How to avoid fish mortality in the pond?

For our fish to feel good and stay healthy in their pond, it is not enough to give them ample space or food. Indeed, there are four essential points that should also be provided for.

In this article we will try to detail everything you need to know so that our fish live as long as possible in their pond.

Four essential points to respect for the safety of your fish

1. Basin protection

When you decide to breed fish, you must respect all the security measures of your pond.

The number one reason your fish may die is through "suicide". By “suicide” we mean the fact that the fish can jump out of their aquarium or their aquaponics tank. It is therefore essential that you think about putting protection so that this does not happen to them.

2. Oxygenation

The second point to look at is oxygen. Fish breathe like us and therefore need good oxygenation at all times.

⭐ It may interest you :  the list of oxygenating plants to keep a balanced pond

You need to increase oxygenation if:

• you have a high density of fish.
• the water temperature is hot: the problem with hot water is that the oxygen will dissolve less well in the water and therefore the fish will have less the lower the temperature and the more oxygen your fish have. So, when the temperature rises, it is absolutely necessary to add oxygen to the water.

3. Check your pool temperature

The third point to avoid: having an incorrect temperature that is unsuitable for your fish. Depending on the species, there are given temperatures as for human beings. We have a certain tolerance for temperatures, be it cold or hot.

⭐ You may be interested: our collection of aquarium thermometers

Obviously, it will therefore depend on the fish you have in your aquarium or in your tank, or which ones you are going to put there.

For exemple :

• For our tilapias, they will have to live between 8°C and 42°C.
• If we take trout, there, on the other hand, it will live between 2°C and 25°C or slightly colder waters.
• If we take our small red and white fish, they will have to be a little bit in an apartment so, roughly, temperatures ranging between 12°C and 30°C.

It will therefore mainly depend on your species. Look at what temperatures they support and check that your water is well within these temperatures.

4. Check the ammonia level in your pond

And finally, the last point to see is concerning the excess of ammonia in your water. Your fish will die when there is an excess of ammonia in your water and this will happen all the more quickly when your pH is basic.

⭐ It may interest you :  the list of oxygenating plants to keep a balanced pond

Reminder on the nitrogen cycle

You have your aquarium, your fish. Fish make droppings. Excess food also produces waste which is transformed into ammonia which is very toxic to fish and into ammonium, therefore an ionized molecule.

All this transformation will depend on the pH: if the pH is neutral or below, that is to say 7, we will only have ammonium. Basically, we're going to have 1% ammonia, so it's not very dangerous for our fish.

If, on the other hand, this production is done with a pH of 8, we will have 10% toxic ammonia and 90% less toxic ammonium. So already, it's getting worse for our fish. It is between 5 and 10 times more toxic than a pH of 7.

Finally, if this chemical transformation takes place in water with a pH of 9, then ammonia will represent between 30 and 50% of this production and ammonium, between 70% and 50%. So, overall, if we take the highest values ​​50% between a pH of 7 and a pH of 9, you will have 50 times more toxic substances in the water for your fish, so ammonia.

It is therefore very important to control and check the pH in your aquariums and in your aquaponics tanks, otherwise you will have a lot of ammonia which will kill your fish.

Summary

What are the four most common causes of death for our fish?

• The first is that the fish jumps out of the water. So put a little protection over the aquarium or your pond.
• The second is that your fish lack oxygen. If there is a high density or if the temperature is hot, do not forget that you will have to adapt the temperature of your water according to the species of your fish.
• And finally, check the pH of your water, because if it is too much, the ammonia will kill your fish.