Need help with Koi please

[guillermo vazquez]

Hello, i was given 2 koi because a friend of mine had to leave and had no where to take them so he left 2 koi with me, one is about maybe 2.5 inches long and the other maybe 5 or 6 inches. At the moment they are in a really smal tank, around 8 gallons. I havnt been able to find them a home so i want to keep them, the tank they are in isnt even cycled and im sure theres ammonia, they had problems breathing and the bigger one jumped out the fish tank and had one gill shut the next day, i was told to do a 50% water changed it seemed to help the gill wasnt shut no more but now there gasping again , i havnt gotten a test kit around here. i came to live in a small town in mexico i havnt found any test kits here yet until i go into the city thats where they sell them but its really far, i wanted to know if i could put the koi in a plastic container or tub thats around maybe 30 or 40 gallons its better than 8 gallons and its only for 2 months untill i can get a big pond? and if i move them there should i add half the water from the tank then the koi than more purafied water? or how should i make the change sents there has been no cycling done? i dont know much about koi or cycling but i would love to save and care for the koi i can afford the pond just it wont be made from one day to another and how shoul i go about water changes sents nothing is cycled.And if i do change it to the tub should i put the gravel still or just put a undergravel filter in it without gravel? please help

 

[MitchM]

Welcome.
The koi do need a bigger living space.
Are there any natural ponds around your area that have submerged rocks or sticks?
If so, then get as many rocks or sticks as you can and put them in with the koi in the bigger container.
Bacteria will be on those rocks and sticks that will help process the fish waste for now.

In a clean container, the fish may be fatally poisoned by the accmulation of ammonia.

When is the earliest you could visit a pet store?

 

[Dave 54]

Hello, i was given 2 koi because a friend of mine had to leave and had no where to take them so he left 2 koi with me, one is about maybe 2.5 inches long and the other maybe 5 or 6 inches. At the moment they are in a really smal tank, around 8 gallons. I havnt been able to find them a home so i want to keep them, the tank they are in isnt even cycled and im sure theres ammonia, they had problems breathing and the bigger one jumped out the fish tank and had one gill shut the next day, i was told to do a 50% water changed it seemed to help the gill wasnt shut no more but now there gasping again , i havnt gotten a test kit around here. i came to live in a small town in mexico i havnt found any test kits here yet until i go into the city thats where they sell them but its really far, i wanted to know if i could put the koi in a plastic container or tub thats around maybe 30 or 40 gallons its better than 8 gallons and its only for 2 months untill i can get a big pond? and if i move them there should i add half the water from the tank then the koi than more purafied water? or how should i make the change sents there has been no cycling done? i dont know much about koi or cycling but i would love to save and care for the koi i can afford the pond just it wont be made from one day to another and how shoul i go about water changes sents nothing is cycled.And if i do change it to the tub should i put the gravel still or just put a undergravel filter in it without gravel? please help

Welcome.
The koi do need a bigger living space.
Are there any natural ponds around your area that have submerged rocks or sticks?
If so, then get as many rocks or sticks as you can and put them in with the koi in the bigger container.
Bacteria will be on those rocks and sticks that will help process the fish waste for now.

In a clean container, the fish may be fatally poisoned by the accmulation of ammonia.

When is the earliest you could visit a pet store?

Welcome to the forum from a stormy Plymouth UK, the forum as you can see is a multi national affair
I fully agree with Mitch on this issue koi need far larger tanks if being kept indoors 8 gallons isnt enough , what filtration if any do you have on your pond?
Next when doing water changes as you are doing remember to add dechlorinator/dechloromines also match the temperature of the water with that of your tak otherwise thermal shock can occur , I would also suggest a lid for the tank to stop the jumping out of the koi and any furher damage to them .
Do you have an API Pondmaster test kit plus an API nitrate test kit to keep an eye on your water perameters ?


Dave

 

[guillermo vazquez]

Welcome to the forum from a stormy Plymouth UK, the forum as you can see is a multi national affair
I fully agree with Mitch on this issue koi need far larger tanks if being kept indoors 8 gallons isnt enough , what filtration if any do you have on your pond?
Next when doing water changes as you are doing remember to add dechlorinator/dechloromines also match the temperature of the water with that of your tak otherwise thermal shock can occur , I would also suggest a lid for the tank to stop the jumping out of the koi and any furher damage to them .
Do you have an API Pondmaster test kit plus an API nitrate test kit to keep an eye on your water perameters ?


Dave

Hi thanks for answering today im going to get a big container to put them while i get the 1500 gallon pond going , i havnt been able to find them here yet untill 2 days thats when we will be going into the city but how do i go about changing the to a 50 gallon just until the pond is ready? Should i put some gravel and plants and put water from the tank in then the koi then put more clean water? Or how should i go about changing them sents nothing is cycled and i dont want them to die

 

[Dave 54]

I would transfer them to a 50 gallon container but what filtration will go on it and what filtration are you using at the moment this is important as too small a filter wont be up to doing the job your requiring it to do I'm affraid one thing I use to mature my filters rapidly is Microbelift PL filter pad innoculant gel just follow the insructions on the bottle .......

Dave

 

[sissy]

If you have a basement why not get a stock tank and put a crate with lava rock in it and your pump to help clean it .Having a stock tank around for future use is always handy .I made a wheeled cart for my one That I move in and out of my basement .I just put a board over the bottom frame of the door as a ramp to move it in and out .Keep my plants in it in the winter .

 

[guillermo vazquez]

Thablnks everyone for anwering im getting a rubbermaiden stock tank tomorrow thanks for the help everyone

 

[Dave 54]

Not a problem glad to help some

Dave

 

[Smaug]

How big a pond are you prepared to build?

 

[guillermo vazquez]

Im planning it out right now i have alot of space i could use what would be a great size for 2 koi and maybe more for the future?

 

[sissy]

I started with 2000 gallons and then went to 2500 gallons and now at 5000 gallons .Koi get pretty big as mine are over 2 feet long .My pond is over 4 feet deep because here the summer heat can bother the koi and also it is better for winter .Deeper water stays warmer .

 

[guillermo vazquez]

Oh ok thanks alot

 

[guillermo vazquez]

I moved the 300 gallon rubbermaiden . They have seemed fine but right now the smaller koi kept chasing the 4 inch in and then it looks like they are gasping for air again tomorrow my friend is bringing me some test but he was only able to get some that are for GH and KH is that good enought?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Although GH and KH are important water quality parameters, for your purposes a complete test kit that can test Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH is crucial as these are the parameters that can affect fish behavior and/or health either directly or indirectly,
You have not indicated the level of biofiltration that is supplied for this tank. Without it the fish will have a difficult time surviving. This may be why they are 'gasping'. This could be signs of high Ammonia levels.

 

[Dave 54]

I moved the 300 gallon rubbermaiden . They have seemed fine but right now the smaller koi kept chasing the 4 inch in and then it looks like they are gasping for air again tomorrow my friend is bringing me some test but he was only able to get some that are for GH and KH is that good enought?

One thing you have not answered as of yet is the filtration you aim to use on the 300 gallon rubbermaid container also if your pumping air into it [a tank airpump will not cut it you need a pond airpump] do you know if you have hard or soft water in your area ?.
Ask your friend to get an API Pondmaster test kit as well as a API Nitrite test kit if necessary buy them on line as you really do need to know your water perameters especially because you need to watch what is going on whilst your container/pond is cycling and when it has cycled. Then you need to test on a regular basis to keep an eye on your perameters .

Dave