing better. I love watching them.
I need to clean about a foot of debris out of the pond, but have only been doing small amounts as I read stirring up the debris can choke the air supply. I probably could do it quickly. Any thoughts or experience? 3 gold fish and quite a few mosquito fish. I also go through the debris to look for dragonfly nymphs.
I'm thinking I'm just going to hop in oond, scoop out as much as I can in a few minutes and keep the filter running. It's a small pond
Goldfish and Mosquito fish are both very durable. Not nearly as as sensitive as koi. You should be fine quickly scooping out the bottom. You can use the flat square pool net attachment if you're getting in. They're under $15 at Walmart if you don't buy the pole. It lifts out a lot with each scoop, and has a finer mesh, so it doesn't all sort back into the water.
Fish are back to normal and happily swimming around. Still have them on medicated food and a little regular. I want to keep them top feeders and medicated food drops right to the bottom.
After they eat it all up I give them just a little reg. pellets.
Happy ponding to all.
Thank you. I think I'm just going to wade in and scoop to a waiting wheel barrow
Hi all. My pond is free of algae but having killed it and having crystal clear water it shows the dead stuff clinging to rocks. I have vacuumed and scrubbed rocks with a brush. Bottom too. No gravel in the shallow end. I have used Algaway, barley, MicrobeLift PL both liquid and packets for spring, MedZyme. Hmmmm. Prazi and a touch of Proform C. Wish I could find something that would just dissolve the stuff on the rocks and bottom. It is short but just looks bad. At least algae is a bright green. lol
Research hydrogen peroxide. I use it to stop algae blooms. Doesn't affect fish or other plants. I think one may possibly find a divided group with its use, alas most objections seem to stem from places that have an interest in selling pricey pond products
This algae is dead not blooming. I just want the dead stuff to dissolve. Perhaps I am being too meticulous. After all it IS a pond where fish live, not my kitchen sink. :) I will research the ratios. I would hate to kill my fish. They have had a long cold winter and deserve a few months of swimming around and eating.
I hear you. H202 hydrogen peroxide is what the barley bales used in ponds produce to inhibit algae growth.
The first time I used it, was hesitant, but was after hurricane Ike,and the power had been off for two weeks, and started loosing most my fish because of low 02 levels. The DG gardener advised me to put a cup in the pond as it infuses the water with 02. Sure enough, the remaining 3 fish survived. The alage inhibiting was a bonus.
It has cleaned up or broke down strand alage in my pond.
Still, I researched (after) as I had nothing to loose at the time
This message was edited May 11, 2015 7:35 AM
I am having awful problems with string algae. This is the first time I have had this problem and from what I was reading, larger fish tend to eat more and keep it down as well as the good bacteria needs to kick in to help keep it in check.
I am hesitant to use hydrogen peroxide, so I know what you are talking about rjuddharrison. My question to you - did the string algae try to come back after the dosing of your pond? Also, where would one find the calculations? I have brand new baby fish and would hate for anything to happen to them.
Yes, how big is your pond that you used one cup? Carolyn, I can see where your huge koi would consume all the algae so as not to be a problem.
About 1000 gal, but that was emergency dose to 02 the water. I use 1/4 cup every time I clean the filter. Have not had any string algae since. The pond is lively with Eco system
My pond is about 2700 gallons so I could safely use 1/2 cup each filter cleaning. Okay. Which filter. The skimmer, a pressure filter or the bio-well filter?
My pond is 4850 gallons.
We also had to take down a tree that was shading the pond. We noticed this spring that the tree was starting to split and did not want it to come down in the pond during a wind storm. So, there is less shade on the pond as well.
Mary - I was thinking about putting it into my skimmer and let it circulate through my pond that way. Thoughts?
So the hydrogen peroxide won't hurt my fish, correct?
At this point, it seems that the string algae grows significantly from one day to the next. Adding a 1/2 to 3/4 cup when I spray off my filter wouldn't be difficult
One other thing - not positive, but I think one of my fish has some fin rot - either that, or something happened to his pectoral fin while in the pond. I have been dosing with medikoi - will the hydrogen peroxide cause problems with that? I am thinking that it won't, but looking for confirmation.
Thanks for your help.
I like the idea of putting it in the skimmer because then it gets sucked up to the biowell, thence down the 'falls' where, if I had string algae (which is usually the case as the summer progresses) cleaning that up, then into the pond. There is another pump at the deep end intended to pull water from there and also from the caves nearby up to the pressure filter which also exits at the top of the falls. So it gets a good mixing of all units. I also assume it wouldn't hurt the good bacteria in biowell, pressure filter and the big 55W UV that is online with the pressure filter. I just ordered new bulbs for both that UV and the 28W one in the pressure filter.
The water is clear but I so wish I could just dissolve the dead algae all along the bottom and walls. Clear water only means it is really obvious.
No sign of the other four larger fish, including two koi, two shebunkin from last year. Sad about that. But at least I have the one large koi - seems that my pond configuration simply won't allow for more than one large fish to survive over the winter. Had it not been for utility lines south of the pond and the high water table I would have made it larger and deeper when I did the redo.
Just had to have whole yard, house and barn sprayed for fleas. We have them bad.
Bug man said he would spray away from ponds cause he knew it would kill the fish. Fish are fine with no problems.
That's tells me the termite guy in first post is dippy and not careful enough around fish. Glad I hired a more experienced exterminator. We also get another spray included in same price.
Never had this experience before and don't want it again. We had them in our beds carpets in house and my feet and legs are all bit up. 46 years in this house and never had it treated for anything before. It has been awful but is better now. Newspaper even said this was a bad year for fleas in Fl. Guess all conditions are right for them. Little buggers.
Gosh! Who knew?? Maybe it's the dry year we're having?
Sure hope that is the end to the flea infestation. I was thinking of you as I prep a water lily for shipping off to DG member Larkie. We're putting the house up for sale so trying to give away a lot of them as most buyers don't want the work of ponds and gardening.
Called exterminator back and I think this time he got them. Really sprayed heavy.
Mittsy, so far I have 2 of your water lilys living in a 5 gal. bucket. They don't look too good but they are living. Would a little Miracle grow added to the water help. They are in a white bucket in full sun. Maybe I should move them into partial sun. It is very hot here now. Yuk
Got a job digging a ditch around pool as pipe burst. Charlie is also working on it. Lord I need that fixed. Company coming on 6/10.
Hope all down here are keeping cool. Summer will be long.
I just moved a bunch of my lilies into a child's wading pool, gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Blooming pink. Also have a yellow one, waiting to see if it is really yellow as it outgrew its pot. It was labeled Songs of Joy, and that it who I received it from here on DG many years ago. So sick of the cold rain here in NY. More forecast for the rest of today and all of tomorrow. Yesterday it rained so hard it beat the poor irises into falling over. I went out in the rain this morning to cut a few to enjoy in the house. They are Jesse's song and Dawn of Change.
These were on the side of the house. The ones in the front I staked with old curtain rods so they are still standing.
