Dead Rudd!!

[gemini]

Hello,Iv Just joined!!,.
I have a large pond/lake, 17 mtres, by 31mts, its a natural pond, 5 to 6 ft deep, also the rain water from the house feeds the pond. over the last week, i have been finding 5 to 10 dead fish a day, I think the fish are rudd(photos to follow),also in the pond with the rudd, we have gudgan,golden orff,gold fish, golden tench, ghost carp,mirror,and common carp. The fish have all been living together ok for months, but the rudd have been in the pond for 11 year, they are not struggling or gasping for oxygen, and I never find any that are sick, just floaters, does any one know what could be causing this, Thanks.

[Dogghound]

Do people fish it? where does the water run off into the pond any farmland? If these fish are 11 years old its about at their life expectancy rudd arnt long lived fish.

[gemini]

Thanx for getting back. No one fishes on the pond, no farmland feed on to it, and most of the fish are only 3-4 inches long,I did oxynate water with a sprinkler, yesterday, and have a floating fountaine arriving in aday or so,
Andrew

[Dogghound]

Interesting and its only rudd that are dying? they do have higher oxygen requirements than carp and tench etc but lower than orfe plus if you say they arnt gulping doesnt sound like that. How many fish have you got in the pond roughly?

[gemini]

Thanks for getting back.
At a guestimate, I would say, around 350, Im still finding dead ones, 8 yesterday,and 8 so far this morning!.
There is fully grown oak trees around the pond, so I suppose some of the leaves will have gone in at some time.
We only moved into the property last june, so dont know if this a regular "yearly thing", as we did tend to lose a few fish at our old house, but on a much smaller scale,(no pun intended) as the pond was smaller.
I have aired the pond best I can for now, I have aLarge fountaine on the way,someone said they could be knocking them selfs up do to spawning.
GEMINI

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

Sounds like a classic case of low oxygen levels get a pump to get some oxygen in it quickly

[The Woodman]

You mention some non native species in your pond, Gemini, like golden orfe, gold fish, golden tench and ghost carp. Have these been introduced (since you moved in last June?) recently as you say they been getting on for a couple of months. You know the rudd have been there for eleven years, it may be that a disease or parasite infection has been introduced and has knocked out the rudd.

[gemini]

Had the water tested today, every thing ok, but had a few more dead ones, going to give it chance and hope water airer gets here soon, kids sick of spraying pond with hose pipe for me!, thanx for replys

[witham]

I think that Rudd must be part of some fishy religious sect as we have a few in our pond and two have died the last few days, we have pleanty of oxygenating weed etc in the pond and this time of the year have the pump/waterfall going 24/7, we also wondered if they had a 'silly spring fever season' like some of the birds seem to, as they and the koi have been swimming about like mad things at times and almost leaping out of the water but they can go a bit dolally when they're spawning

[gemini]

Mmmm you could be right about the sect thing, have seen strange lights coming from pond area on an evening,(thought it was the bloody Mink, with its torch!) Thanks for your reply, Im going to stop stressing over it, iv enough to worry about, with herron, and Mink, using the pond like a McDonald drive through!!.Have a Mink trap set, but its a bit of a Ronnie Biggs.
ANDREW

[MarkyPooPoo]

did you solve your problem

[gemini]

Well, we did see the Mink, but we have'nt caught it as yet, we have set Mink traps, we now know why we were finding fish heads. the Heron has gone else where, thankfully!!, We had the water tested, which was fine, we think all the dead ones that we found, were old, or it was due to spawning, we also have a fountaine in place, so thats airing the water some what.
Thanks Gemini,

[nightshade]

I think it is probably low oxygen levels,I have lost two large Orfe
while my filterbox/pump was off line.
Strange that Rudd are top feeders and still succumed,could you incorporate a couple of small weirs or washboard runs to break up and give better oxygenation in the feeder stream from the house.It is a big volume of water
are there too many fish or have you made recent introductions without quarentine??