Troubleshooting Fish...
You can not just live your fish to fend for themselves in the water. You will need to clean the pond and remove anything that might cause the development of diseases. Fish experience different problems - these include overcrowding, predators, freezing, death, boredom and overexcitement.
Overstocking leads to a lot of problems for the fish. If there isn't enough space in the pond the fish will create their own space by eating one another. The fish will stop breeding as well and are prone to various diseases such as ulcers and fungus. This problem can be avoided by carefully planning the pond.
Small fish are in great danger and they always have to hide from the large predator fish such as Tench. The big fish are not safe and can also be eaten by cats, water snakes and birds. This predator food chain can result in your pond becoming empty over time. Do not put predator fish in the same tank as the small gold fish and always keep cats away from the pond. You should not be too worried when wild life creature visit your pond looking for a meal... this is nature and is also a way for the water garden ecosystem to regulate itself.
Fish are prone to freezing in winter
Always put a large ball in the water before winter starts. This ensures that there will be a hole in the ice and this will make it much easier to break. Do not hit the ice as the shock can have harmful effects on the fish. Other types of fish need to be removed from the pond and put indoors. Be careful not to damage the fish when you are doing this. Be gentle and caring. Read the 6 Frequently Asked Fish Questions
Remove all dead fish from the water because what killed them, (perhaps a diseases) will infect the other healthy fish. Not removing from the water will result in a serious epidemic that might result in the death of all other life in the water garden pond.
Boredom is another serious cause of illness for fish. Fish that are kept in tiny spaces do not have the freedom to move around and will eventually die. Do not keep your fish in a wild life pond with to many plants, mud and dirt.
Have you ever heard the saying that being too happy kills... well it does for fish. Feeding time is happy hour for most fish and the fish tend to get too excited and drown each other as the swim for the food. Fish also get overexcited when predators are around, or when there is very little oxygen in the water. Feed your fish correctly and slowly. Make sure that the water is oxygenated well.
Common Fish Diseases
| Symptoms | Treatment | |
| Lice | Lice are seen hanging on the body of the fish. Serious lice infections kill the fish | Remove the lice carefully by using a paintbrush dipped in paraffin or a fish antiseptic |
| White spot | Looks like small grains of sand. Fish experiencing this problems try and solve it by rubbing themselves against the side of the pool. This will not work | You can add a liquid formula either in the pond itself or in an isolated tank |
| Ulcer | Bloody spots, rotting fins and serious swellings | Remove and destroy the infected fish before they spread it to the other healthy fish |
| Fungus | There is cotton wool fungus and mouth fungus | Affected fish should be removed and put in isolation and treated there |
You will not have problems if you generally take care of your fish correctly.