It happened again after 2 month of PH where it needs to be..went out this morning and it had bottomed out and my poor fish were dead..They had really grown..I am just sick I love my pond...And don't want one if I can't have fish...
Like I said before.. I have had ponds for over 10 years and fish for almost that long...never had a PH problem...I have had fish in this pond for three years till they all died in the spring...
What causes a PH level to drop....What do I need to do to make sure this does not happen...Do I need to clean and start fresh or can I treat this pond...?
Do I need to do water test every day or so...
Last time it was low(before I put fish in it) I was told to put a box of baking soda in it .. It raised it and has been find.. We have been having hot weather and two days ago the water was warm...so I added water and chlorene remover.. they did find...then two days later dead..should have checked the water then.. Can the heat cause PH to drop...
I am just sick and will do what I need...
The pond sits by three trees but still gets the middle day sun .
I have a cover over it so it doesn't get hot but with 106 temp for the last two weeks it has been getting warm..
Do I need to shade it all the time???Help
Cranky! Sorry I didn't get to this sooner!
Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you have not lost any more since your post over the holiday weekend!
I personally have had no problems with PH in my fish keeping experience. So much that I just don't bother even testing for PH. Sad but true. I almost hate to admit that but it's true.
In all of the ponds that we have installed over the years we have only had one EXTREME case of PH that killed fish and PLANTS TOO!
It was an extraordinary situation to say the least. Well come to find out the homeowner was on a well and the tap water was well over 9PH with an extremely high alkalinity, too! The alkalinity actually helps hold the PH at high levels and quite frankly with high PH, high alkalinity usually follows.
If the alkalinity is low with a high PH then the PH will usually drop down to a more nuetral level somewhere between 7 and 8 find some kind of balance and stablize.
In Southern California our water comes out of the tap right around 8 and holds steady in the mid to high 7.6 to 7.8. We rarely try and get the PH move one way or the other just because that would require constant measuring of PH and alkalinity.
Your PH can drop if your water quality is being taxed by a heavy fish load, excess nutrients from uneaten fish food, decaying aquatic plants and excess leaf debris settled in the bottom of the pond.
With Little to no water changes in your pond, you could certainly see a drop in PH over a period of time. Of course with the possibilities outlined above, the period of time between water changes will be shortend!
Have you tested your tap water for PH? That would be helpful to know.
Do you need to test everyday? Well when you are having a problem it would certainly be a good idea.
HOWEVER, you have not given me an actual reading of what is your low PH. Oddly enough you might be suprised at what fish can handle in both high and low PH situations.
A RAPID PH swing is actually the true killer of koi or pond fish. As I was saying poor water quality that happens over time can drop your PH but if it happens over a long period of time the koi or pond fish adapt to the low PH and survive it! Kind of like people living in Los Angeles! They have adapted to the smog!
So, I would like more information as to what is happening with your PH.
What is the PH of your tap water?
What is the PH of your pond?
Do you do any water changes as part of your maintenance?
How many fish do you have in your pond?
How big are the fish in your pond?
What is the size of your pond?
How many gallons of water are in your pond?
How long has the pond been established?
Do you have aquatic plants in the pond?
The heat you ask. Well funny you should ask, because water temperature seems to have an effect on almost everything in your pond, most people usually over look water temperature!
The heat we are experiencing here in August will not have enough influence on your PH to kill your fish, that is for certain.
I will look forward to hearing from you and wish you all of the luck!
Respectfully,
The Pond Digger
Sorry it has taken so long to get back...I only had 3 fish...Back in the spring is when to troble started...I like you have always had a pond..NEVER checked the PH never...Then I woke up and all my fish were dead...I didn't even know to check the PH.I cleaned the pond and put fish in and they would be dead in minutes...some right before my eyes....I called the oet store and I sent her a sample of water and she said the PH had bottomed out....She told me to add some baking soda and have it checked again...so I did and it was fine...So I added these fish and some plants...They did find for the past month... It did get around 102 to 104 the week that they died....We had no rain for month and a half...I would run fresh cool water when it felt warm....That is the only thing I did different..The day before they died it rained.. I checked the rain water in my rain gauge but it was 7.5.. The only thing I could find to check the PH is the stuff for aquriaims...the water read 6.0 the morning I found them dead....Since I put the baking soda in it has been back at 7.6... Just wish I knew what made it drop so I will know what to look for....Thanks for all your help..
When you have low PH you can certainly use baking soda to elevate you PH back up to acceptable levels. The PROBLEM is that the backing soda only has a certain amount of buffering capabilities.
After a month or so the baking soda will no longer hold the PH up! If you plan on using backing soda to hold your PH up to a level you want you will need to perform PH tests on a weekly basis. Weekly water changes at that time would be helpful too provided the water you use to replenish the pond has a stronger PH.
So, to get away from doing all that we need to determine just what exactly is making your PH drop so low.
My first thought would be the stonework used in an around the pond. Or possibly some peat based mulch that is around the pond. Do you have any pictures you can send in? This will help me, help you troubleshoot your problem.
Over N' Out,
The Pond Digger
We use pine mulch around the pond ..there is some run off and some of that will get in the pond when I feel the pond or rains alot...My stones are from the woods around our house and have been there for 4 years..I have moved as mulch as I can but some still get in it from time to time..How should I handle the problem? should I test and treat it each week??
In a perfect world we figure out what is causing your low PH. If your tap water is normal that you put into the pond, why does it drop.
If you figure out the problem and fix it then you won't have to constantly be working on your PH.
One trouble shooting process you can do is fill a clean 5 gallon bucket up with tap water. Test the PH. Wait 24 hours and test again. The PH should be the same.
Then add a handful of pine mulch and test the water 24 hours later. Record any change in PH. Test daily for a week or so and record any changes.
You can do this with the rock and the gravel you used in the pond in separate situations so you can pin point the problem.
This process of elimination will hopefully flush out the problem! Or you can test and buffer the pond weekly.
Let me know what you decide.
Peace,
The Pond Digger