Day 245

                                     More Pond Chemical Log 2009

10/13  50% water change, filter floss changed, Nitrate 5.0mg/L
10/19  50% water change, Nitrate 10.0mg/L
10/21  Nitrate 10.0mg/L
10/25  50% water change
10/26  25% water change
11/1    50% water change
11/6    50% water change
11/9    Water cloudy, 25% water change
11/23  50% water change (too long)
11/28  50% water change, floss change, vacuum gravel, new charcoal (carbon)
12/3    50% water change
12/10  50% water change & floss change
12/18  50% water change & floss change
12/25  50% water change & floss change
12/30(?)  50% water change & floss change
                       *2010*
Note- obviously from the amount and frequency of water changes and floss changes, I was dealing with overpopulation of my pond & alot of fish waste, which would cause the cloudy water, fishy smell, and increase in Ammonia & Nitrates. I was unaware I had too many fish, I just wanted to own more fish! The only thing that saved me was pond maintenance(water changes). So I move into 2010 with the pond, more entries:
1/12/10 50% water change & floss change
1/17      Moved pond to 380gal., 50% pond water, 50% tap water, changed floss, transferred bio-media
1/17      (Pond drained, and set outside)
1/17      Found Oscar DOA, jumped out prior to 1/17 ( I wondered why my dog kept going behind pond and coming out with fish breath!)
             Iwaki pump 18.4gal/min., max. head 26.9ft., 1/8hp., 3250rpm., 1080gal./hr? test!
1/22      Testing Nitrate 5 days after move, Nitrate 5.0mg/L, pH 7.8, Ammonia 0.5mg/L, temp 80.0*
1/23      Moved Oscar & albino Oscar to 380gal. from 75gal. for grow out
1/24     Albino Oscar missing-eaten by Red Tail Cat!(this cat ate an 8" albino Oscar-unbelievable!)
1/24     25% water change-cloudy
1/31     Added 24" Black Pacu (note* mistake, at this point I was already overloaded, I should have filled pond back up and divided fish in 380gal.)
2/3       Nitrate 80mg/L, 25% water change
2/4       Added 100gal. refugium( * it was a 100gal. rubbermaid tub, water drained from 380gal. to 100gal. tub to sump. It increased my 380gal to 480gal.! It also increased the amount of water I would have to heat, and overload my electrical, causing a power failure, and fish loss. I tried, but sometimes I'm my own worst enemy! I must like to learn the hard way.)
2/8       Nitrate 40-80mg/L, 25% water change
2/10     Power failure, 4 Pacu DOA(*note- I'm a firefighter so I work 24hour shifts, that's why my entries are days apart. And that's why this fish loss was not caught in time. Now I call home daily from work for my family to check my tanks.)
2/16     50% water change, Nitrate 80-100mg/L.....more entries to come.