Good morning!

[Mmathis]

Welcome!

 

[MitchM]

Wow, I didn't think of that.. Thank you. I could easily grab a few rocks. My Ammonia and Nitrite are high! Nitrite around 3. I have been sweeping it every day and changing about 10% of the water. But, I am not sure if I should be doing that. The babies are still flashing this evening so, I am not sure what else to do that won't stress or hurt them. But I will definitely grab some rocks tomorrow. Thank you!!

The more rocks the better right now.
I would stop doing any water changes.
What number is your PH, ammonia and water temperature?

 

[stonecreek1]

@stonecreek1 That was your first one??? Now I'm really impressed

Yes, it was. I just sketched up an idea on paper. My husband rented a mini excavator, and off we went! I had done some you tube and google research to educate myself on the liner and what to order and how to measure and install. From start to finish it was a two and a half week process. I went to a local landfill to get the large rocks! They were very inexpensive because they are just a by-product when digging at a landfill. I was able to get some beautiful large rocks! Anyone looking or wanting to add rocks, check you local landfill if you haven't ever done so!! I had to wash each of the rocks that I got to go around. I got them at a sand and gravel pit. They were filthy. So I did wash and hand place each rock. I will try to add some full views so you can see the entire pond. But thank you! We are very much in love with how it turned out and are or I should say were until it got so cold, relaxing and watching our fish....

 

[stonecreek1]

The more rocks the better right now.
I would stop doing any water changes.
What number is your PH, ammonia and water temperature?

Mitch - the PH is between 7.8 - 9. I have to get a liquid API test kit. Right now I just have the strip test to test everything but PH. I have a liquid test for that. The temp of water is 64. But on the strip test the Nitrate is 0 but the Nitrite is 3-4. Can I ask? Do you think the vinegar could throw off anything in the filter? I feel like it is very slimy and "gunking" up the filter. Is it ok to wash the media, but not the Bio Balls? Or am I washing away any good bacteria I have? It is just the flow of the output has slowed so tremendously that I am concerned that the filter isn't functioning at full capability.

 

[sissy]

That ph is not bad as long as it is stable ,when you start messing with it you could really have problems ,mine stays between 8 and 9 .You could bring water in from your out side pond and let it sit to get it up to temps. and like said rocks from your outside pond would help .You can wash the filter material ,just don't over wash it .Just get the heavy stuff off so it does not clog

 

[bettasngoldfish]

This is a link to help you understand the nitrogen cycle http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html it will explain how to handle it without fish and what to do if you already have fish in the tank.

Hopefully it will help you understand what is going on in your stock tank

I don't want to seem like a broken record here but please stop adding vinegar to your tank.

 

[sissy]

yep it is acidic and never understood why you would be told to put that in to start with .They are fish not a salad .

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Must agreed with the majority here. Leave the pH alone. What needs to be closely monitored presently is the Nitrite level. It is presently quite high. To effectively and safely administer any pond treatment, you must have a reliable test kit.

 

[MitchM]

Mitch - the PH is between 7.8 - 9. I have to get a liquid API test kit. Right now I just have the strip test to test everything but PH. I have a liquid test for that. The temp of water is 64. But on the strip test the Nitrate is 0 but the Nitrite is 3-4. Can I ask? Do you think the vinegar could throw off anything in the filter? I feel like it is very slimy and "gunking" up the filter. Is it ok to wash the media, but not the Bio Balls? Or am I washing away any good bacteria I have? It is just the flow of the output has slowed so tremendously that I am concerned that the filter isn't functioning at full capability.

Agree with everyone else about stopping adding vinegar.
A liquid test kit should be one of your priorities, especially when first setting up a pond, or holding tub.
At a minimum you should have PH, KH, Ammonia and Nirite. API makes a master test kit that you might want to look into getting.
I can't think of what would be clogging up your filter at this point, but if you're going to clean it, ony do as much as is needed to keep the water flowing through it. Filters are an excellent area for healthy bacteria to live.

 

[Marshall]

I love the Koi pond with optional house... I am not an expert on koi but I have had similar issues and found that patience is sometimes the best solution. Every time you add something or adjust a parameter you are in essence starting back at square one of an experiment that is very unpredictable. Now don't get me wrong, If a major problem presents itself then by all means remedy it but if it is minor things at least give nature an adequate period of time to fix it naturally. Oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[stonecreek1]

I love the Koi pond with optional house... I am not an expert on koi but I have had similar issues and found that patience is sometimes the best solution. Every time you add something or adjust a parameter you are in essence starting back at square one of an experiment that is very unpredictable. Now don't get me wrong, If a major problem presents itself then by all means remedy it but if it is minor things at least give nature an adequate period of time to fix it naturally. Oh and welcome to the forum.

Thank you very much! I appreciate the wisdom! They seem very content with the rocks that I moved in there today. I am just going to get the test to be able to check all the parameters and agree with you, give it more time to run its cycle. I am most grateful for everyone's thoughts!!!

 

[haver79]

Welcome and thats a beautiful pond you have there. Good luck with your indoor babies.

 

[addy1]

Welcome too our group! Beautiful pond you built.

 

[stonecreek1]

Agree with everyone else about stopping adding vinegar.
A liquid test kit should be one of your priorities, especially when first setting up a pond, or holding tub.
At a minimum you should have PH, KH, Ammonia and Nirite. API makes a master test kit that you might want to look into getting.
I can't think of what would be clogging up your filter at this point, but if you're going to clean it, ony do as much as is needed to keep the water flowing through it. Filters are an excellent area for healthy bacteria to live.

Ok, This is where I need the help Please! I finally made it into the store today to get the test kit. Here are my results. Any advice as to what I need to do with any of these numbers. I did lose two babies this morning, so I think it has to do with the Nitrite level? They still are flashing along the bottom...
PH: 7.4
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: between 2-5 The chart has a 2 then it jumps to 5, and the color is in between somewhere, but I am thinking closer to 4-5
and Nitrate: 5

So what advice can anyone give me? Again, I am 3 weeks into having them in the tank....
Thanks!!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Ok, This is where I need the help Please! I finally made it into the store today to get the test kit. Here are my results. Any advice as to what I need to do with any of these numbers. I did lose two babies this morning, so I think it has to do with the Nitrite level? They still are flashing along the bottom...
PH: 7.4
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: between 2-5 The chart has a 2 then it jumps to 5, and the color is in between somewhere, but I am thinking closer to 4-5
and Nitrate: 5

So what advice can anyone give me? Again, I am 3 weeks into having them in the tank....
Thanks!!

Your tank is apparently about half-way through the cycling process, hence the high Nitrite level. Now that you have a fairly accurate rest result, a simple temporary solution to lowering the toxicity of Nitrite in your tank would be to add One (1) teaspoon of pond salt. No more, no less. This should get you through the remainder to the cycling without any additional fish loss. Once the tank has completely cycled, start doing 25% water changes to reduce the salt level. This is one of the few times that I recommend water changes.