Beautiful weather- dead koi

[mrsclem]

Have the kitchen timer set for pond refill and went to check progress from the deck. Water level is DOWN!!! One more trip down there to close bottom drain on 55 gal. filter! More dechlor added and hopefully will not have to make any more trips up and down the hill. Feeling like the Road Runner dropped and Acme safe on me! BTW- Don't ever stand on a select comfort mattress to adjust a ceiling fan!

 

[mrsclem]

Morning update-
ammonia- 0
nitrites- 0
still getting a low oxygen reading but the test kit may be too old. Should I try to get a new kit or just continue with airstones?
Posted question on another thread about testing but no response so guessing most people if any test.

 

[dieselplower]

If youve been doing lots of water changes I'd say the oxygen level is probably fine and the test may be wrong

 

[fishin4cars]

PH seems to be holding steady but I'm curious what the KH reading is. with all the water changes hopefully it is above 80ppm. I would also try adding air stone just prior to filtration to get the oxygen level as high as possible for the bacteria themselves. Sorry to hear about the loss.

 

[DrCase]

You could of had a spawn , and it shot the ammonia up
sorry about your loss

 

[mrsclem]

I think we may have had a spawn with several of the smaller koi but never found any eggs in the spawning mats. The other females no longer seem as fat. I guess a combination of the weather and spawning could be the cause. I test the water every couple of weeks unless something changes. Checked ammonia after the last suspected spawn and it was zero. Guess I will go back to testing every week. Also- hubby has been nice enough to go and feed the fish every evening. He didn't realize that they had been given the food for the day. I appreciate the help but in this case it's not good.

 

[mrsclem]

Update- Tested again last night and still 0.25 nitrite. Got my nitrate and GH&KH test kits. Nitrates are at 60 in the problem pond and 40 in the other. Both ponds have had 2 water changes and filter cleaning once.
I moved my pumps up off the bottom of the ponds in fear of having them drain if something went wrong. Now I'm thinking of putting them back to help clear the bottom of the ponds. I have scooped out most of the debris but there is still a layer the net won't get.
GH & KH are between 50-100 for both ponds and house water tests at 70 so will keep adding crushed oyster shells. It seems like there are several ponders having the same problem this year with O2 levels.