Fish Health in Hot Summer Heat

 by: Brett Fogle

Summer is over, but for many of us - the heat remains. Here a couple of things to do to keep your fish healthy and your pond clear going into winter. First, remember to keep your pond well aerated. This is very important to your fish because the pond water actually holds less oxygen at higher pond temperatures. So if it's still hot in your part of the country, keep those waterfalls and fountains running! This will keep your pond water full of oxygen, and reduce stress on your fish.

If you see your goldfish or KOI gasping at the surface, it's a good sign that you don't have enough dissolved oxygen in the water, and this can be dangerous. Especially if you have a lot of green water algae in the pond. This algae can absorb much of the oxygen in the pond water at night and cause very low dissolved oxygen levels during the day - which can be deadly to fish!

One thing we recommend this time of year, is to do a partial water change. Drain off 10 - 25% of your total pond volume, and replace it with fresh, new dechlorinated water. If possible, vacuum or drain decaying organic matter and debris off the bottom to reduce the ponds bio-load.

Your fish will usually be vibrant and playful after a water change. It's like giving them a 'breath of fresh air' and invigorates them. Again, we only recommend a 10 - 25% water change right now - but feel free to experiment with whatever works best for your pond.

Remember to re-add your pond salt whenever you drain and add new water. Having a salt water test kit is also helpful, or a digital salinity meter, to determine optimum salt levels.

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