Worried

[Meyer Jordan]

Beer is the best pH adjuster for your body Sissy.

Anyhoo! It seems this subject was more important for us then the OP!

I dunno. The pH of a healthy human body is about 7.4, whereas the ph of most all beer is in the 3.5 - 4.5 range.

 

[Smaug]

I dunno. The pH of a healthy human body is about 7.4, whereas the ph of most all beer is in the 3.5 - 4.5 range.

I suppose I have blackwater for blood. But we digress. Soaking in ANYTHING will do nothing for the ph balance of your body. Drinking beer definitely works from the inside out!

 

[Gemma]

... . As for pH ,a whole lot more damage is caused messing with it then any damage that is cause by leaving it alone .

even if the Ph is 9.0 or higher? (that's what mine is)

 

[Lisak1]

The OP asked "is the pH too low"? The best answer would have been "no clue - what's the reading?"

And yes @Gemma - chasing pH can cause more problems than leaving it be and giving your pond a chance to mature. If you aren't seeing any signs that pH is an issue, leave it be.

 

[Smaug]

Depending on the source of incoming water the best solution to high ph is water changes. Many ponders just top off and what that does is cause any hardening agents to build up as more water is added and evaporated it leaves everything that makes for hard high ph water.

 

[Gemma]

The OP asked "is the pH too low"? The best answer would have been "no clue - what's the reading?"

And yes @Gemma - chasing pH can cause more problems than leaving it be and giving your pond a chance to mature. If you aren't seeing any signs that pH is an issue, leave it be.

I've had this pond for over 10yrs, and it always had it's ups and downs but I thought that if Ammonia wasn't present, then the water quality was fine! I never really paid attention to the Ph
My fish have never been very active, I thought it was normal but now, after reading and learning about signs of stress, I question if their behavior is due to water quality They come to eat and swim around for a bit, then they just sit totally still for long periods of time

 

[Gemma]

Depending on the source of incoming water the best solution to high ph is water changes. Many ponders just top off and what that does is cause any hardening agents to build up as more water is added and evaporated it leaves everything that makes for hard high ph water.

I have well water! My tap water is about 8.0, how often would you suggest I do water changes to have the same ph in the pond? And once I achieve a lower ph, is it ok to add a stabilizer?

Thank you!

 

[Smaug]

Of your well water was 7 then yiu coukd make a difference with water changes but between 8.0 and 9.0 I'm afraid the best you would easily do woukd be 8.5 and that would be a lot of work for very little good. Unfortunately bringing ph down involves adding some sort of acid and that isn't worth it either.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

They come to eat and swim around for a bit, then they just sit totally still for long periods of time

Fish do most of their sleeping during the daytime.

 

[Gemma]

Fish do most of their sleeping during the daytime.

I used to think too that they were simply napping, cause they were always in the same spot, next to the same one or two fish....but then, when I started reading and researching more about koi keeping, I read that a healthy fish does not stay still for more than a few minutes, and if it does it's a sign of stress/illness ....why do people always have different opinions on everything it makes it very hard for newbies to learn

Thanks! I'm going back thinking they're napping!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

My fish almost always slept as a group somewhere between 10am and 2pm and always, as a group, facing North. They always face North when they are sleeping.

 

[Smaug]

My fish almost always slept as a group somewhere between 10am and 2pm and always, as a group, facing North. They always face North when they are sleeping.

Your saying that Just your fish face north,or that all fish face north when sleeping?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

My understanding from research is that Carp (maybe other fish also) face North when they are sleeping. This has proven true based on my observations of not only my pond but the many that I have serviced over the years. It is interesting to see 30+ fish all still and facing the same direction each day.