u/Malicfeyt

Hey everyone,

First I want to thank this community for being so thoughtful and helpful. I've wanted a wildlife pond for a bit over a year and lurking through other people's posts has been incredibly insightful. After lots of research, planning and design, my wife and I put it all together last Saturday. I'm so excited to see how it matures and who comes to visit it.

It's a 66 gallon rigid pond that we trash-picked off the side of the road (So lucky!). There is a small pump submerged in there that's attached to a solar panel. It's already my new favorite spot, and it's placed so that we can sit on our bench, under our squash gazebo, and look at it in the morning and evenings with coffee or something. Thanks again for all the inspiration folks.

Short video of it:

https://imgur.com/a/YvleysK

Edited to include that I’m in the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont ecoregion

Plant List (so far):

Shallow Marginal:

Acorus americanus - American Sweetflag

Iris versicolor - blueflag Iris

Submerged:

Ceratophyllum demersum - hornwort

Nymphaea odorata - Fragrant water lily

Part Shade:

Carex amphibola- Creek sedge

Elymus hystrix - Bottlebrush grass

Heuchera villosa - Hairy Alumroot

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum - Cinamon fern

Part Sun:

Eurybia divaricata - White wood aster

Salvia lyrata - Lyreleaf sage

Full Sun:

Hibiscus moscheutos - Swamp rose-mallow

Hey everyone,

I am really sad to say that my little guy Jelly died yesterday. I believe he contracted some serious finrot from a dying plant, but I'm trying to understand a bit more so I can be a better owner for my next little friend. I know finrot is treatable so I had hope he'd bounce back. Until this week he'd been one of the most active males I've ever had. He just declined super fast so I'm trying to figure out why.

Timeline

5/2: first noticed Jelly’s behavior changing to being less active and holding his fins closer to his body

5/3: noticed him less active and in pot for a while (less than an hour) at a time. Fins still close to his body. Still eating normally. Did 10% water change.

Tested water: nitrates at <40 ppm, nitrites 0, PH 7.4, ammonia 0

5/4: noticed signs of fin rot. Removed dead/dying arugula plant. Did 25% water change and tested water.

Started SeaChem kanaplex treatment and SeaChem Stress Guard.

5/5 didn’t eat dinner. Added 1/2 capful of Stress Guard

5/6 2nd dose of Kanaplex and 30% water change at 5:30 am. Didn't eat breakfast.

Died between the hours of 7 am and 12 pm . Tested water again.

Images of Jelly here:
https://imgur.com/a/DuTSUEj

Thanks in advance for your help everyone.

• Tank size: 10 gallon
• Heater and filter? (yes/no): Yes/Yes
• Tank temperature: 78.4
• Key water parameters include the amount of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH.:
• SeaChem Ammonia Alert sensor: Read safe at <0.02 the whole time
• SeaChem PH Alert Sensor: Pretty consistent at 7.4
• API freshwater test Nitrites: 0 ppm the entire time
• API freshwater test Nitrates: <40 ppm on 5/4 and around 20 ppm on 5/6
• How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?: Recently upgraded to this 10 gallon tank in the last 6 weeks. Cycled the tank using my old filter from a 3.7 gallon tank that'd been established for a bit over 3 years. I had Jelly less than 2 weeks.
• How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?: Weekly 15% water changes. 2 bucket system. Prep tap water to match temperature and add API water conditioner according to label. Funnel out the tank water and gently pour fresh water in through a funnel for minimal disturbance.
• Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each: One nirite snail for the last 3 years
• What do you feed and how much: Omega One Betta Buffet pellets. Around 6-10 a day based on interest
• Decorations and plants in the tank: Smooth plastic rock hideout, a smooth terra cotta pot, smooth plastic swimthrough loop. live plants including 2 hornwort, 3 broadleaf plants, 2 ludwigia