What is Koi Clay used for?

[Mmathis]

Clay is an an excellent adsorber of excess nutrients.
We have a gravel driveway and roads here and a lot of clay dust gets blown into the pond, which I'm thankful for.
Some clay can have a surface area of 800 square meters/gram.
Here's an interesting article on clay:
http://www.soilminerals.com/Cation_Exchange_Simplified.htm

Thanks!

 

[Jersey_Marine]

It was recommended to me the day I bought my koi and if you turn off your pumps and pour it across your water it will clarify your water and helps make the color of all fish brighter and helps there digestion .I also pour it on there food and it sticks and makes the food grey .I have used it for 11 years now

Sissy. I bought some of the clay from the same company you get yours from. I emailed customer service to get their take on how to use it. I asked if I had to shut my waterfall down when putting it in the water and told him I shut down my pond in mid-October. This is the verbatim cut and paste email reply I received:

1 tablespoon per 1000 gallons twice weekly

scattering the dry powder directly on the surface of the water works best

Never shut the waterfall down.

When you say shut your pond down does that mean you turn off the pumps and no longer use the filter?

If you keep everything running all winter long Except the waterfall then you shouldn't have such a bad algae problem.

Using clay in non-moving water with no pump and no operating filter will do nothing.

When you allow the water to stagnate it causes problems and there will ALWAYS be an algae bloom when you get things moving again because all those nutrients have built up through the winter. Putting an extra amount in at the beginnning of the season will accomplish nothing. It is the continuous dosing that makes things function properly

 

[addy1]

Nice reply from them.
I shut everything down, don't experience any algae bloom in the spring. But my plant bog is huge and it probably eats up all the nutrients even in the spring. I bought some koi clay, it is still in the bag, sort of forgot about getting it...............lol

 

[tbendl]

I know mine was awful this spring after shutting everything down for the winter. AWFUL.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I know mine was awful this spring after shutting everything down for the winter. AWFUL.

Bet you won't do that again.

 

[tbendl]

Not unless I'm invited to be on that slime show on Nickelodeon.
Well SOMEONE around here has to lead by bad example... Might as well be me.

 

[addy1]

I know mine was awful this spring after shutting everything down for the winter. AWFUL.

If I had your warm winters I would never turn mine off. But with my bog, lots of surface area that even in the summer can cool down the pond. It would really cool off the pond and I am sure it would freeze up and divert water before winter was over. And with an external pump I would never leave it running, one power off and the pump would be dead.

I never turned mine off in Phoenix, the pond in winter got down to around 40-45 or so. External pump there to, but very little chance of long term power offs and freezing up

 

[tbendl]

Well the truth is I got lazy... My pump kept tripping the breaker and I was pretty sure it needed to be pulled and cleaned but the weather had gotten cold and I didn't want to get in the pond...
Soooo my head said... Hey all those people up north shut their pumps and stuff off for the winter, why can't I...
And then... Well Snot, great big gobs of snot.
We like to call last winter and this spring a "learning experience".

 

[addy1]

Hey all those people up north shut their pumps and stuff off for the winter, why can't I...

Lets see, 18 inches of ice covered water vs open sun kissed water................... hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[tbendl]

It all made sense in my head....
The pond just didn't cooperate.
I still blame the pond and not my logic.

 

[addy1]

It all made sense in my head....
The pond just didn't cooperate.
I still blame the pond and not my logic.

Well dear, your logic was flawed

 

[tbendl]

Yes, yes it was, hugely. Although I am looking forward to having the pond go all winter, curious to see what the fish will do.

 

[Mmathis]

Yes, yes it was, hugely. Although I am looking forward to having the pond go all winter, curious to see what the fish will do.

T, if they're like mine, they'll slow down and might stay deeper, but that's about it. You'll still get to enjoy them, esp on warmer days when they'll beg for food!

 

[tbendl]

TM did you feed them throughout the winter?

 

[Mmathis]

TM did you feed them throughout the winter?

No, as the water temp was dipping into low 40's, and upper 30's at times.