Well where do you buy these goldfish?

Petsmart

Do you just dump them in the pond or do you acclimatize them first. Is there shade over the pond and what is the temp of the water in the pond?

Im actually doing this thread for a friend, so bear with the details…

Yes we acclimated them but the temperature has dropped over night and gradually warmed to around 85 during midday. The pond is approx 2.5’ in depth.

What are the parameters of the water?
pH?
Ammonia?
Nitrate?
Nitrite?

Good starting place.

waiting on details, but sounds like at least one of those is the culprit, thanks.

Is the pond shaded? Do the fish have a cool place to hide during the day?

@WestRiverrat @SpatzieLover Great question. I think it could easily be too hot.
2.5 feet deep and how big ? Get an umbrella over it, maybe?

My last goldfish passed because he got too warm :(

A friend had to wait to fill her pond until she had enough pond growth for shade and protection from raccoons. She lost all of her fish the first year. The second year most lived…now years later, she has immense goldfish that live in the basement pond in winter and outdoor pond in summer.

I’ve owned koi (Japanese carp) in ponds and large aquariums for many years, and when they become sick or die, it almost always has something to do with the water quality.

Is it a new pond? If so, the nitrogen cycle probably hasn’t run its course yet, and you have to be careful about how much fish you add to the pond, how much you’re feeding them, and keeping a close eye on the ammonia levels. In a new pond, the ammonia level will reach high levels by the 2nd or 3rd week, then drop. After that, the level of nitrites (another toxic chemical produced by fish waste and decomposition) will rise to dangerous levels. This is the second phase, and the one that lasts the longest, about 3 weeks. After that, both ammonia and nitrite levels will drop to almost undetectable levels, almost like magic. That means your nitrogen cycle is complete, and the amount of “good bacteria” in the water is at an optimum level to get rid of the ammonia and nitrites. Get ammonia and nitrite testing kits to test your pond water.

Even in established ponds, you can still have ammonia problems if you’re overstocking the pond with too many fish, or if your filter is too dirty and feeding the fish too much. Water changes are a must.

The other possible thing that may be killing your goldfish is a disease, especially if the water temperature fluctuates so much. Common fish diseases are ich (white spot disease), velvet, and bacterial diseases and parasites.

Another cause may be a lack of oxygen in the water, but if your pond is well-aerated, you shouldn’t have to worry.

Ph is important too. Goldfish and koi like slightly “alkaline water” with a Ph around 7.3. Again, test the Ph of the water. If the Ph is well below 7, around 5 or lower, the water is very acidic, and your goldfish will be stressed and may even die.

If your goldfish look “normal” when you take it out of the water, and look bright-eyed with normal coloration, healthy finnage and gills, and are not emaciated or bloated, or have any discoloration or signs of disease, it’s usually a “water quality issue”, especially ammonia poisoning or some other kind of poisoning.

One tip——try adding aquarium salt to your pond water. It’s a good tonic for fish, especially goldfish and koi. Not too much, but about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water is a good amount. It makes ammonia and nitrites less toxic, and it also prevents most diseases and parasites from getting a foot-hold. When you do a water change, remember to replenish the salt once in awhile.

Our neighbors had koi . One by one they disappeared. There were no bodies floating – nothing. He kept restocking . It was driving him crazy. One morning he woke up to see a blue heron on his back deck and gave up.
He now has a pond with only water plants and much less stress.

@SpatzieLover Yes the pond receives ample shade as its mostly tucked away in the woods, but receives sufficient sunlight as well.
@MRSHINYSHOES THANKYOU! so informative, my friend thanks you with much gratitude as well. I feel as though I have taken a crash course in aquaculture.
@worriedguy Haaaaa. I also suggested keeping it simple with nice aquatic plants and some sediment feeders.

@worriedguy Yes, herons and other birds like osprey will swoop down on koi ponds and take koi. It happened to me once. And it was such a surprise. My prized, very large (2 and a half foot) all black koi who I nicknamed “The Dark Knight” (lol) had lived in the same pond for 10 years. He was a big male koi, very strong, and impressive looking being all black and so huge. One morning, I discovered him missing. I looked all around the perimeters of the pond, thinking he might have jumped out, but couldn’t find him. I live near a small forest, and the pond is adjacent to a grove of birch and popular trees. I heard birds squawking from the trees, and when I went to inspect, I spotted a female bald eagle and her little chicks feeding on something dark and large. To my surprise, it was my big male black koi, minus a good portion of his body. Apparently, the female bald eagle had snatched my koi out of the pond sometime during the early morning hours, and killed it to feed it to her brood of chicks. The bird was a lot smaller than the koi, but with its strength and sharp talons was able to lift it out of the water and bring it back to her nest.

By the time I discovered my male black koi, only the tail and parts of his upper dorsal and lower fins had remained intact, dangling off the sides of the nest. The little chicks were frantically gulping down meaty chunks of his flesh and organs, fed by their crafty mother. To make things worse, I found the koi’s head and bits of his innards strewn on the ground below the nest. It was an awful sight.

From then on, I occasionally put netting over my ponds, especially when I have expensive koi that I don’t want to lose. It helps.

@worriedguy Wow, quite a story, and tragic as that sounds, that’s some spectable to behold! I saw a screeching bald eagle overhead a week or so ago… such majesty.. May I inquire as to where you are from? just curious. Did you ever replace “The Dark Knight?” < perfect name!

Northwest part of America. I got a large black and white Utsuri Mono, and named him “Saki”. He’s almost as big as my old black koi, but not as muscular. It’s only a matter of time, with all the food he’s eating.

Ha, neat, I like that name too. Greetings from Virginia.