Here is the bottom of the tank...
Baby Koi
- Thread starter fish
- Start date
that sure is clear water!
Is it just me or is that baby Koi pink /purple?
Wow, surprised to see this old thread pop up...Note: the take is a 13 gallon show tank with 11 koi in it.
the pic's run from Novemer to Feb 27th...The secret of a crysal clear tank and pond? Agressive
water changes. We are firm believers of agressive water exchanges.
This is the 3 1/2 foot section, ignore all the stones, this is suppose to be a bare bottom pond
(except for the beach section in the first photo) except our koim spit out the stones/pebbles
from our lily pots...
if you're mintrested in discussing agressive water exchanges I'll continue.
i
the pic's run from Novemer to Feb 27th...The secret of a crysal clear tank and pond? Agressive
water changes. We are firm believers of agressive water exchanges.
This is the 3 1/2 foot section, ignore all the stones, this is suppose to be a bare bottom pond
(except for the beach section in the first photo) except our koim spit out the stones/pebbles
from our lily pots...
if you're mintrested in discussing agressive water exchanges I'll continue.
i
Please do Joann, i'd be interested to know your thoughts on water changes.
Well Superdraft, I didn’t want to continue with our pond koi husbandry techniques in case nobody
was interested.
Firstly, we have a bottom drain gravity fed system with a 200 gallon biological pond located 18 feet away.
We built the pond in 1998 and the following year added the bio pond and also an edition to the main pond,
and a skimmer under the small dock that is used only in early spring and fall.
The filter tub is cleaned out about once a week, we do not use a uv light as the head groundskeeper believes
it robs the water of the good bacteria.
We also really only test the water in early spring, we rely on our koi to be the barometer of the health of our water.
Our koi are closely observed by the head guy, he knows each one up close in personal. We have several white koi,
the Japanese believe white fish are good luck. They are good luck because they are the first fish to show stress
and they’re color will take on a pink hue if something is not wrong with the water.
We have always done aggressive water changes as stated above. we have a water gallon meter counter on our hose,
that we set it for how many gallons we want to add to the pond each day. ..that’s how we know we exchange
between 35 – 40 gallon each week. We’re also lucky as we do not have to add de-clor to our water. My head guy
always tells me our koi are tougher than we give them credit for.
We feed our fish a lot, and we have a lot of fish, our water is always clear, many times it is gin clear.
When the head guy was a kid he had a fish pond in his backyard, it was made of cement without a bottom
drain or filtration. He kept it clear with plants and water exchanges...of course he only kept clouds and guppies
in the pond in the summer and netted them and bought them inside for the winter...and that was a long time
ago.
I am not saying that everyone should loose their uv light, or do these aggressive water exchanges, or not test their
water...there are many ways to achieve sucessfull ponding and clear water and this is just our way.
Joann
even more lucky white koi
the DIY skimmer ( made from our old pond skimmer) is located under this little dock
the three center boards lift up and off to get to the skimmer.
was interested.
Firstly, we have a bottom drain gravity fed system with a 200 gallon biological pond located 18 feet away.
We built the pond in 1998 and the following year added the bio pond and also an edition to the main pond,
and a skimmer under the small dock that is used only in early spring and fall.
The filter tub is cleaned out about once a week, we do not use a uv light as the head groundskeeper believes
it robs the water of the good bacteria.
We also really only test the water in early spring, we rely on our koi to be the barometer of the health of our water.
Our koi are closely observed by the head guy, he knows each one up close in personal. We have several white koi,
the Japanese believe white fish are good luck. They are good luck because they are the first fish to show stress
and they’re color will take on a pink hue if something is not wrong with the water.
We have always done aggressive water changes as stated above. we have a water gallon meter counter on our hose,
that we set it for how many gallons we want to add to the pond each day. ..that’s how we know we exchange
between 35 – 40 gallon each week. We’re also lucky as we do not have to add de-clor to our water. My head guy
always tells me our koi are tougher than we give them credit for.
We feed our fish a lot, and we have a lot of fish, our water is always clear, many times it is gin clear.
When the head guy was a kid he had a fish pond in his backyard, it was made of cement without a bottom
drain or filtration. He kept it clear with plants and water exchanges...of course he only kept clouds and guppies
in the pond in the summer and netted them and bought them inside for the winter...and that was a long time
ago.
I am not saying that everyone should loose their uv light, or do these aggressive water exchanges, or not test their
water...there are many ways to achieve sucessfull ponding and clear water and this is just our way.
Joann
even more lucky white koi
the DIY skimmer ( made from our old pond skimmer) is located under this little dock
the three center boards lift up and off to get to the skimmer.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Joanne, So ya'll only change out 35 -40 gallons of water a week? I was thinking by aggresive water changes it would be a lot more than that. I change out aprox. 200-300 gallons (While back flushing filters) per week on my 2500 gallon pond and about 35-50 gallons a week on the 300 gallon. I thought that was on the light side but it is where everything seems to check and test stable.
Also in the post above you state you only check/test the water in the spring. In my experience I feel like fall is one of the most important times to check the water getting ready for Winter. This is when PH seems to become the most unstable, and your getting ready to go into a period of time where the bio-filter really isn't doing that much and checking the fish themselves isn't quite as easy. Almost everytime I have noticed a problem in PH and hardness and really for that matter Nitrate too it's almost always been at the end of the growing season and the water starts to cool down.
I thought the Chagoi (Brown) koi was suppose to be the lucky koi. I had never heard that before on the white. If anything FOR ME the white seems to be the Unlucky koi, they always seem too be the first ones the darn birds get.... :-(
I wish I could leave my pond uncovered like yours. It amazes me you don't have more bird/predator problems. I guess it's got a lot to do with geographical location not pond placement because my pond sits about as close to the house as yours and I'm still battling an ocassional visitor. At least so for this year the ONLY death I had was one of my Shubunkins that got beat all up after spawning and didn't recover.
Also in the post above you state you only check/test the water in the spring. In my experience I feel like fall is one of the most important times to check the water getting ready for Winter. This is when PH seems to become the most unstable, and your getting ready to go into a period of time where the bio-filter really isn't doing that much and checking the fish themselves isn't quite as easy. Almost everytime I have noticed a problem in PH and hardness and really for that matter Nitrate too it's almost always been at the end of the growing season and the water starts to cool down.
I thought the Chagoi (Brown) koi was suppose to be the lucky koi. I had never heard that before on the white. If anything FOR ME the white seems to be the Unlucky koi, they always seem too be the first ones the darn birds get.... :-(
I wish I could leave my pond uncovered like yours. It amazes me you don't have more bird/predator problems. I guess it's got a lot to do with geographical location not pond placement because my pond sits about as close to the house as yours and I'm still battling an ocassional visitor. At least so for this year the ONLY death I had was one of my Shubunkins that got beat all up after spawning and didn't recover.
oops fishin, I meant 35 to 40 % weekly...
we live in a wooded area with huge oak trees, the birds of prey are intimidated
to land in a heavy treed area as the need lots of room to take flight,
so the trees are a buffer.
We regularly trap and relocated coons, however the possoms are welcome to stay.
We even has a pet one named Pogo that we feed regularly.
I'm not telling anyone to not check their water, it's just that we've never had to do do so.
My head guy regularly checks the fish up close by feeding them worms, they'll
swim into hus hand for worms. We never have to net them to check them.
Although netting them is no problem, they are so used to him skimming the pond (with a net)
for leaves that they swim in and out of the net constantly.
this is an example of feeding worms...our koi will allow you to rub them under their chins...
when I say my head guy knows every inch of his koi, I'm serious. we don't have to net them to examine them.
If the white ones were to be stressed because of water issues, they would take on a pink hue, thus
white fish are lucky ... they're the live pond barometers.
clear water makes it easier to monitor the color.
we live in a wooded area with huge oak trees, the birds of prey are intimidated
to land in a heavy treed area as the need lots of room to take flight,
so the trees are a buffer.
We regularly trap and relocated coons, however the possoms are welcome to stay.
We even has a pet one named Pogo that we feed regularly.
I'm not telling anyone to not check their water, it's just that we've never had to do do so.
My head guy regularly checks the fish up close by feeding them worms, they'll
swim into hus hand for worms. We never have to net them to check them.
Although netting them is no problem, they are so used to him skimming the pond (with a net)
for leaves that they swim in and out of the net constantly.
this is an example of feeding worms...our koi will allow you to rub them under their chins...
when I say my head guy knows every inch of his koi, I'm serious. we don't have to net them to examine them.
If the white ones were to be stressed because of water issues, they would take on a pink hue, thus
white fish are lucky ... they're the live pond barometers.
clear water makes it easier to monitor the color.
Thanks for the reply Joann,
what is the reason for not decloring, does your water come from a well? or do you choose not to do so, as I can see from the pictures your fish are imaculate and look really healthy,
thanks Rory.
ZmanArt007
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If you cant find any good tanks, petsmart sells 10 gallon tanks(single, lidless) for $12 each.
Hi Rory,
We don't have well water, and our water does have chlorine in it...
I imagine our fish have built up an immunity to chlorine over the years.
When the head guy cleans the beach section which is 4' x 5' and rocked, the fish love to swim into
the water from the hose.
They love the fresh water-- view the video and see how they react after fresh water is added.
We don't have well water, and our water does have chlorine in it...
I imagine our fish have built up an immunity to chlorine over the years.
When the head guy cleans the beach section which is 4' x 5' and rocked, the fish love to swim into
the water from the hose.
They love the fresh water-- view the video and see how they react after fresh water is added.
Someone correct me if im wrong, but I understand that chlorine in water turns gaseous and disapaits within 24 hours of leaving the faucet. However, There aren't many water municipalities around that only use chlorine. Many use chloramine which does not leave the water. Luckily we here on long island only use chlorine so unless doing a 100% water change, it isn't a concern and the fish can
tolerate it IMHO.
tolerate it IMHO.