I have had my koi pond (3000 gals ) for 13 years and I now have 7 large koi 16"-22". All appear to be very healthy. I have a bead filter and 1/3 HP pump which pumps 3300 gph and also I use 2- 40 watt UV lighting. The water stays very clear. I also use Micro-lift koi clay and Aqua-Medzyme DC every 2 weeks . This has worked very well for me as I have not had any issues with their health. Now my problem is halfway through last year and all of this year my water tests have been terrible. PH 6.0 Ammonia 8.0 Nitrite 0 Phosphate (off the chart ) Nitrate 20.0 KH ( off the chart ). I have done water changes of 3-4 hundred gal but that does not seem to help. I also have 300 bio-balls and course matting at my water fall outlet. My koi are feed 1/3 solol cup of food every day and every other day and evening small treat. My question is what am I doing wrong? These fish have been with me since they were yearlings and as you know we get very attached to them. This site has been very informative for me over the years but I really need some good advice. Thanks Note : I am not using the tub of beneficial bacteria as shown but am asking , should I possibly try this ???
Need help with water parameters
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mrsclem
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3000 gallon s- 7 large koi- this is what has changed. Koi grow and as they do, they produce more waste. The UV is for green water treatment, not actual filtration. Are you using test strips or a liquid test kit? A ph of 6 is bad but an ammonia of 8 would kill fish.
If you are using standard solo cups thats 20 ounces and that's a lot of food for 7 fish. Not sure why you are treating with the Medzyme so often.
I'm hoping your test kit is wrong. Can you post pictures of your setup? I'm not familiar with bead filtration so not sure if its enough for your setup.
If you are using standard solo cups thats 20 ounces and that's a lot of food for 7 fish. Not sure why you are treating with the Medzyme so often.
I'm hoping your test kit is wrong. Can you post pictures of your setup? I'm not familiar with bead filtration so not sure if its enough for your setup.
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Be very careful... if those numbers are real and you raise the PH without removing the ammonia first, it could become much more deadly for the fish.
blueridgekoi.com
Understanding pH and Ammonia | Blue Ridge Koi & Goldfish
Ensuring the nitrogen cycle in your pond is optimized requires understanding the relationship between ammonia and pH.
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It sounds as though your fish have outgrown your filtration system and you need to add more.
That beneficial bacteria is not the type you need for the nitrogen cycle. You can order the necessary type online. There are only 2 companies that produce it and it's expensive. It has to be shipped cooled, and overnight, since it won't survive long without air. FritzZyme is one and Ki-Nitrifier is the other.
With your pH at that low a level, the beneficial bacteria in your system will have a difficult time developing. You need to raise the pH, but that will make that ammonia more toxic than it already is. So you need to use something to bind the ammonia so that it is not harmful to the fish as you raise the pH. I always recommend Prime or Safe. Prime is a liquid and Safe is a powder. To bind ammonia and nitrite you need to use those products every 48 hours until the ammonia is gone.
You can raise the pH with baking soda. There is a lot of information on this site about doing that.
Are your test kits the liquid type or strips? Are they old? I'm surprised that your fish aren't reacting to that amount of ammonia, so I wonder if your tests are accurate. Do you have a KH test kit? I think it's an important thing to have.
That beneficial bacteria is not the type you need for the nitrogen cycle. You can order the necessary type online. There are only 2 companies that produce it and it's expensive. It has to be shipped cooled, and overnight, since it won't survive long without air. FritzZyme is one and Ki-Nitrifier is the other.
With your pH at that low a level, the beneficial bacteria in your system will have a difficult time developing. You need to raise the pH, but that will make that ammonia more toxic than it already is. So you need to use something to bind the ammonia so that it is not harmful to the fish as you raise the pH. I always recommend Prime or Safe. Prime is a liquid and Safe is a powder. To bind ammonia and nitrite you need to use those products every 48 hours until the ammonia is gone.
You can raise the pH with baking soda. There is a lot of information on this site about doing that.
Are your test kits the liquid type or strips? Are they old? I'm surprised that your fish aren't reacting to that amount of ammonia, so I wonder if your tests are accurate. Do you have a KH test kit? I think it's an important thing to have.
My test kit is new . API liquid. Also KH test kit is new. I am only feeding them 1/3 of a solo cup ( 6 -1/2 oz )
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I would stop feeding and use Prime or Safe and start raising the pH with baking soda so that bacteria in your system can grow.
You don't want to raise it too quickly, so go slowly and be sure to keep binding the ammonia ever 48 hours.
I would also do a water change every other day before dosing with Prime.
You don't want to raise it too quickly, so go slowly and be sure to keep binding the ammonia ever 48 hours.
I would also do a water change every other day before dosing with Prime.
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How deep is your pond? What are the actual dimensions? Unless it's really, really deep, I question whether or not you really have 3000 gallons in there.
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In addition to the above suggestions, you could double the number of plants in the pond to suck up the extra nitrates.
I agree with the above - your pond doesn't appear to be 3000 gallons just judging from the photos. Your fish have grown too large for your filtration system to keep up. I'd start finding new homes for all but a couple of them, to be honest. With your water test results, your fish won't survive long in those conditions.
I had the pond filled when I first started and it was just under 3000 gals. Pond is 6' deep.
I will sell 2 more and get down to 5.
if your at 3000 gallons that's a good thing,
Now the surface area is fairly small I wonder if your o2 levels are low . that would inhibit the bacteria from doing the best job it can because its starved for o2. thus your bacteria can't lower the parameters.
i know a couple of the best koi dealers have similar bead filters that run to a bakki shower and they are way over one koi per 1000 gallons