Flashing

[Simonp399]

Hi,
I am new to koi ponds and i have had the pond for just over a week. I have a decent pump, filter, heater and air pump. I have around 14 kois and i have noticed a lot of flashing. My ph balance is 7.5 to 7.8. I haven't tested any others but i am getting a test kit tommorw. I didnt filter the water so i think it has chlorine and possibly metals. How would i go about measuring these? I also had a mirror carp with fungus on his mouth so i had one dose of anti bacteria in the pond today. Please can anyone advice me what is the best solution or should i empty the water and uae a filteration to ensure chlorine etc isnt a factor?

 

[addy1]

You just built the pond or moved into a house with a pond? How big is the pond?

Welcome to our forum.

 

[Simonp399]

Pond has been built about 10 years ago but only recently cleaned everything and restarted the process of filling the pond although i didn't use a filtration

My pond is approx 9000 litres

 

[Simonp399]

Pond has been built about 10 years ago but only recently cleaned everything and restarted the process of filling the pond although i didn't a filtration

My pond is approx 9000 litres

I built the pond and restarted a week ago

 

[j.w]

@Simonp399
If you put new water in that has chlorine in it and you did not add de-chlorinator to the new water your fish could suffer ill effects and even die. Hope you put that in when you filled. Did you fill w/all new water? That would be a shock to the fish also.

 

[Simonp399]

I filled it about a week ago from no water to full and left it for a week before i got any fish. I havent added any de-chlorine products, which would suggest and shouls i empty the pond and refill with it?

 

[j.w]

You did not wait long enough I am afraid to add fish. Takes weeks for the good bacteria to build up so you can add fish and when you add all new water it is just like starting all over. You would then add only a couple small fish at a time and then wait longer to add a few more. But you added all those koi. Don't empty the pond again.Since you waited a week to add the fish that would be long enough for the chlorine to dissipate. I wonder if your home water contains clhoromine also? You can call your water dept and ask. Chloromine and chlorine are two different chemicals that water companies can add to city water. I have well water so I don't have those in my water. If you have both or one of those chemicals in your home water that you use to fill your pond regularly then each time you add more water you will need to treat for those chemicals. Since you already added the fish not much else you can do now but hope they do ok in there.

 

[Simonp399]

I have seen pond bombs would this help?

 

[Simonp399]

Should i stop the treatment i am using as the mirror carps had white mouth when i boughtthem

 

[j.w]

I don't know about pond bombs or carps w/white mouth or what to do for them. Hopefully someone else can help you w/that.

 

[Lisak1]

It does appear you jumped in too fast - your pond needed time to cycle to make it fish safe. And then you added too many fish at one time - another big no no. I think at this point you're just going to have to do the best you can and hope for the best.

The test kit will be a big help.

 

[addy1]

Agree with above, you cleaned the pond, added new water, probably killed off a lot of the good bacteria, added way to many fish. Get a liquid test kit, start testing for ammonia etc.

When I drained my small hot tub pond, I left around 1/4 of the water and did not clean it at all. There fish could go right back in. (I was trying to catch a fish that was chasing my fan tails to death) Think it came in as a egg from a lily I moved.

 

[mgmine]

If you are serious about testing your water for metals (or anything else) call your county health department and ask them where to take it. Your $10 dollar test kit is worth $10 dollars but would you trust it for your drinking water? I'm assuming that the 14 koi are very small and that's fine for now, but in a year or two they will be too big for a small pond. And by small I mean 3, 000 to 4,000 gallons.

 

[Simonp399]

Hi,

I can only think it is that the lack of good bacteria or the treatment for fungus (because of mirror carps) I've put it is distrupting the kois? Im thinking to continue with the fungus treatment and wait a week or 2 whichever is safe/best and see if the water improves?

My pond is about 9K litres and currently 14 fish.

 

[Simonp399]

I added 3 fish in one day after the other, (approx) if this helps. Since I have put the treatment in the water they have been flashing more often which i assume is somewhat normal due to the chemecials and may irritate them just like the bad bacteria etc.