Hi,

We wrote in a few times last year regarding our 25 gallon container pond with some plants and 2 shubunkins (in Canada). Robyn provided us with great answers and info!

The good news is that the 2 fish (and the water lily) wintered nicely in a new 20-gallon aquarium indoors.

The fish have now been outside, back in their "summer home" for over a week but all is not quite well. Although we have checked the water quality at the local aquarium store and it's "perfect" in terms of ammonia (none), etc., the 2 fish were almost always at the water surface blowing bubbles. The aquarium store suggested a submersable fountain pump to "stir up" the water and add more oxygen to it because the water temp had gone up to 86-87F lately (this was the same last year, although the fish were quite a bit smaller then - they are now about 4 inches in length including the tail). The fish are now almost always swimming "in the stream" of the pump, and still blowing bubbles. I am thinking - this is not good.

We don't want to lose our fish - shoud we put them back indoors in their aquarium or is there anything else we can do? Is there any way we can measure the oxygen levels in the water (It's well water and I've read that well-water contains almost no dissolved oxygen to begin with). Should we add a hose connecting to the pump top create a "fountain" effect and create more bubbles, or perhaps we should ditch the pump and get a true filter that aerates? Or is there an aerator that we can add to this fountain pump.

Any help and advice woudl be most appreciated.

Rina and Mike

PS. Mike says: the iris bloomed this year after wintering in the garage - at points it was frozen solid!

It sounds like the fish are low on oxygen. They do sell oxygen test kits. I have one that was about $10. You can add an aquarium box/corner filter to the small pond, a pond pump, or an air stone even to oxygenate the water. As the goldfish continue to grow, your 25 gallon pond will be less likely to be able to handle them.

Well water like I have comes out with a lot of dissolved carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen so it should be well aerated before adding fish or during water changes. A regular aquarium air pump protected from the weather with an air stone will help. You can add some tubing to the pump so that it moves water over a larger area and/or broils the surface. Surface movement may be more important than bubbles themselves (they move the water too of course which is their main advantage). Can you attach a fountain to the fountain pump? A fountain aerates well.

Water iris can survive being frozen solid (mine have too).

Hi Robyn,

Thanks for your suggestions. We went out and got a bit of tubing, attached it to the fountain pump so that one end sticks up out of the water and sort of "spits put" a little stream - the surface of the water is definitely and visibly agitated, but I'm not sure if it's enough - I guess a fountain might be the next step if this change the way the subunkins are behaving. (We also got an air stone (came with the tubing) but realized upon trying it out that it has to work with an air pump and not a submersible fountain pump. We'll wait and see how things turn out with the tubing for a few days before considering other options). Also, the lily has kicked into high gear (I guess the heat is good for some things) and is produing oxygen bubbles like crazy - I'm thinking that has to help with oxygenating the water! Plus we got few floating plants (one lettuce and one water hyacinth) with I remember from lat year protect the pond from over-heating too much. And the shubunkis love to nip at the roots!

The shubunkins have started actually sitting right underneath the shower created by the tubing, but they are also swimming deeper and nibbling at the floating plant roots and at the algae on the sides of the pot, which I think is a good sign. We've also changed some of the water a few times a day, taking out the warmer water and replacing it with cooler water from the fridge and even some ice cubes (which the fish tried to nibble on). All this to keep the water from going above 86...But again, this weather is unseasonably warm - it's supposed to drop down to more normal teperatures after Canada Day (July 1).

We asked at the aquarium store about oxygen testing but they didn't have anything available (and these guys are the biggest and best in Ottawa!)

Anyway, thanks again for your help - we'll keep you posted.

Rina and Mike

PS. You're right about the fish getting too big - starting this fall, when they move back to their aquarium, they will have to stay indoors (where it's easier to control the environment, temperature, etc.). Either that, or we start building a bigger outdoor pond...

"the surface of the water is definitely and visibly agitated, but I'm not sure if it's enough"

You'll have to wait and see. Hot water doesn't hot as much oxygen as cooler water.

" Also, the lily has kicked into high gear (I guess the heat is good for some things) and is produing oxygen bubbles like crazy - I'm thinking that has to help with oxygenating the water!"

Waterlilies photosynthesize from their leaves which are out of water. Bubbles forming on the stems may just be gases coming out of solution with increasing temperature. The "oxygenating plants" would be submerged plants like anacharis which produce oxygen during the day but actually use it at night.

"Plus we got few floating plants (one lettuce and one water hyacinth) with I remember from lat year protect the pond from over-heating too much. And the shubunkis love to nip at the roots!"

Yes, they are good to keep the pond cooler.

"The shubunkins have started actually sitting right underneath the shower created by the tubing, but they are also swimming deeper and nibbling at the floating plant roots and at the algae on the sides of the pot, which I think is a good sign. "

Yes, those are good signs. They like the moving water.

"We've also changed some of the water a few times a day, taking out the warmer water and replacing it with cooler water from the fridge and even some ice cubes (which the fish tried to nibble on). All this to keep the water from going above 86...But again, this weather is unseasonably warm - it's supposed to drop down to more normal teperatures after Canada Day (July 1)."

Shubunkins (and other goldfish) can tolerate warmer water for short periods of time. Large fluctuations in temperature can actually be more dangerous. While doing a partial water change with tap water (and dechlorinator if you have city water) is a good idea, adding refrigerated or frozen water (ice) may not be a good idea in a small pond if it changes the temperature too fast. Floating ziploc bags of ice cubes in larger ponds is something that those with larger ponds could do. For your small pond, I might put maybe half a dozen in a ziploc and float that. The reason to do it in a ziploc and not just dump it in is that most ice makers aren't that clean and to avoid adding chlorine if you have city water. If you use ice trays, it probably doesn't matter. The bags also allow the ice to slowly cool the water as it melts.

"We asked at the aquarium store about oxygen testing but they didn't have anything available (and these guys are the biggest and best in Ottawa!) "

Here is one from a store in PA, USA that I buy from but I don't have that brand myself. Ask your store to order it:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F7...1/Itemdy00.aspx

"PS. You're right about the fish getting too big - starting this fall, when they move back to their aquarium, they will have to stay indoors (where it's easier to control the environment, temperature, etc.). Either that, or we start building a bigger outdoor pond..."

Getting your digging arm ready!

Aerator pumps are inexpensive. I spent $60 CAD for a pump, tubing and 2 stones to aerate my 1300 gallon pond and the 14 fish I have never gasp for air. I found this also helps agitate the water on the bottom of the pond so it doesn't build up sludge too quickly. I've also heard that aerators can help burn off a lot of ammonia and nitrates.

I agree that air pumps are a good idea for a lot of ponds. I have a Tetra Luft pump and another brand Luft pump. Rina though only has a 25 gallon tub pond so putting a big aerator in there would move things way too much. A regular aquarium air pump can be used outside if the pump box is protected from the weather with a waterproof box of some sort.