the plot thickens! more dead fish

g. mcclean

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Mar 26, 2003
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Last week I posted a thread discussing dying fish (see "where do I go from here" and had many helpful replies. Now one of our original green chromis has come up missing. I am beginning to wonder if this situation has to do with a larger over-all problem. We have a garden pond and have lost all but one of 20 some fish over a span of time this summer. We finally blamed this on aerial spraying for mosquitoes. We were convinced our well water was not affected because we had not lost any fish from our 3 inside aquariums and lo and behold, here we go. I know we should have been using distilled water but our well water has always been non-problematic. I am going to take a sample to a lab on Monday and have it tested for toxic substances. I can't decide if I want positive results ( yes it is toxic) or not . I hate to think what we have been consuming for the past several months. We also had a total absence of wildlife this summer and we have a pond for birds that is usually teeming with life. NONE this summer.
 
your story does not do much to improve the reputation of New Jerseay.... (I know, bad joke).. I would also be suspecting the source water at this point!
 
It would seem that source water is likely to blame...mosquito spray has been implicated in the deaths of many, many fish and inverts.
 
Our inverts seem fine. We have a lot of snails, hermits, an emerald, a cleaner shrimp, and a red serpent star. They seem fine. If this is the case, that inverts would be affected first then I am back to square one. I didn't get anyone willing to test the water for pesticides, so I am going to have to go private. I just can't understand the lack of wildlife at our bird pond nor the death of 20 fish in our fish pond. I had that water tested and all parameters (ammonia,nitrites etc ) were right on target. We run a UV sterilizer so bacteria should not be a problem. Also the fish were last years spawn so----. Just realized this post belongs in "garden ponds" but I sort of connect it all.
 
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