I have a large pond on my land, about the size of a tennis court normally, but down to about 1/4 of that size at the moment due to the drought, the water that is left is very shallow. I have had a pump going for months now to keep the water oxygenated. Yesterday I used the pump to move some more water into the main part to keep as much water as possible where the fish were. Stupidly I forgot to move the pump back in to where the fish were and this morning there were 6 dead carp. I immediately turned the pump back on and left for work, sadly when I got back this evening almost all the bigger fish were dead.
They're not monsters but I've just put 50 dead carp up to about 15lb into plastic bags for disposal, it looks like a huge oxygen crash overnight, and despite turning the pump back on first thing it was too late to save the fish, only one larger carp is alive although most of the small ones have survived.
Lesson learned sadly, don't assume you can go a single day without oxygenating the water when conditions are as bad as they are at the moment.
They're not monsters but I've just put 50 dead carp up to about 15lb into plastic bags for disposal, it looks like a huge oxygen crash overnight, and despite turning the pump back on first thing it was too late to save the fish, only one larger carp is alive although most of the small ones have survived.
Lesson learned sadly, don't assume you can go a single day without oxygenating the water when conditions are as bad as they are at the moment.
In reply to Post #1
so sorry to hear this mate must be heart breaking
so sorry to hear this mate must be heart breaking
In reply to Post #2
Thanks Gerry. Yea I'm gutted really as it was my own fault, that pump had been running 24 hours a day for the last 3 months, I stupidly thought they would be OK for one night. Wrong!
Luckily it wasn't the fish in the pond nearer my house, some of the fish in there are our longest surviving pets including a mirror and grass carp that are both about mid 20's. The mirror and some of the others were actually brought home as fingerlings in a 2 litre ice cream container from a lake I was fishing (with the owners permission) nearly 30 years ago. They started off in a little tank in the front room of our flat and every time we moved they have moved to a bigger pond. Their pond has a filter system and TWO pumps running 24/7 so the water quality is much better and it's easier to keep topped up.
Thanks Gerry. Yea I'm gutted really as it was my own fault, that pump had been running 24 hours a day for the last 3 months, I stupidly thought they would be OK for one night. Wrong!
Luckily it wasn't the fish in the pond nearer my house, some of the fish in there are our longest surviving pets including a mirror and grass carp that are both about mid 20's. The mirror and some of the others were actually brought home as fingerlings in a 2 litre ice cream container from a lake I was fishing (with the owners permission) nearly 30 years ago. They started off in a little tank in the front room of our flat and every time we moved they have moved to a bigger pond. Their pond has a filter system and TWO pumps running 24/7 so the water quality is much better and it's easier to keep topped up.
In reply to Post #1
Sorry to hear this mate.
Sorry to hear this mate.
In reply to Post #4
Thanks Tazi, final count was 70 dead carp, 3 of a similar size survived, along with literally hundreds of small carp and goldfish (rescued from a neighbours pond many years ago). All currently in a 12ft x 3ft pool with pump running 24/7.
Some of the littl'uns are beautiful but I can see a restocking happening. I've been looking at VS Fisheries website!
Thanks Tazi, final count was 70 dead carp, 3 of a similar size survived, along with literally hundreds of small carp and goldfish (rescued from a neighbours pond many years ago). All currently in a 12ft x 3ft pool with pump running 24/7.
Some of the littl'uns are beautiful but I can see a restocking happening. I've been looking at VS Fisheries website!
In reply to Post #5
Gutted for you mate and hope it's something you're able to come back from.
Gutted for you mate and hope it's something you're able to come back from.
In reply to Post #5
Sorry to read that, but good luck with your stocking the vs are great fish
Sorry to read that, but good luck with your stocking the vs are great fish
In reply to Post #5
what a sad loss, just goes to show what a fine balance your pond must have been on.
Viv's a top bloke, you wont go far wrong with him or his fish.
Dave at Front fish are also exceptional
Ive bought carp from both of them
what a sad loss, just goes to show what a fine balance your pond must have been on.
Viv's a top bloke, you wont go far wrong with him or his fish.
Dave at Front fish are also exceptional
Ive bought carp from both of them
In reply to Post #5
It's not a nice experience when you see all those years of nurturing from fry all gone in an few hours, from what you have posted it sounds like the stock was relying on the pump?
If you was going to re-stock I'd be thinking about lower numbers a tad (Size dependant) so you only need the Pump for emergencies, just a thought
It's not a nice experience when you see all those years of nurturing from fry all gone in an few hours, from what you have posted it sounds like the stock was relying on the pump?
If you was going to re-stock I'd be thinking about lower numbers a tad (Size dependant) so you only need the Pump for emergencies, just a thought
In reply to Post #9
even on my very low stock koi pond of 13,000 gallons i have two air pumps running at full pelt 24/7, i darent risk losing the ones ive got
even on my very low stock koi pond of 13,000 gallons i have two air pumps running at full pelt 24/7, i darent risk losing the ones ive got
In reply to Post #3
Heart breaking mate - I know how it feels...
Keep an eye on the fish in the new pond - they have a habit of jumping out when moved.
Heart breaking mate - I know how it feels...
Keep an eye on the fish in the new pond - they have a habit of jumping out when moved.
In reply to Post #9
I dug the pond 18 years ago. The original stocking was 15 small carp, 15 small rudd and I later added a few perch. A few years after that I agreed to rescue the fish from a neighbours pond, 'if you don't take them they'll all die as we have to fill the pond in!' That was about 200 small carp and goldfish, which I wasn't happy about but wasn't going to kill them.
Over the years they obviously bred and grew, sadly none of the rudd or perch were there at the end.
It had developed a leak when over 1/2 full so I just let it evaporate during the last 3 months until we could get a digger in and try to sort out the leak, this is when the fish were left in a much smaller volume of water and that was my downfall.
I certainly won't overstock and will try to add a few predators if I can but perch don't seem to do well and I doubt pike would do any better. A couple of small cats would be ideal, but I think that's illegal!
Plenty of time to think about restocking, it's unlikely to be full again until the winter, assuming we get some rain at some point!
I dug the pond 18 years ago. The original stocking was 15 small carp, 15 small rudd and I later added a few perch. A few years after that I agreed to rescue the fish from a neighbours pond, 'if you don't take them they'll all die as we have to fill the pond in!' That was about 200 small carp and goldfish, which I wasn't happy about but wasn't going to kill them.
Over the years they obviously bred and grew, sadly none of the rudd or perch were there at the end.
It had developed a leak when over 1/2 full so I just let it evaporate during the last 3 months until we could get a digger in and try to sort out the leak, this is when the fish were left in a much smaller volume of water and that was my downfall.
I certainly won't overstock and will try to add a few predators if I can but perch don't seem to do well and I doubt pike would do any better. A couple of small cats would be ideal, but I think that's illegal!
Plenty of time to think about restocking, it's unlikely to be full again until the winter, assuming we get some rain at some point!
In reply to Post #11
Yup we've had that and also the heron finding them and perching on the side of the pool to help himself. I've now put netting over it to prevent both those problems.
Yup we've had that and also the heron finding them and perching on the side of the pool to help himself. I've now put netting over it to prevent both those problems.
In reply to Post #13
If youre not on a water course, and smaller than a certain size, i beelvie 1/2 acre - you would be ok with cats - However,
Only stock 1 if you dont want them to breed, or purchase ones at a size easy enough to sex.
If youre not on a water course, and smaller than a certain size, i beelvie 1/2 acre - you would be ok with cats - However,
Only stock 1 if you dont want them to breed, or purchase ones at a size easy enough to sex.
In reply to Post #14
Is it easy to sex catfish?
Is it easy to sex catfish?