Dechlor to save your fish from the Killer Chlorine & Chloramine

When adding water to a pond, the tap water that comes from your hose contains chlorine and chloramines, which are harmful to your fish. Chlorine is toxic to most aquatic life, and it can cause stress and bad burns to the fish once it reaches the gills and its internals. Chlorine will cause burns upon contact, damaging the gills, scales, and breathing tissue of goldfish and koi. Also, interestingly, it readily enters the blood stream after it passes through the gills, causing internal burning, stress, and significant pain to the fish. The solution to this is to add the Pond Company’s Dechlor. Dechlor is short for a water dechlorinator, which is a water conditioner that neutralizes the chlorine, chloramine, and other heavy harmful substances. Dechlor should always be used whenever we add water to a pond, and whenever we do a water change to neutralize the chemicals before they affect the fish and the ecosystem. A bottle of the Pond Company’s Dechlor can be purchased for only $17.95 (see store), please give us a call if you are interested in purchasing (626)-284-5937 or drop us an email at:  info@thepondcompany.com.

Is my pond losing water? part one-Evaporation

This picture shows a loss of 1/6" per day

This picture shows a loss of 1/6″ per day

If the water level in your pond keeps dropping, you need to figure out if it’s just evaporation, or if your pond is leaking.

On a hot summer day your pond can evaporate up to 1/4 ” per day (approximately 2″ per week). This is normal.

Evaporation happens when water heats to the point that it turns to gas.

If you add water you need to be careful, regular tap water has chlorine that can harm your fish. You need to use Dechlor or other water treatment to remove the chlorine.

If you think your pond is losing too much water, you should definitely have it checked for leaks. A very small leak can become a nightmare very quickly.

There are a lot of considerations as to what can cause your pond to lose water. Is your pond in direct sunlight all day? Is there a fountain or waterfall where water is being splashed out of your pond? Do you live in an arid location and hot air blows across your pond? Is your pond exposed to any kinds of extreme elements? Do you have plants in the pond that are drawing in a lot of water?

The photograph below shows evaporation in one of our ponds in an area where there isn’t a lot of morning sun, but full mid day sun and the evaporation has been 1/7 of an inch per day.

Fish Dying from the Heat

Fish dying from the heatThere are reports all over the internet about fish dying from the heat in the Midwest. See inhabitat.com/…of-fish-die-in-the-midwest-due…/deadfish

What happened was that the heat caused the water levels to drop, then the water that was left heated up to a degree that the fish could not handle, and so they died.

So the question is, should you be concerned about your fish in the Heat. The answer is: You should always be aware of your fish and if you notice any different behavior from them, take action.

If you notice that the water in your pond water is getting lower, you need to add more. But DON’T ADD WATER FROM THE HOSE by itself. Water from the hose or tap contains chlorine, which can kill your fish. Water added to a pond should be treated with Dechlor or similar product to remove the chlorine. Our regular customers can order a bottle of Dechlor by phone or e-mail and we can deliver on your next maintenance schedule day.

The bigger fish in a pond are usually the most effected by changes in weather and pond water.