With ammonia at .5 I would change at least half the water.
My fish are acting skittish and won't eat after I cleaned the pond.
- Thread starter EAC
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fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
No, stay with 1/4 water changes, Now you may try doing smaller water changes twice a day until you start getting lower readings. The whole idea is to make changes gradually. A large water change,(Like cleaning out the pond) disrupted the whole bacteria process. Large water changes in a established pond can be done IF the bacteria are not wiped out. right now you have virtually no bacteria to help break the ammonia down so your having to do what the bacteria would be doing normally. I would recommend at least doing some type of filtration. It could be as simple as a large pre-filter sponge before the pump, to a do it your self filter in the water fall, add on filtration is always a option. As was suggested rocks and gravel in the water fall may help, the more area the bacteria can grow on where water is moving over it the better. This would actually be a most basic type filtration and by far not the best for your fishy friends but it is something filtering and far better than nothing at all.
Well, I had to leave out of town and will return Friday night, so I won't be able to change out any water until saturday morning. I hope my fish live until then. They were just hanging out on the bottom this morning.
Should I buy a few more lettuce plants this weekend? Will that help as well?
The pump I have is the PondMaster Pond-Mag Pump 950 GPH. It has a cage on the end. How would I attach a filter to that?
Should I buy a few more lettuce plants this weekend? Will that help as well?
The pump I have is the PondMaster Pond-Mag Pump 950 GPH. It has a cage on the end. How would I attach a filter to that?
Attachments
Ok so when pond owner returns friday and gets around to changing the water Saturday and the ammonia is more like 1 ppm would u still only remover 1/4?
studiovette
GS PETE
You should be fine. Plenty of good advice on here already. What kinda fish are they? Not sure if you mentioned that already. Also next time never drain the entire pond out. You alwyas want to leave some of the water which has the bene bacteria in it which will make restarting the pond up so much easier. I can understand wanting to clean the rocks and sludge off etc. I did that this past spring cause my pond was a swamp due to prior owner not caring enough to close it down properly.. Good luck
I have three Koi and a little Shubunkin.
I bought this house a few months ago, so I wanted to spruce the pond up a little. Little did I know that I was doing more harm than good.
When I drain and refill 25% this weekend, I still need to add a little dechlorinator right?
I bought this house a few months ago, so I wanted to spruce the pond up a little. Little did I know that I was doing more harm than good.
When I drain and refill 25% this weekend, I still need to add a little dechlorinator right?
studiovette said:
Yes
studiovette
GS PETE
Yes 25% is a large change, you deff want to add dechlor and I would keep adding the recommended doses of beneficial bacteria since most or all of yours is gone. That will speed up the acclimation period.
Forgive my ignorance, but how add beneficial bacteria? Is that something I can buy?
studiovette said:
GreatDanesDad
Electro-Mechanical Engineer
Beneficial Bacteria is easy to find. Most all home depots, walmarts, and petsmarts have BB in the pond/fish area. You can also buy it online at amazon or any of the many fish stores. There is dry (powder), Dry (Tablets), and liquid. I prefer the liquid, but it is a preferance.
Thanks, should I also buy a few more plants? I've read a few places that recommend that for getting the ammonia down.
studiovette
GS PETE
Yes they deff help but you also don't want to overplant as they can reduce the oxygen levels in the warmer overnight hours and could harm your fish. My pond is about 50-50 plants to water right now mostly cause It gets a lot of sun during peak hours and my fish seem to love staying under the lilies and water hyacinth during that time.
EAC said:
slakker
AKA Mike
If you're going to add plants, maybe try some hornwort... I read that they are good at taking ammonia/ammonium out of the water directly without it needed to be converted to nitrate/nitrite first. Other plants may do this as well and it's not a "cure all" plant, but I quite like it.
For me, I've also done water changes via dilution... Ie; I don't take water out then add back in, I slow trickle water into the system and let it flow out of overflow.
A variation of this idea from Dr. Johnson.
http://www.drjohnson.com/a_article_pond_koi_goldfish_constant_waterchanges.html
For me, I've also done water changes via dilution... Ie; I don't take water out then add back in, I slow trickle water into the system and let it flow out of overflow.
A variation of this idea from Dr. Johnson.
http://www.drjohnson.com/a_article_pond_koi_goldfish_constant_waterchanges.html
JohnHuff
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For pre-filters, I recommend this:
ttp://www.petco.com/product/114937/TetraPond-Water-Garden-Pond-Pump-Cylinder-Pre-Filter.aspx?CoreCat=Related_Products
You can buy 1 or 2 (they can be added to each other) and they are really good at mechanical filtration. Just take your cage off and put it on instead.
You don't need to buy beneficial bacteria, they just occur in nature. Here are a couple of articles you can read:
ttp://www.fishchannel.com/setups/ponds/pondkeepers-guide-to-filtration-2.aspx
http://aquaristmagazine.com/nitrate-in-the-aquarium-why-its-bad-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it/
Unless the store you buy it at is a specialized place and ships it with cold, it isn't really bacteria. Hopefully WaterBug can come here and explain it. That stuff they sell dry or in a powder isn't bacteria, it's substrate.
Plants really are a long term thing and won't bring down your ammonia in the short term. The lower the plant (in the evolutionary scale) the better it will be a removing ammonia. Higher plants won't help much. That's why I suggested duckweed or even algae.
ttp://www.petco.com/product/114937/TetraPond-Water-Garden-Pond-Pump-Cylinder-Pre-Filter.aspx?CoreCat=Related_Products
You can buy 1 or 2 (they can be added to each other) and they are really good at mechanical filtration. Just take your cage off and put it on instead.
You don't need to buy beneficial bacteria, they just occur in nature. Here are a couple of articles you can read:
ttp://www.fishchannel.com/setups/ponds/pondkeepers-guide-to-filtration-2.aspx
http://aquaristmagazine.com/nitrate-in-the-aquarium-why-its-bad-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it/
Unless the store you buy it at is a specialized place and ships it with cold, it isn't really bacteria. Hopefully WaterBug can come here and explain it. That stuff they sell dry or in a powder isn't bacteria, it's substrate.
Plants really are a long term thing and won't bring down your ammonia in the short term. The lower the plant (in the evolutionary scale) the better it will be a removing ammonia. Higher plants won't help much. That's why I suggested duckweed or even algae.
EAC said: