Meet the pond...

[Martinspuddle]

Sorry to hear that @Ruth

I did have a bad patch of fish loss with my pond, never did find out the reasons why.

I would suggest you leave the fish you have alone in the pond till next year.

Get yourself a good pond testing kit. I use to think all freshwater test would be the same until I was corrected by a member of NT Labs staff. I was told that tropical tests don't work because they are calibrated for higher water temperatures, not cold temperatures, hence the difference.

In the spring, buy some new inhabitants, I would be inclined to wait a month to six weeks before adding more fish by which time it will be getting a little late in the year. Quarantine using pond water, cheap kids paddling pool and some fresh Egeria Densa pond weed or if you have the room, house the new arrivals indoors over the winter till the spring.

[Ruth]

Thanks for that Martin - I’ll take that advice and not rush into anything this year!

[Martinspuddle]

I didn't say, but there is of course a very slim chance your fish may of spawned before this and you might find you have sufficient numbers by new year away.

How many adults do you have left?

[Ruth]

Two

[Martinspuddle]

Two

How many have lost and have you accounted for all the losses?

[Ric]

Stock -

4 remaining rescued - Matthew, Mark, John, Eli.
4 new - Moses, Elijah, Paul (een?), Timothy

...as of 17 May 2020...

And on 30 May 2020 there was a potential problem:

>> Disaster struck this morning - one of the new fish came with a white lump on his tail that I didn’t see until I got him home. Put him in (was about 3 weeks ago), and he was fine - this morning he was ‘lying’ among the plants and very lethargic, with half his tail missing from about where the lump had been. I’ve taken him out and put him in a bucket and waiting for LFS to open <<

Perhaps one of the fish did bring in something nasty...

[Ruth]

Yeah Ric that’s about right. You’re very thorough!!

I have accounted for everyone except Eli, Martin. I’m pretty sure he’s a gobbet too! I feel awful!!

[Martinspuddle]

Perhaps one of the fish did bring in something nasty...

I have accounted for everyone except Eli, Martin. I’m pretty sure he’s a gobbet too! I feel awful!!

'Martin' is missing too ....no I'm not, I'm here!

[Ruth]

Perhaps one of the fish did bring in something nasty...

I have accounted for everyone except Eli, Martin. I’m pretty sure he’s a gobbet too! I feel awful!!

'Martin' is missing too ....no I'm not, I'm here!

Lol!! And I’m not sure I know what a gobbet is either!! Sounds like something from Lord of the Rings!

[Ric]

How are the two survivors getting on? Still there and happy, I hope...