Ammonia problems

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Does anyone have suggestions on how to combat high ammonia levels. My Koi are not overcrowded, my PH level averages 7.0 7.2 unless it rains. Then I adjust it as quickly as I can with baking soda. But I cannot seem to get the ammonia down. We have done multiple partial water changes to no avail.

I was searching on line for a product used for this in ponds, but there are so many it's confusing. I want to stay as natural as possible, but I want my Koi to be healthy and high ammonia is not good.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Amber
 

sissy

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zeolite and need to feed them less
100_4658.JPG
 
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Thank you, sissy. I only feed them once a day, but I have a feeling my husband may sneak out and give them treats because they always come up looking for food when we're close to the pond. I have asked him not to feed them. Maybe this thread will help my plight. I will shop for this product now. I appreciate the help.
 

sissy

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I only feed mine 2 or 3 times a week .But zeolite is great and can be refreshed and used over and over again
 
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Hello! It looks like you've been a member of the forum for a while - glad to see you posting, although sorry that it's for a troubling pond situation!

More details would be helpful - it's great to remove the ammonia, but it would be far better to figure out and correct the cause, right?

So if you can - how big is the pond? How many gallons? How many fish? What kind? How old? How long have they been in this pond? What kind of filtration? Aeration? Waterfall? What ammonia readings are you getting? Are you testing for other water parameters? You mentioned pH - how high does it go when it rains? The pH reading is far less worrisome than the stability of the number - constantly trying to adjust pH can cause problems all on it's own.

You're making some general statements - "my koi are not overcrowded" - but we've seen the same from people who have no idea what overcrowded really means.
 

sissy

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All true but the need to get the ammonia down is number 1 it can be a killer and yep we need more info on your pond to find out why the ammonia is high .Do you also know the temperature of your water
 

Mmathis

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Agree with @Lisak1! High and uncontrolled ammonia is a symptom of a bigger problem. As is swings in Ph. In a balanced pond, you should not have a high ammonia level.....unless something has changed. Has anything happened recently that could have interrupted your biological filter cycle? Do you routinely deep clean your pond? Have you added new fish or have yours multiplied?

If your pH is staying in that range, then at what level are you adding baking soda? Are you trying to keep it at exactly a specific number? Do you test for KH (carbonate hardness)? If not, that is a good test to add to you regimen.

Yes, please give us the statistics for your current pond set up. Rather than treat a SYMPTOM, it’s better to determine and treat the CAUSE of the problem.
 

Mmathis

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@Amber Pickle I was just reading back through your other (2) threads. You have never really given us any information about your pond — except one place where you said you have 13 koi — not sure how big your pond is, though. The last time you posted you were overwhelmed with what most members said appear to be koi eggs. Is it possible that you have many more fish than you thought you did? As has already been asked.....how big is your pond and what filtration do you have? Baby fish might be small, but (and in numbers) they can greatly add to the bioload!

And your threads (both) ended abruptly. We never got any follow-up from you. I was curious about your “mystery plant.” You never posted a picture. Did you ever figure out what it was?
 
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Hello. Please just bare in mind that I am new to ponds. When my ph was low after rain, the advice I was given was, if I add baking soda and ammonia is present the ammonia will be more toxic in a high ph. I don't know anything about your water, and it maybe completely different to mine, I have a printout test of my water when the pond was filled, it includes everything, hardness, deposits etc. This was a starting point for me, as I was able to use it when purchasing my koi fish, and seeking advice. My water is on the soft side, and ph is 7. Again please only take this as third hand information, and maybe someone with more knowledge will jump in.
 

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