Plant Doctor Archive

Water Gardens — Gasping fish

MY fish always gasp at the surface in the morning. I have no filter or pump, but my pond has lots of oxygenating plants.

YOUR fish are suffering from oxygen depletion. While it is true that plants produce oxygen during the day, they produce carbon dioxide at night. By the time morning comes the fish are literally gasping for air. This is much worse in warm weather as warm water naturally holds less oxygen than cooler water. The best solution is to run a fountain or other moving water feature continuously.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.