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Chlorine and Chloramine

If your choice was that the fish expired from the chlorine and or chloramine in the city water you where correct. Chlorine and or chloramine are toxic to fish and other aquatic life, that's why they put it in our tap water. Not to kill fish but to sanitize the water for human use. The "young man" could have done a couple of things differently to spare his fish and himself some trouble. He also should have floated the bag of fish to acclimate them to the new ponds water temperature and chemistry.

1. If chlorine is what was used in his water supply he could have sprayed the water in to dissipate the chlorine before adding the fish.

2. Let the pond run for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate before adding the fish.

3. If chloramine is the culprit the young man could have used Ammonia Detox to bust the chloramine out of the water almost instantly.

4. If chlorine was involved and he already had the fish and the pond was full he could have used Protech Coat (busts chlorine and stimulates the slime coat on fish) or Ammonia Detox.

Why not the sick fish answer?

It was partially sick fish. They got sick from the chlorine in the city water. But not necessarily sick from the supplier. Usually you will notice symptoms of disease in the behavior of the fish long before any 75% mortality rates are suffered, especially in a 12 hour period. The slime coat on the fish was burned off by the chlorine or chloramine in the water, that's what the gray haze was all about. This fish is now very easily infected by pathogens.

Why not the didn't like the pond answer?

Again, partially correct. The fish didn't like the chlorine and or chloramine that was in the city water, in the pond. Fish would "like" an environment in which survival was easy, not a labor. The chlorine or chloramine made the survival of the fish a labor, a very difficult one.

Why not the fish fought to the death answer?

Koi and goldfish are not aggressive fish. They can get a little pushy during the spawning rituals, but they don't beat up on one another on a regular basis. Actually if you see a sick koi or goldfish listing to one side, you will probably find one of his buddies propping him upright rather than destroying him.

Why not the Ammonia/Nitrite poisoning answer?

This answer is partially correct. Chloramine is a bond between Ammonia and Chlorine. So if the pond had chloramine in it, you got it half correct. Ammonia/Nitrite poisoning is not uncommon when there is no biological filter and or bio culture added. However it would take more than 12 hours for these fish to get fouled up from it at that low of a stocking rate initially into "fresh clean" water.

Why not the oxygen depletion answer?

Oxygen levels are very important in operating and maintaining a healthy system. The amount of fish placed in this pond was not enough to cause this kind of mortality rate. There are no plants in the pond to tie up the oxygen levels at night. This being late spring (the lilacs are blooming) indicates a low water temperature, cold water holds more O's.

Why not the no plants in the pond answer?

Koi and goldfish appreciate a little shade on the hot sunny days. Plants also provide a place to hide from the predators, and a food source. The fact that the fish didn't have them at this time of the year doesn't play a role. Remember the lilacs? Its late spring, not much heat or sunshine to hide from at this time of year, most of the hardy plants are just breaking dormancy. I apologize to any and all people who are not familiar with lilacs. I do not know when bananas, coconuts, or banyans blossom.

Thank you and we hope you and your pond prosper.

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