Fish fall victim to heatwave

Exotic fish, such as koi carp, have died

High levels of demand for tap water during the recent heatwave has proven to be deadly for some exotic fish, owners are being warned.

Scottish Water has issued an alert over the dangers of using supplies in tanks and ponds.

The organisation said there had been a number of cases where valuable fish died after being exposed to water which had not been properly treated and filtered for use.

Scottish Water said problems had been encountered by some owners who had previously added small quantities of tap water without their fish suffering any ill-effects.

"The heightened risk is a result of the increased demand on water supplies during the recent heatwave," said the spokesperson.

"At such times the water passes far more quickly through the network from treatment to tap.

"That means the chlorine used to treat the water has a shorter time to dissipate. While the negligible increase in chlorine levels has absolutely no effect on humans, it can be deadly to exotic fish, like koi carp.

Harmful chemicals

"Scottish Water has been made aware of a number of cases where valuable fish have been killed as a result and is now reminding people who keep such fish of the dangers."

The organisation said most people who keep fish knew that chlorine, which makes water safe for public consumption, could be harmful to fish and other aquatic species.

"Tap water should never be used unless it is first treated with the proper conditioning agents to neutralise chemicals harmful to fish," said the spokesperson.

"Scottish Water's priority at all times is to provide safe, clean drinking water for its customers.

"We are satisfied that Scottish Water has complied with all its water quality requirements and can only conclude these incidents were an unfortunate result of factors outwith our control."