Plum tree and keeping fish problems

[Moontanman]

A couple days ago while collecting a flathead catfish came up in the net and i brought it home looking to make a pet out of him. He sat for two days on my deck in a kiddie wading pool while i got his tank ready. The tank is a 60 gallon metal framed tank I've kept fish in for over 40 years off and on and in recent years has been a daphnia vat.

I drained all the old water out of the tank and refilled it and let it set overnight under aeration, about mid morning i went out and found about a half dozen plums floating at the surface so i removed them and caught the flathead and put him in the tank, a couple hours later he was dead, we are talking about a 10" flathead, he was fat and sassy when i put him the tank and a couple hours later he was stiff as a board with his gills flared out.

I haven't been able to grow any daphnia in the vats under this tree since I moved here and my paddlefish died when left in a 360 gallon tank under that tree.

What could possibly be the problem here?

[Sensei]

Lack of Oxygen in water is the most killerful thing to water animals.

 

Search net for "substances decreasing oxygen in water".

f.e.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/status-and-monitoring/state-of-surface-waters/water-quality-and-pollution-by-oxygen

 

While fermentation of fruits, bacterias are consuming Oxygen and wasting ethanol.

That's why there is need to use fermentation lock to disallow Oxygen to enter container while making f.e. wine, or other alcohol beverage.

 

Search net for "how to measure dissolved oxygen in water", YT is showing this video:

Edited July 5, 2015 by Sensei

[StringJunky]

I know plums carry Botrytis c. mould, although this doesn't produce mycotoxins, but they may carry other moulds which do. I'm inclined to think it's micro-organisms as there would be plenty from under a tree. Perhaps you could sterilise it with sodium metabisulphite and citric acid solution first. Then make a canopy with overhanging edge that comes away from the sides for free movement of air.

 

[Moontanman]

Lack of Oxygen in water is the most killerful thing to water animals.

 

Search net for "substances decreasing oxygen in water".

f.e.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/status-and-monitoring/state-of-surface-waters/water-quality-and-pollution-by-oxygen

 

While fermentation of fruits, bacterias are consuming Oxygen and wasting ethanol.

That's why there is need to use fermentation lock to disallow Oxygen to enter container while making f.e. wine, or other alcohol beverage.

 

Search net for "how to measure dissolved oxygen in water", YT is showing this video:

 

 

You could have the answer but I just drained the big tank (360 gallons) which I drained and cleaned out about a month ago and the bottom was covered in plum pits, even though I was being careful to scoop out all the floating plums each morning. The 60 gallon tank was aerated and a flathead catfish is famous for living in levels of low oxygen that would kill most other fish, the plum pits is the only answer I can come up with, they contain cyanide...

 

The smaller tank had been drained and refilled just a day ago but I left the sand on the bottom along with a lot of accumulated organic material, usually this is a good thing but not evidently when the organic material is plum pits...

 

I know plums carry Botrytis c. mould, although this doesn't produce mycotoxins, but they may carry other moulds which do. I'm inclined to think it's micro-organisms as there would be plenty from under a tree. Perhaps you could sterilise it with sodium metabisulphite and citric acid solution first. Then make a canopy with overhanging edge that comes away from the sides for free movement of air.

 

 

 

I decided to just move them all, it's a pain and the location under the tree was perfect as far as shade and sunlight was concerned not to mention electrical access but I can't deal with failing daphnia cultures, I need them for fish food.

Edited July 6, 2015 by Moontanman