Top 3 Most Dangerous Chemicals in Fish Ponds

After investing massive capital into building and setting up your fish farm, it will be a disaster for all your fish to die just because you did not know of dangerous chemicals in fish ponds that are harmful to fish health.

Generally, you should know that when fish are looking ill the first thing you do is a water test for chemicals in your fish ponds to establish the cause.
This post will reveal the chemicals in fish ponds experts say are harmful to fish, their causes and how you can test and treat them. Read on.

pH

What is pH?

pH (Potential Hydrogen) is the measure of whether your pond water is acidic or alkaline. pH measures the amount of acid-forming free hydrogen ions that are available in your pond water. The more ions available, the more acidic the water. And the less carbon molecules in the pond, the higher the alkaline conditions.

Pond water is generally neutral when it comes to pH, however in some instances, it can become acidic or alkaline. So, determining the cause of the water alkalinity is key to correcting the situation.

Causes of changes in pH

pH measurement ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Note that all ponds have some level of pH in them which should be between 6.5 to 8.5 as the healthy range. And in ponds, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has the most effect on the level of pH. These are factors that affect CO2.

• Photosynthesis is a process whereby plants in a pond, usually algae, use the sun’s energy to convert carbon molecules into sugar molecules that the plant uses for food.  Dissolved CO2 in the water causes the water to be slightly acidic. However, when photosynthesis occurs, the amount of dissolved CO2 drops, allowing the pH to rise, which translates into more alkaline water conditions. 

• Another cause of high pH (or alkalinity) in ponds is too much sludge in the bottom of the pond. This sludge is a combination of decomposed fish waste, feed, dead insects and other organic material that utilizes oxygen in order to break down. Sludge builds up as a result of overcrowded ponds, dirty filters and overdue water change which can raise the pH of pond water. The breakdown process of the sludge releases large amounts of dissolved CO2 into the water, which creates acidic water with dangerously low pH levels.

This presence of large amounts of dissolved CO2 boosts algae formation and increases photosynthesis, which pushes the pH level of your pond up to alkaline levels.

• Other causes of risky pH levels are acid rains, soil runoff, dissolved minerals in the pond and temperature. 

Signs of acidic or alkaline pH

The normal pH range for a healthy pond system is 6.5 to 8.5. If your pH is below 6.5 this is slightly acidic and if it reaches below 4 this can be disastrous for your fish and they may not survive. Also, pH over 8.5 is alkaline which is also dangerous. 

• Infected fish will often scratch themselves against the pond walls, rocks or ornaments and may appear very lethargic. Their fins may also develop bloody streaks.
• pH can swing from acidic to alkaline if there is no calcium carbonate in the water. These swings are extremely dangerous as they can interfere with the basic body functions of the fish which leaves them vulnerable to stress and disease. 
• High levels of alkaline often lead to ich (also known as ick), a dangerous disease that can lead to death when left untreated. Fish with ich display tiny white spots all over their bodies.

How to keep pond pH levels optimal

• First, measure the pH of pond water. How to measure the pH of pond water is surprisingly easy. To measure pH levels in your water you will need a pH water test kit which you can use to take a sample of your water for testing.

Comparing the colour of the tested water sample to a pH colour chat will reveal the pH level. After interpreting the result, you will then decide whether or not to change the water or just treat the pond.

Note: Test your pond water at least once per week and clean pond and replace the water if it is too acidic or too alkaline. It is best to test your water late morning in order to obtain the most accurate reading since photosynthesis can artificially raise pH levels in the late day hours.

• After measuring the pH level of the pond water, if the result still reveals high alkalinity or acidity even after changing water, there may be algae in your pond undergoing photosynthesis and causing the water to become too alkaline. To prevent this, keep all forms of algae in the pond under control. Also, regularly clean out the decomposed waste at the bottom of your pond to help stabilize the pH of your pond water.

• You may also use a pH-dropping chemical or prevent the entrance of rain into the pond to reduce the high alkalinity conditions.

Ammonia 

What is ammonia in ponds?

Ammonia which is constantly produced from fish waste, urine, uneaten food and decaying algae or plant matter is extremely harmful to pond life. There is no safe level of ammonia in ponds, and even if the level is quite low it will still be effecting your fish.  

In all, a high pH is associated with high levels of ammonia, according to a Colorado State University website, you can even start to fix your pH naturally by reducing the ammonia in your pond. 

Causes of ammonia chemicals in fish ponds

Ammonia can build up because of a number of reasons. These include:

• Too many fish in the pond. If your pond is overcrowded, the good bacteria (formulated to clear surface sedimentation and organic waste from the bottom of the pond) won’t be able to keep up with the amount of waste building up on the bottom of the pond. 

• Another cause is the build-up of fish waste in the bottom of the pond or filters. If a pond has a massive decomposed waste on the bottom, this can contribute to a rise in ammonia levels as there may not be enough good bacteria to keep up with the breakdown of this waste.

• Other causes of ammonia in ponds are over feeding, dead fish, dirty filters or not enough water changes.

Signs of ammonia in your pond

Because ammonia is colourless and has no smell, this makes it difficult to detect. Still, there are signs that may show your ponds have high ammonia levels. They are:

• Burns on fins or gills.
• Fish gasping for air at the surface of the water. 
• No appetite.
• Laying on the bottom of the pond.

All these symptoms are attempts by the fish to compensate for the damage to their fills.

How to remove ammonia chemicals in your pond

First, test pond water for ammonia levels. You can use an ammonia pond test kit which comes with chats to help you measure the level of ammonia in your pond water.

• Change the pond water. Water evaporates, becomes dirty and builds up sludge overtime. So changing the water is a great way to completely eradicate ammonia from your pond. But before adding tap water to your aquarium, treat it with a conditioner that treats chlorine. This prevents the buildup of ammonia before it starts. Then test the tap water with an ammonia test kit after treating it with the conditioner, before adding it to your pond. 

• Control waste. Fish food, waste and organic plants release ammonia and nitrate as they begin to decay. Therefore, avoid overfeeding your fish and remove any leftover food and dead plants, fish and leaves immediately to help control ammonia levels. Test your water often for ammonia and nitrates. And if your pond is overcrowded, separate your fish into different ponds. 

• Use a commercial filter in your tank that promotes the growth of good bacteria to inhibit ammonia production. And check and clean your filter immediately if ammonia starts to accumulate in your tank.

• Maintain temperature and pH. Keep the pH level slightly high (at around 8) and your tank water at a low temperature (around 20 degrees Celsius) if your fish can tolerate it. However, when the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, the good bacteria begin to decrease so avoid dropping it too low. Use pH test kits and test the water weekly. Keep the pH level between 8 and 8.5 to maintain the ammonia level.

Nitrite

What is nitrite?

Nitrite is the by-product of the breakdown of Ammonia by bacteria in your pond.

Causes of nitrite chemicals in fish ponds

The breakdown of ammonia to nitrite is done by the bacteria, Nitrosomonas, in your pond.

The main causes of high nitrite are:

• overstocking of fish
• overfeeding of fish
• immature or damaged biological filter

Signs of high nitrite

Though Nitrate (the by-product of nitrite) has very low toxicity to your fish and is generally never a problem, on the other hand, Nitrite (with an ‘i’) is dangerous. High levels of Nitrite in your pond can cause damage to the fish liver, spleen, nervous system and kidneys. This can result in the death of your fish.

When the level of good bacteria in your pond is not sufficient to deal with the amount of waste being produced, Ammonia and Nitrite can rise to toxic levels. High levels of Nitrite can cause Brown Blood Disease – a condition, as the name states, that turns the blood brown from the increase of methemoglobin.  Signs that your fish may be suffering from this or from nitrite poisoning are as follows:

• Gasping at surface for oxygen
• Tan or Brown gills
• Rapid gill movement
• Hanging near water outlets
• Fish appear pale and act irritable (flicking against objects)
• Laying on the bottom of the pond

Generally, when it comes to any kind of sickness the fish will not eat. But this is not always the case with nitrite poisoning. They may look lethargic and lay on the bottom of the pond, but will still come up for food and then return to their lethargic state again. 

How to eradicate nitrite chemicals in fish ponds?

Test your water for nitrite. Use a nitrite water test kit to measure nitrite levels in your pond. Because nitrite is a by-product of ammonia, treating ammonia will usually balance nitrate levels in your pond. So like treating ammonia,

• avoid overstocking and overfeeding your fish.
• remove any leftover food and dead plants, fish and leaves immediately
• increase aeration to maximum
• the nitrates should remain lower than 40 ppm and the ammonia at zero for your ponds. 

To conclude

When your fishes are looking ill and have erratic behaviour, the first thing you do is a water test for chemicals in your ponds to understand the cause. These chemicals in ponds can be dangerous to your fish, and if not detected and managed well, you will risk mass fish death.

The general solutions to maintain these chemicals in ponds are:

• test pond water frequently for pH, ammonia and nitrite.
• maintain a healthy environment by reducing sludge or waste and encouraging healthy bacteria to grow.
• avoid overfeeding and overcrowding of fish
• use aeration equipment to generate oxygen in the water and clean filters frequently.

Do these and you can be sure of a healthy fish life in your ponds.

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