*note: interesting to me how I wrote this two years ago, exactly, word for word.
(some of the power outages and fish deaths could have been avoided, only by experience)
(so I learn and am a better fish keeper from this)
7/4 Ammonia 4.0mg/L Replaced floss, charcoal & 50% water change
7/15 Pond fishy smell, Ammonia prob. up 4.0mg/L, 50% water change( 11days since last)
7/18 Pacu breathing heavy 3 days, Ammonia 2.0mg/L, 50% water change, foam filters cleaned & powerhead filters
7/21 Ammonia 1.0mg/L
7/24 Ammonia 0.5mg/L ? 50% water change
7/26 Breaker tripped, 1 Pacu(from Romeo,MI) R.I.P., 50%-75% water change
8/9 Ammonia 4.0mg/L, too long, good on 8/5
8/21 50% water change
8/29 50% water change, floss and carbon change
9/3 50% water change Ammonia 4.0mg/L
9/3 Added hybrid Red Tail& Tiger cat mix 15" and P. Niger cat 18"( currently in 380gal. 3/31/11)
9/5 50% water change Ammonia 4.0mg/L
9/8 50% water change
(* I didn't have all the fish listed that I added to the pond, I was clearly dealing with overcrowding, but didn't realize it at the time)
9/12 Breathing trouble for fish, Nitrate +100mg/L, 50% water change, total redo filter, add bioballs, take out two sponge filters, clean powerhead filters, vaccum gravel-first time since set up 1-1-09
9/13 Nitrate 40mg/L, tested tap water Nitrate 0mg/L
9/15 50% water change, big improvement from 9/12
9/17 Gar Pike jumped out died( this fish broke through the netting I had covering pond)
9/20 50% water change
9/27 50% water change
? didn't record water change date
10/8 50% water change
more entries to come
