UPDATE on Pond cycle

[Calvin]

From top to bottom.. Full story.
So I have a small pond 150-200 gallons. 9 2-3in Koi ( temporary ). My new pond that I finished building is 1,500 gallons. Up until this day it's been running only 1 week and 2 days. First day was declorination and metal removing.. The following day I got a bag full of REAL bacteria at a local store. They scrapped it from their filteration and put oxygen so it would survive the trip home. ( yes it's the same bacteria as the brown stuff on your liner. I then put 2 small koi inside,. Just fine, I have a filter that is made for 1500 gallon pond w/ a pump that runs 1600 gph. I purchased some lilies and placed them inside.. While doing so.. I purchased 6 6-7in japanese koi. Couldn't resist it, but they were placed in the temporary pond. My old pond has a established filter and water.. I also was given 2 free 9in japanese koi...
2 days later the small koi seem very happy no clamped fins or gasping for air. The bacteria was on the liner but very lightly. Following day I went and got some more bacteria ( free ) and a huge bag of established pond water.. 2 small koi load was small.. Test ammonia daily and got nothing. Added 2 more koi and still nothing. So the smaller pond is only 1.5 ft high. I cover 90% of it at night but a raccoon or possum came by and had a little meal of one of my koi. I freaked out and the 9in koi looks like it ran I to something when trying to run. I knew that the racoon would be back.. I didn't want to risk anything anymore also according to the local fish store my pond is safe for the fish to go in and just keep watch if ammonia goes up just do a water change. Local koi farm lady said the same thing .. So due to the racoon neighbor stopping by nightly.. I decided to put my all koi over to the big pond 16 koi been in placed.. It has 2 filters running 1500 and 1000 gallons . 2 pumps on opposite ends to make sure it had a good turn over per hour rate. Pumps push out 1600 and 600.. Gph. The smaller filter and pump have a bacterial colony already established. After doing so I cycled the old pond water into the new filter to transfer the old water to the newer pond. Bacteria on the wall is very noticable it is not a light layer but a large amount along the liner. All koi are very happy none seem to be stressed swimming happily chasing around.. The following day the water got cloudy so I did a 10% water change. Got clear alittle , ammonia and nitrate still reads 0.. The next day it was super cloudy.. Yellowish color.. I did have a unhealthly lily but not sure if that's what causing it'. Our UV light has been off since. Koi can still be seen swimming around and active and together.. Just cloudy..
They have not been fed since they have been all put in. I want to so bad but I know it will make it worse..
So today I get everything checked
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
GH 120
KH 120-180 couldn't tell.. But it's around there...
I'm stressed that my koi will die.. I check ammonia morning and night. No sign of anything.
Could I have finished the cycle in a weeks worth? Many say it's possible..
Thanks for reading and getting some advice from you guys.

 

[Dave 54]

To put it plainly Idont think the pond has stated to cycle yet Calvin so you may well have jumped the gun here I warned you against buying so called live bacteria from your local store .
I've never come across a fish shop selling that over here in the UK they cannot say that there is live bacteria because they themselves dont know and even if it is live they probably mean its for tank filters not pond filters
Your best bet would as I told you would have been to dose your filters with Microbe_lift PL Filter pad innoculant gel following the instructions closely(these guys started out in the sewerage business and there isnt a thing they dont know about bacteria ) it come in concentrated form is brown in colour and it stinks to high heaven and I've seen it kick start an ehiem 2217 tank filter over night ,however they are small compared to pond filters, "do not get any on your hands it warns against that " ,if you do get your hands disinfected asap
I also told you it took a hell of a time to cycle our own pond using sacrificial fish your own pond is 500 gallons more than our own so it should take that bit longer again than our own.
Have you yet seen your Ammonia rise into the red or your Nitrite as those are the ones you have to look out for I've a feeling your going to be seeing it sometime soon that both readings begin to rise and then is the time you have to hold your nerve because they have to both spike before it goes down again .


Dave

 

[Calvin]

To put it plainly Idont think the pond has stated to cycle yet Calvin so you may well have jumped the gun here I warned you against buying so called live bacteria from your local store , I've never com across a fish shop selling that over here in the UK they cannot say that there is live bacteria because they thenselves dont know and evenn if it is live they probably mean its for tank filters not pond filters
Your best bet would as I told you would have been to dose your filters with Microbe_lift PL Filter pad innoculant gel following the instructions closely(these guys started out in the sewerage business and there isnt a thing they dont know about bacteria ) it come in concentrated form stinks to high heaven and I've seen it kick start an ehiem 2217 tank filter over night ,however they are small compared to pond filters
I also told you it took a hell of a time to cycle our own pond using sacrificial fish your own pond is 500 gallons more than our own so it should take that bit longer again than our own.
Have you yet seen your Ammonia rise into the red or your Nitrite as those are the ones you have to look out for I've a feeling your going to be seeing it sometime soon that both readings begin to rise and then is the time you have to hold your nerve because they have to both spike before it goes down again .


Dave

I will need to look I to that and see if I can find it locally. I shall just order tomorrow! Your sacrificial fish did they make it out alive? I'm really worried about my koi in there.. Nothing spike so far.. That yellow hint tells me it will be soon..

 

[Dave 54]

I will need to look I to that and see if I can find it locally. I shall just order tomorrow! Your sacrificial fish did they make it out alive? I'm really worried about my koi in there.. Nothing spike so far.. That yellow hint tells me it will be soon..

What test kit is that your using Calvin?
The yellow tint means nothing it will go all the way up the scale before spiking , thats what I mean by holding your nerve because there will be no waterc changes whilst this is happening .
Yes both made it through alive and I still have one of the orfe with me today however I'm worried about the fish load you have in the pond we used two orfe. I make it you have 10 koi in your new pond yes ?
When you get the Microbe_lift PL first read the instructions on the bottle you'll need the largest bottle they have, it cost £22.00 UK dont know about US $ prices, the filter material has to be in the open air for one hour , then in the filter in still water (not switched on) for half an hour before you can start it up again

Dave

 

[max384]

Dave, with the impending ammonia spike, would you recommend that he lower the pH in order to decrease the deleterious effects of the ammonia to the fish? I honestly don't know that answer. I do know that when I was cycling my pond, I kept the pH low until I got the ammonia under control.

 

[dieselplower]

You do water changes to keep the ammonia down.

Calvin, you can not see the beneficial bacteria. Bacteria are very small. What you see is probably algae.

 

[Calvin]

What test kit is that your using Calvin?
The yellow tint means nothing it will go all the way up the scale before spiking , thats what I mean by holding your nerve because there will be no waterc changes whilst this is happening .
Yes both made it through alive and I still have one of the orfe with me today however I'm worried about the fish load you have in the pond we used two orfe. I make it you have 10 koi in your new pond yes ?
When you get the Microbe_lift PL first read the instructions on the bottle you'll need the largest bottle they have, it cost £22.00 UK dont know about US $ prices, the filter material has to be in the open air for one hour , then in the filter in still water (not switched on) for half an hour before you can start it up again

Dave

I use ammonia and nitrates tube test liquid. API and the PH and GH KH nitrites and nitrates are strips

 

[Calvin]

Dave, with the impending ammonia spike, would you recommend that he lower the pH in order to decrease the deleterious effects of the ammonia to the fish? I honestly don't know that answer. I do know that when I was cycling my pond, I kept the pH low until I got the ammonia under control.

How would I safely lower the PH

 

[Calvin]

You do water changes to keep the ammonia down.

Calvin, you can not see the beneficial bacteria. Bacteria are very small. What you see is probably algae.

It's like brown looking textures I'm guessing there could be all types of algae ?

 

[sissy]

koi like ph around 8 .I keep mine between 8 and 9 .After I get it at 8 I add crushed oyster shells to keep ph stable

 

[Dave 54]

Dave, with the impending ammonia spike, would you recommend that he lower the pH in order to decrease the deleterious effects of the ammonia to the fish? I honestly don't know that answer. I do know that when I was cycling my pond, I kept the pH low until I got the ammonia under control.

We did nothing to lower our Ph we had Lithaqua in the filters a a buffer (calcified seaweed)

How would I safely lower the PH

Dont worry about it Calvin we did nothing

You do water changes to keep the ammonia down.

Calvin, you can not see the beneficial bacteria. Bacteria are very small. What you see is probably algae.

If your going to do water changes make them small otherwise your defeatiing the object of cycling your pond ; remember new tank syndrome in aquariums Calvin, you can also get it in ponds ?
Just be careful you dont prolong the process my friend just hold your nerve they will spike .

Dave

 

[dieselplower]

We did nothing to lower our Ph we had Lithaqua in the filters a a buffer (calcified seaweed)

Dont worry about it Calvin we did nothing


If your going to do water changes make them small otherwise your defeatiing the object of cycling your pond ; remember new tank syndrome in aquariums Calvin, you can also get it in ponds ?
Just be careful you dont prolong the process my friend just hold your nerve they will spike .

Dave

Dave I don't understand your logic on needing to leave ammonia high.

 

[Dave 54]

Dave I don't understand your logic on needing to leave ammonia high.

The faster it spikes the quicker it will start to go down again speeding up the whole process the spike is what we are looking for both Ammonia and Nitrite , that is the way I my mentor taught me to do it whe we swopped over from 22 years indoor koi keeping to pond koi keeping, believe me my friend I hated it as it went against everything I'd learned in 22 years, five years later weve never looked back.
One of the two sacrificial fish is still with us and they both lived through the whole thing and as orfe go hes huge "he think he's a koi poor deluded thing"

Dave

 

[Jason]

How is your Water going back into the Pond from each filter/pump? Plenty of Aeration should drop your Ammonia Levels, Also If your water is starting to cloud, it is most likely an algae bloom and you will need to turn the UV back on to rid the problem. It could take a week or it could take 5 months for your Pond to "Establish", My first pond, I dug a hole, put the liner in, threw in a pump and filter, filled it with water and put fish in it the same day and only added PH balance/conditioner and I have had my fish for going on 3 years (Some eaten by Heron) and I could tell that it established itself one day (about 4 months in) from there on, nothing but perfectly clear water till the day I dug it up.

 

[Dave 54]

Calvin I think your getting stressed out over nothing its your own fault for not listening to us in the first place I told you to get sacrificial fish but no you went and stocked the pond with koi.
Had you done what I said with the Microbe_Lift PL filterpad innoculant we'd be half way there now wait for the spike then it will go down koi are tougher than you think but a funny thing and its "My Pet Hate" I was browsing through koiPhen today and guess what my friend , I came across your post exactly asking the same questions under a different name.
Man was I Pissed , that really upsets me because it means you dont trust any of us to give you sound advice forum, hopping only complicates things in your own mind so make up your mind which people you want advice from
Diesilplower Max Sissy Myself might as well pack up and go home if you dont trust any of us to give you advice .
Between us all we have many years of experiance in koi and fish keeping its sort of a slap in the face to us all ulike the advice on koiPhen at least my sacrificia lfish didnt die unlike what one of their members is advising " sacrificial fish are meant to die"my backside .
We are here trying to get you out of a mess of no-one but your own making and trying to keep all your koi alive so make up your mind which forum your on and who's advice you want

Dave