Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Why are my Redear Dying?

I stocked 30 RE into my pond back in the first week of November and noticed a few infected fish in the following couple weeks.i found a few dead ones, however I'm a little surprised to still be finding a couple of infected RE this week. I had stocked WE and SMB at the same time and haven't seen any of them with infection. Any thoughts on why just the RE would be affected and why I am still seeing it after 2 months? In the past, it seems like disease only last a couple weeks in my experience

Can you post pics or describe what you are seeing ?

It looks like a white fuzz on their fins. Had the same thing happen with a few HBG and YP in the spring, but it seemed to disappear a lot quicker.

This is where (anytime fish are handled or transferred) my "suggested" salt dip solution prior to stocking would have likely eliminated this issue.
I know this doesn't fix your problem now but had they been dipped, you wouldn't be seeing this. It works, we've done with and without-it never shows up if salt dip is used.

The fuzz is a fungus that happens when the slime coat is disturbed. Happens more frequently in cool/cold water than warmer water.

What size were the RES when transferred, what was the water temp and how were they transferred? What does the place that you bought them from have to say?

Good to know about the salt dip idea for the future. The RES were 4-6 inch, temps were upper 40s. The fish were bagged with oxygen and fish were acclimated before being released. All fish seemed to be healthy and swam off when released. I probably should've contacted the hatchery, but it didn't seem worth it for the 4-5 fish I lost in the first couple weeks being that it was a 5 hour drive. I assume the long drive stressed them out, I'm just kinda surprised to still be finding the occasional floater 2 months later.

Not uncommon. The fish should be tempered while bag is sealed. Cut bag and pour water through net so net catches fish and water from bag goes into a bucket or similar. When the bag is cut, toxins form immediately. Put the netted fish into a salt solution thoroughly mixed and ready (pond water) in a 5 gal bucket. This solution works by #1, killing any parasites present, Cleans gills of parasites, flukes, etc and allows gill filaments to properly extract dissolved O2 more efficiently. On top of this, to keep it in simple terms, it promotes quick slime development that covers and protects the areas on the fish where bare scales and skin have been exposed to bacteria that start the fungus.
Straight stock salt bought at a farm store-bagged form-NaCL is what you need. You can't mix too strong, it will only dissolve a certain amount to full saturation. within 30 secs to 3 min you may see the fish float belly-up in the salt solution, this is the time to put back into another bucket of straight pond water. As soon as fish right themselves and appear normal, move them into pond.
The most susceptible species is crappie of both flavors, followed by LMB, RES & GSD-yes, Gizzard shad. I have seen quite a few BG with fungus but not Like I've seen with the above mentioned other species.
Never try this with any catfish unless doing each fish separately for 3-5 secs, it will smoke their gills and skin quickly and cats don't "usually" suffer from the same conditions.

Snipe, I have seen clay mixed in with the salt from the feed store. Better to use "solar" water softener salt. No impurities in it. It's the Blue Bag of Morton Water Softener Salt.

HSB are also pretty sensitive to water temp and loosing slime - and YP too. Both have pretty pokey fins, sharp spines on the gill covers and relatively "rough" scales, which all contribute to wiping off slime coat.

HSB can be plopped right into salt water (same salinity as the ocean) and if there is enough O2 and slowly brought down to pond water level salinity over 24 hours if ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are taken care of.

RES are more picky than BG for shipping in cooler water (the 40's that the OP had) as they are more of a southern fish than a northern fish.

BUT BG are sort of a "Goldilocks Fish" They don't transport well in water that is too hot or too cold. I don't like to stock fish other than trout once the water temps are in the mid to low 40's, and upper 40's with a lot of fish is borderline.