Stabilizing an aquarium with a koi that's way too big

[csdude55]

I have my fun cool koi hybrid in a 36G tank. He's my buddy and eats out of my hand, but he's WAY too big for the tank now! I'm at a point where I'm having to do a 10% water change about every other day :-O

I have a 1000G pond that I plan to move the koi to when it warms up, but I'll be going on a trip at the end of this month and can't rely on the pet sitter to change his water properly (if at all). So I need to find a way to stabilize his tank for a few months.

This is the filter I'm using (the one that says "up to 100-Gallons"):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010PLGI5O/

and I change the filters each month. I just changed it last weekend but I'm still having to do the water changes, so it's not an issue of clogged filters.

I was including a heaping tablespoon of aquarium salt with each change, but I'm out of salt now; it doesn't last long when you're doing so many!

Any suggestions?

Note: I don't have anything to really measure levels. I had a suction cup gauge on there but it was kinda useless. I know when I need to change water, though, when he refuses to eat. After he refuses I'll scoop out the remaining pellets and do a 10% water change, and then he'll eat.

 

[Lisak1]

Sorry but I think you're asking the impossible. 36 gallons? How long has the fish been in that tank? If you can visually SEE it's too small, imagine the water quality issues that you CAN'T see.

My best suggestion would be to get "your buddy" in the pond ASAP. Start acclimating him to the water temp and the pond water and make the move before you go.

Alternatively get yourself a much bigger tank set up and hope for the best.

Good luck!

 

[WaterGardener]

I agree. This is not a good situation for the koi, which you already know. Leaving the fish in those conditions while you are away could be a disaster.

Start adding cooler water when you do the water changes. Slowly, over several days, not hours, get the temperature the same in the tank as the outside pond water. Then move the fish outside.

 

[csdude55]

The aquarium was originally intended to be temporary, but things kept happening that made me postpone it. My cats died from cancer in 2019, my mom died from COPD in 2020, my father in law died from colon cancer in 2021, my beagle died from liver failure a few months later in 2021, my dad got COVID in 2021 and passed from it in January. Tree fell on my house in September 2022. Business almost completely died during the pandemic, depleting all of my savings and I was literally buying food on credit cards (while millionaires were getting millions from the government... but I digress). It's just been a constant stream of one bad thing after another, so building the new pond just kept getting pushed to the back burner.

I'm just now starting to get my ahead above water, so money is still very tight! Unfortunately, that means getting a 55G tank isn't really an option. Especially when the pond is there...

I'm definitely at a point, though, where the koi is obviously too big for the tank. I just now took this photo, you can see his size in proportion to the tank:



I'm not sure when I got him, but it's been awhile. I THINK 2015-16. You can see in these pics from 2019 that his whiskers are nowhere near as long as you would expect from a koi, which is why I'm pretty sure he's a hybrid:




It's cold and rainy today so I can't measure the temperature of the pond, but we've been having an unseasonably warm few days. It's currently 46F outside, though, and it's not uncommon to have a snow in March, even April! Our last frost is usually on or near May 15, so I have to assume that colder temperatures are coming.

 

[csdude55]

I agree. This is not a good situation for the koi, which you already know. Leaving the fish in those conditions while you are away could be a disaster.

Start adding cooler water when you do the water changes. Slowly, over several days, not hours, get the temperature the same in the tank as the outside pond water. Then move the fish outside.

I do a 3 gallon water change, so maybe bring in 2 gallons of pond water mixed with 1 gallon of tap water (well water) to add to the aquarium every day for the next 2 weeks, then move him over? That would give him a week in the pond before I leave.

 

[Beercan31]

Whole hell if it wasn't for bad luck you wouldn't have any at all.

I try not to put human emotion on a animal just because we think in a certain way we expect a pet to respond in a specific manner. They will adapt to there environment quickly as long as the water parameters are correct. the sooner the better. as stated above slow steady water changes from the pond they will go into. do expect a bounce in you bio system as it will take some time for it to catch up on the new input from your "buddy".

 

[csdude55]

I try not to put human emotion on a animal just because we think in a certain way we expect a pet to respond in a specific manner.

You mean like my concern that the goldfish family will team up on the biracial outsider and bully him?

Nope, not personifying the fish over here at all!!! LOL

 

[WaterGardener]

So sorry things have been so rough for you lately. I don't know how you managed to get any pond done.

Your koi looks great so it's obvious that he has been well cared for. That's quite an accomplishment in a tank that size.

 

[Lisak1]

You mean like my concern that the goldfish family will team up on the biracial outsider and bully him?

Nope, not personifying the fish over here at all!!! LOL

Keep smiling - it's about all we can do when life keeps knocking us down.

I don't know if barbel length is an indicator or not - I've never heard that!

 

[GBBUDD]

Go buy a kiddie pool at Walmart .... Make sure to put something over the top to keep it from jumping out use the pond pump and make sure the surface is agitated or you add an air stone. the fish will be fine for a month.

Adding salt to an aquarium without a hydrometer is beyond dangerous. salt does not evaporate and as it does get removed with a water change. The amount left behind can build up and poison your fish.

Put your fish to scale and it's the same as being in jail in that tiny tank. but worse do to conditions. koi are poop kings

You don't want to clean or replace your filters at the same time your removing the bacteria you need to battle ammonias, nitrates etc.. Use the water change water to rinse the filter.

Manufacturers often over state how many gallons there filter will effectively maintain. You want the best for your pet and it will grow thus I look at 50% of the recommended as the real number .

There's only up from here !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DanceBird]

The aquarium was originally intended to be temporary, but things kept happening that made me postpone it. My cats died from cancer in 2019, my mom died from COPD in 2020, my father in law died from colon cancer in 2021, my beagle died from liver failure a few months later in 2021, my dad got COVID in 2021 and passed from it in January. Tree fell on my house in September 2022. Business almost completely died during the pandemic, depleting all of my savings and I was literally buying food on credit cards (while millionaires were getting millions from the government... but I digress). It's just been a constant stream of one bad thing after another, so building the new pond just kept getting pushed to the back burner.

I'm just now starting to get my ahead above water, so money is still very tight! Unfortunately, that means getting a 55G tank isn't really an option. Especially when the pond is there...

I'm definitely at a point, though, where the koi is obviously too big for the tank. I just now took this photo, you can see his size in proportion to the tank:

View attachment 156152

I'm not sure when I got him, but it's been awhile. I THINK 2015-16. You can see in these pics from 2019 that his whiskers are nowhere near as long as you would expect from a koi, which is why I'm pretty sure he's a hybrid:

View attachment 156153
View attachment 156154

It's cold and rainy today so I can't measure the temperature of the pond, but we've been having an unseasonably warm few days. It's currently 46F outside, though, and it's not uncommon to have a snow in March, even April! Our last frost is usually on or near May 15, so I have to assume that colder temperatures are coming.

I feel for you with the onslaught of bad and very sad things happening in your life. I think you will find your Koi will be very happy once you move him to the pond. As someone said, take it slow and easy.