My fish are dying! I started out w/ 50, now only have 15 left.?

Question

Help my fish are all dying approx 2 a day- I started out w/ about 50 now I only have about 15. Is there natural ways to get rid of the ammonia? The are hanging around the water fall. I cleaned out some gunk from the pond today and emptied about 3/4 of the water and replaced w/ clean water, but some are starting to swim on their side and look dead until bumped.

Answer 1

Live plants will use up ammonia.  

Other than that, water changes are their only hope.

In general, when fish act like that, they are too far gone to save.

Answer 2

probably too much chlorine in the water..the fish store has a liquid that I always put in the pond when I changed or added water..we were on vacation one year when the filter sprung a leak..my son filled the pond with tap water, he didn't know about the chlorine and all of my koi died.

Also you would need a large pond for 50 fish..too many fish and not enough air makes them suffocate.

Answer 3

you should have slowly added 3 fish a week maximum to help build up the bioload of the filter