Just got my pond running on monday just a prefabbed kidney shaped one from HD with a 32 gallon brute garbage can filter and water fall. I put 3 Koi in it and the water was crystal clear intill yesterday. But it did rain really hard tuesday night then the water was cloudy. Could that be what caused it. Should I do a water change or just leave it be or maybe throw a bag of carbon in the filter. The water is not to bad but is cloudy
Newly setup pond has cloudy water
- Thread starter robertmathern
- Start date
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Koi did it, Fish in that new of a pond are going to put off waste, bad news, it's only going to get worse with Koi. They are NOT good start up fish at all, produce way to much waste, are not new water hardy, and stay hungry and grow big. At this point the best things you can do are,
List of needed pond supplies:
2. Bacteria supplement or Bacteria booster-
Recommend- Pond care powerpacks- least expensive, drop in pouch. I've tried them and the work!
A GOOD drop type test kit. Don't waste your money on strips, buy one that you have to use the drops to measure and learn how to correctly use it. If your going to even attempt keeping koi, this is a must IMO
Recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals AP master test kit, Again for a newbie this is not the best but works good.
3. Get a big bottle of Chloramine remover, Declor. take the guess work out of what you have in your water, Chlorine or Chloramine, if you treat for the second one you cover them both.
Recommend Tetra Pond Aqua safe, any work there are better ones on the market but this is inexpensive treats more gallons per oz than most and works.
4 A net, Trust me your going to need it
Recommend the largest you think you can move around in the pond! Don't waste your money on a 4-6" net, At minimum 12" prefer way larger! HD sells a decent Koi net that is about $20 it has a retractable handle, nice size opening and affordable, works great for fish under 15" That should be good for you for now.
The other products are all available at PetSmart, I use them because they are all over the US. Other stores may have different product lines, some better some not, some expensive some cheap. My recommendations are for cost, quality, and proven they work. I have used them personally.
Be aware more may post and add to the list!
What not to do!!!!!! If you change any water, no more than 10% per week unless instructed by someone for an REAL emergency.
Do not add chemicals your not 100% unsure of, If uncertain ask and get good advice, better to hear from two, three or four people than a sales person!
Do not tear down your filter, leave it alone!
DO NOT OVER FEED!!!! over 90% of ALL fish deaths are due to feeding and water conditions! This is a fact! You feed they poop water goes bad, THEN fungus's parasites, and such attack, they can happen at any time but are most common when too much food and bad water contribute. So don't medicate either, get good information, know exactly what your treating and if at all possible treat in a separate tank or container not the pond. I'll stop there, others may add, Have patience, learn about what is going on and what you want for a end result. BTW, I'm warning you, Koi get big, they get addicting, the get personal like a dog, they require Vet assistance at times. They may be kind of cheap to buy, They are NOT cheap to keep!
List of needed pond supplies:
2. Bacteria supplement or Bacteria booster-
Recommend- Pond care powerpacks- least expensive, drop in pouch. I've tried them and the work!
A GOOD drop type test kit. Don't waste your money on strips, buy one that you have to use the drops to measure and learn how to correctly use it. If your going to even attempt keeping koi, this is a must IMO
Recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals AP master test kit, Again for a newbie this is not the best but works good.
3. Get a big bottle of Chloramine remover, Declor. take the guess work out of what you have in your water, Chlorine or Chloramine, if you treat for the second one you cover them both.
Recommend Tetra Pond Aqua safe, any work there are better ones on the market but this is inexpensive treats more gallons per oz than most and works.
4 A net, Trust me your going to need it
Recommend the largest you think you can move around in the pond! Don't waste your money on a 4-6" net, At minimum 12" prefer way larger! HD sells a decent Koi net that is about $20 it has a retractable handle, nice size opening and affordable, works great for fish under 15" That should be good for you for now.
The other products are all available at PetSmart, I use them because they are all over the US. Other stores may have different product lines, some better some not, some expensive some cheap. My recommendations are for cost, quality, and proven they work. I have used them personally.
Be aware more may post and add to the list!
What not to do!!!!!! If you change any water, no more than 10% per week unless instructed by someone for an REAL emergency.
Do not add chemicals your not 100% unsure of, If uncertain ask and get good advice, better to hear from two, three or four people than a sales person!
Do not tear down your filter, leave it alone!
DO NOT OVER FEED!!!! over 90% of ALL fish deaths are due to feeding and water conditions! This is a fact! You feed they poop water goes bad, THEN fungus's parasites, and such attack, they can happen at any time but are most common when too much food and bad water contribute. So don't medicate either, get good information, know exactly what your treating and if at all possible treat in a separate tank or container not the pond. I'll stop there, others may add, Have patience, learn about what is going on and what you want for a end result. BTW, I'm warning you, Koi get big, they get addicting, the get personal like a dog, they require Vet assistance at times. They may be kind of cheap to buy, They are NOT cheap to keep!
The cloudy water is an algae bloom and is common in new setups. If you have everything else in place and do partial water exchanges, it will clear up in several weeks. Do not add more fish until the bio eco system is established.
I already have everything on your list but the API test kist it should be in tomorrow the fishstore had them on order and said her dry goods usally come in on friday. And I dont plan on adding anymore fish anytime soon. I honestly didnt want to put koi I was going to put goldfish but her gold fish didnt look in the best of health and she was kind of trying to avoid selling them to me. Koi will get to big for my pond but the fish store I go to is great on taking back fish that get to big so thats not a big deal. So an alge bloom are you sure I figured as much but expected it to be green this looks smokey. Any how I guess I will just leave it alone and let it cycle. Probably do a 10% change sometime this weekend and I might go get some plants this weekend aswell. Thanks for the help hope it turns around like I said it is t to bad I can see in the water fine in just has a milky/smokey tint to it. Thats why I figured some carbon in the filter cant hurt. Also with my trash can filter I made a vortex at the bottom and when water is being pumped in I dont see the water swirl should I get a bigger pump or stick a powerhead in the bottom. The pump I got in there is about all my waterfall can handle (pondmaster 7) its 700 gph with a spa flex hose (about 10') connecting it to the trashcan to minimize headloss.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
The smokey milky look is actually two things, algae cells and bacteria forming, Sounds normal, be careful about overfeeding, feed very lightly no more than once or twice a day for now. I like the rest of the post. Sounds good. carbon will not hurt may help.robertmathern said:
On the filter, I'm pumping 900gph and working fine in a 35 gallon barrel, If you are getting a full 700 gph you should be fine, If that is what the pump is rated for and your actually getting less than that due to head pressure a little larger pump might help a lot! I would shoot for a goal of closer to 1000-1200gph as a best case scerio goal.
I dont feed more than once a day at about dawn. Probably am feeding a little to much though as these koi are only a few inches tops and I do notice some food stuck to the filter on the pump. I do clean it off by hand but I am sure there are some I didnt see in the pond lol. I will also try a pump in the bottom of the filter just to add some flow as the pump may be rated for 700 gph but I doubt I am getting that with the filter on it. But I will do that when I go to d a water change this weekend till then I will just sit back and enjoy my creation. The fish look happy so or now all is good
I feed once a day at 5:00PM. I find my koi are not that hungry in the morning and by afternoon they eat like pirranahs. They love to see me coming.
Yeah I ment to put dusk lol I feed about 7PM hell I am at work by dawn
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My lil fish are hungry at 6am, they scarf the food.
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I Love my Goldies
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6 am what's that..............I only know 8 am now that we are retired 
I feed mine once in the afternoon and they come flying at me w/ gaping mouths like they are starving to death
I feed mine once in the afternoon and they come flying at me w/ gaping mouths like they are starving to death