the mangoes can hardly wait

[luke frisbee]

The wind was up two days ago and swayed the PMS over the QT so much that one of the supports was weakened.
So i found a couple of 2x6's and put in a circle all the way around so it wouldn't allow water to run out of the pond by splashing on them....
not smart lukie. not too damn smart. it wasn't silicone caulk.
Since I had to work on the PMS I decide dto lower the water and leave the PMS off for a few hours so when I had to lift it ti would be lighter.
THis Morning I went out to what looked like the aftermath of a mass spawning, bubbles on the surface and a haze to the water. And I wasn't surprised...i did a large water replacement yesterday AND we had a front (with thunder and lightning) come through over night.
I turned on the well and started flushing out the surface sperm...all the koi were acting normal. Well normal for an after orgy event.
But when i went back a couple of hours later there was STILL a film on the surface, and I ahd pumped alot of water through the QT.
So I started investigating.....dang, the caulk was dissolving where the PMS water was coming in contact with it.
The fish were stilla cting normal so i just changed out the boards and kept the water change going.
now it is near dark. in the Morning I expect to see all the koi (30) dead. They were hovering near the surface just now.
I am guessing the latex in the caulk is coating their gills.
I am still doing the water change and have the PMS going full blast. The water is clear and no surface film.
of the 30 their were three in there I wanted to keep....the rest were destined to be ko fertilizer....sooner than later and I guess it will be easy catching them (silver lining).

I'll hold out hope, but.....

[Jackie Ramo]

I have my fingers crossed for you Luke. You've done what can be done. Healthy fish are very resiliant so I expect survivors.

There is nothing worse than losing fish and knowing it was operator error that caused the demise. I can lose them to sickness or preditors but losing them because I forgot the airstone sucks. Here is a hard lesson for newbies and experienced alike.

[Ian]

Got any sodium thiosulphate...nutralizes alot of chemicals... might help? Big pond and dilution you should be o.k...
Hope all goes well...

[Jackie Ramo]

Didn't think of it until Ian posted but what about a low dose PP treatment?

[Jackie Ramo]

Suns up! Any news?

[Terri]

bummer Luke,.... murphy's law... :(

Did you pull the three you wanted to keep? Ditto Jackie, what's up now?

[luke frisbee]

sun's down
40 dead. the three amongst them.
it wasn't the caulk..I turned on the well pump and forgot to turn off the city water. I realized that at midnight. 18 dead then. I threw twice the amount of dechlor that was needed at them and went to bed.
five bullet-proof fugly orange koi are swimming around.
Dead koi are easy to catch!

[Jackie Ramo]

Luke I know that they are only fish but they were your fish and that makes them different. Sorry to hear you took such losses.

May one ask, why you had the tap water running. I thought you used only well for the pond. Not trying to poke needles in you big guy.

[Terri]

Oh crap Luke !wow! :( very sorry, what a shame too loose so many, especially those 3...

[Peg]

Sorry to hear about your loss Luke. I know how it felt to lose one I cant even imagine what it would feel like to loss so many. :(

[luke frisbee]

JR,
the well and the city water can both run through the hose depending on what is turned on. The wife was washing things in the backyard using that hose. i forgot she had been using it and when I turned on the pump i didn't check to make sure the city water had been shut off.
I was doing so much yesterday. oh well. they weren't the good ones....just a few questions that will go unanswered

[Jackie Ramo]

You don't fool me big guy, I know that you are feeling the hit and kicking yourself. Perhaps working on a separate pond/well /house system will keep you out of mischief.

Bet the flowers are spectacular this year :(

[luke frisbee]

Now I can tell ya with an honest face. This didn't hurt. I dodged a bullet.
At most i feel stupid.
Tomorrow i go shoping for some pipe to run to the QT from the well.

[Jackie Ramo]

My Darling man, I doubt you, I really do. No one who knows about fish as much as you, and builds as well as you have, takes this without pain. Nice try batman, but no wash here.

Be sure to share the upgrade plumbing with us.

[luke frisbee]

i've sembetsued too many koi to worry abut all but about 6 of the ones that died, and they were just "what if " koi...or I wonder what the heck" koi.
Now if "orange Peel" or any of the 15-20 I like in the lake were killed because of my stupidity I'd be filling the lake with bass and crappie.

[Jackie Ramo]

Well, personally I;m glad you refrained from posting pictures. Dead fish are not attractive no matter their breeding or pedigree.

[luke frisbee]

yeah, I thought the same thing...nothing to be learned from the pics..just stiff fish