Implanting a cycling system into a new pond...Possible?

[LIKOI]

Hi all, thanks for this helpful forum. I searched around and couldn't find an answer so decided to post.

I just constructed a secondary small koi pond, about 200 gallons. My primary pond is 1500 gallons and is in good cycling health (knock on wood, no ammonia, no nitrite). I will be receiving about 25 3" koi which I need to put into the new 200 gallon pond until they grow when then I will transfer to the larger pond.

Aside from slowly introducing a few fish to the new pond (which I know is the proper way of going about it) I am wondering what are my options in getting the new pond being able to sustain 25 small koi without getting the ammonia and nitrites off the charts? The idea I came up with is to fill the new pond using the water in the larger pond and using the larger ponds filter in the smaller pond and putting the new filter in the larger pond.

Do you guys think this will work? Effectively this would be like implanting a cycling system into a new pond.

Thanks!

 

[Sunshine]

Since the water is already cycled, I wouldn't think there would be a problem. I did the same thing with my saltwater tank, took the water from a water change of the old tank and used it to fill the new tank. It never did have a cycle and I didn't lose any fish. Worked perfectly.

 

[LIKOI]

Glad to hear it's doable. So do I need to use the old filter too which contains most of the bacteria or would there be enough in just the water to quickly create a healthy system?

 

[Sunshine]

Can you just take media from the old filter and put it in the new one?

 

[LIKOI]

I can, I guess that's what I will do.

On that topic, I have another question. Does the bacteria in the media die after a certain while after not being used? For example, say I have a filter which was used in a pond which I disconnected and put to the side about a year ago, would hooking up that filter be like starting from scratch or is there still life in it?

Thanks,

 

[Sunshine]

Yea, if it wasn't in pond water, the life is gone. So it would be like starting again. But, you could put that in the 1500. The pond itself should have enough bacteria to get it going. How long has the 1500 been set up?

 

[LIKOI]

The 1500 has been going for 3 months now. It was brutal getting it to cycle. The first 6-8 weeks the ammonia and nitrites were sky high but it was as if over night the levels came down to zero.

 

[Sunshine]

3 months isn't very long to be established. Someone with more knowledge on how long it takes to establish bacteria hopefully will chime in. 25 koi plus whatever you have in the 1500 is a lot. They will out grow the 1500 quickly.

 

[LIKOI]

Perfect excuse for expansion..... When the time comes. Interested to see what others think as well.

 

[addy1]

The 25 koi will cause water issues in your 200 gallon, while you are waiting to put them in your 1500 gallon, where they will outgrow that pond. They grow large and fast. Some keep a lot of koi in a pond that size, but have excellent filtration and water movement.

Using the old filter will help. Just using the old pond water in a new filter would not be enough imho

 

[LIKOI]

Thanks, helpful input. I will go ahead and use the water and old filter [cross fingers].

 

[CliffandJoann]

Twenty five koi is too much for your size pond. What kind of filteration do you have?
You need excellent filteration for koi.

 

[LIKOI]

Hey fellow long islander. Its pressurized filtration. So far all water readings are good to thanks

 

[sissy]

I have 2 filters and one large oxygen pump koi need plenty of oxygen and plants give out oxygen during the day but suck it up at night .I have 13 fish plus still not sure about the babes this year .I found one dead in my filter and I think he was a fancy tail or butterfly not sure ,he was about an each long

 

[j.w]

Poor baby :sad: