Koi dead in less than 24 hours?

[CecilBay]

I purchased several small Koi locally for a new pond...water quality appeared normal using API test strips. City water but I allowed chlorine to gas off for at least a week. I have terra cotta pots in the bottom for cover, a couple of plants, sand, and river rocks on the bottom. 45 mil epdm rubber liner. 1,300 gallons, 1200 gph pump, bio and mech filter media.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Lisak1]

test strips are notoriously unreliable. I would guess the water - either pH or quality or even the water temperature, was simply not what with fish was used to and the shock killed him.

 

[CecilBay]

I appreciate the feedback. Water temp was the same (outdoor) at the local retailer. PH (on the test strip) was 7.5. I'll definitely get a better test kit but still mystified and feel terrible about killing them.

 

[WaterGardener]

Does your tap water have chlorine, or chloramine in it?

From what I understand, chlorine will gas off, chloramine will not. You would have to use a dechlorinator to remove it

 

[CecilBay]

@WaterGardener you might be right. I just learned Waxahachie uses chloramine. Unfortunately when I talked to the retailer about city water she indicated a week of gas off would be fine. They use the same city water for a massive koi pond with prized fish, I never gave it a second thought.

 

[WaterGardener]

At least that is an easy fix. Sorry it happened to you and your fish.

 

[CecilBay]

Thanks. I had a long stint with reef tanks, which are very complicated with living coral. Never expected this in a freshwater pond.

 

[CecilBay]

Update. I bought a chlorine drop test kit. Tap water measured at 4ppm which is like the max for municipal water. The pond after buffering for a week, measured at between .1-1 ppm. From what we've read, the only thing that can kill fish that fast would be chlorine in terms of common issues. Fortunately, retailer is going to replace the fish when we get a better confidence level.

 

[CecilBay]

Update 2 and correction. The chlorine in the pond was .5 - 1 ppm. Added a remover/conditioner and it was instantly zero. Took a slight chance and bought an Oranda Red Cap and a small koi. Spent over an hour acclimating. Overnight they are doing great. Schooling, eating a bit, and swimming all levels and ends of the pond. Feeling much better about getting the 8 inch butterfly and the 8 inch standard from the koi retailer.

 

[GBBUDD]

@WaterGardener you might be right. I just learned Waxahachie uses chloramine. Unfortunately when I talked to the retailer about city water she indicated a week of gas off would be fine. They use the same city water for a massive koi pond with prized fish, I never gave it a second thought.

Their massive fish farm can dilute some city tap far better than can your little pond by comparison.

Also their balanced and cycled pond can also help to neutralize he chloramine but your new system is defenseless, Often it can take years before our ponds find there happy medium

 

[j.w]

Their massive fish farm can dilute some city tap far better than can your little pond by comparison.

Also their balanced and cycled pond can also help to neutralize he chloramine but your new system is defenseless, Often it can take years before our ponds find there happy medium

1300 gal pond? Be careful adding more koi, they get huge and you may end up w/problems trying to keep the pond balanced for all of them. Check out how many koi you can have w/that size pond. Others here who have koi can suggest for you.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Update 2 and correction. The chlorine in the pond was .5 - 1 ppm. Added a remover/conditioner and it was instantly zero. Took a slight chance and bought an Oranda Red Cap and a small koi. Spent over an hour acclimating. Overnight they are doing great. Schooling, eating a bit, and swimming all levels and ends of the pond. Feeling much better about getting the 8 inch butterfly and the 8 inch standard from the koi retailer.

Koi are lovely fish. I am (technically) overstocked at a dozen koi in 3200+/- gallons. With just over a thousand gallons, you need to be very, very, very, very, very, very (did I mention VERY) careful with your stocking load. Koi are personable. You grow to love them & their individual personalities. It is heartbreaking when things go wrong, you have a system crash & they simply up & die. Let your new fish settle in for a couple of years. THEN consider getting those other two koi. (just my opinion)