"There is always fungus in the pond and it manifests itself when fish get weak."
That is what I suspected, thanks for the confirmation.
Is it also true that fish coming out of their winter low-activity period are weaker compared to the same fish after a few weeks of spring activity? (Not counting the stress as they move into spawning.)
I ask that question to evaluate some possible scenarios regarding ways to minimize the next "big chill" stress event.
Consider a scenario where a pond owner could warm up their pond a little earlier. (For example, strategic aeration to reduce ice, putting some leftover black pond liner scraps on the ice, or pumping in some 50F well water, etc.)
If you could move your fish a week or two forward in terms of pond temperatures, would that make them a little stronger to survive X amount of stress, or would it be worse because a subsequent big chill would be an even bigger shock to their "current" environment?
