New Koi Owner-Please Help

[Fishylove]

[sub]getsisfam Welcome :wave: , I believe WB has summed things up. To repeat what was said above: There are alot of different opinions about salt use. I use salt, but at it's minimum ( if you do the research on that level, i find I get it better than someone telling me a number), and there are a lot that don't, but you certainly DO NOT NEED as much as the previous owner was putting in there. And unless you know Exactly how much water your pond holds, Exactly how much salt is in there to start with, Exactly how much water you are taking out of the pond to replace what salt you've taken out , and keep it written down somewhere so that you dont forget, possibly, how much you've put in previously ( do you see where Im going with this? :banghead3: ) you can buy a salinity meter, but is it worth it? You're fish will be fine without it untill you learn more about it. [/sub]
[sub]Waterbug is very wise, in my experience, in advising you to do nothing for now. Just take a deep breath, sit back and observe. Take your water measurement daily ( maybe twice a day morning and night for a bit), so that you know what your environment does to your pond , and in time you will see a trend (as far as the rain, storms, hot baking sun etc. goes). DO AS MUCH READING AND RESEARCH YOU CAN on HOW AND WHY YOUR WATER WORKS THE WAY IT DOES AND WHAT EFFECTS IT, inturn this will help you UNDERSTAND WHY your fish are acting the way they do. In my experience, doing things in a hurry can and will be stressful and detrimental to your fishy friends. Ponding can be a very rewarding experience if you have the right Skills. An UNstressed Fish is a Happy Fish :cheerful: ![/sub]

 

[jhenkel]

Shalom - Thanks, Sissy, forgot about it being the peroxide - happens when you enter the 14th Lunstrum. I had and still do have some left over from last year so I'll use it up, what else do you do with it -LOL.

 

[Waterbug]

Shalom - Don't believe I ever said plaster of paris was "great stuff"

I also didn't say you said plaster of paris was "great stuff" so we're in agreement. You only said you use it...some people might mistake that as an endorsement which is why I'm advocating people do some research. Lots of web sites do say it's great stuff, which is what I said.

 

[jhenkel]

I also didn't say you said plaster of paris was "great stuff" so we're in agreement. You only said you use it...some people might mistake that as an endorsement which is why I'm advocating people do some research. Lots of web sites do say it's great stuff, which is what I said.

I also didn't say you said plaster of paris was "great stuff" so we're in agreement. You only said you use it...some people might mistake that as an endorsement which is why I'm advocating people do some research. Lots of web sites do say it's great stuff, which is what I said.

10-4 - my apology for the missreading

 

[Waterbug]

gosh why do those places have to just screw things up more just to sell you every thing in the world that will kill your fish ,so sad .I have watched ponders come on here all gung ho and then they spend tons of money doing a pond and the fish die and they give up and we never see them on here again .

IMO it's more the customers driving the myths. The sellers have two choices, go along with what customers demand or go out of business.

For example...

I used to use barley extract until I learned on here all it really is is peroxide so 88 cents verses what ever .I used to listen to the hype but could not afford the hype so found just over filtering works best and in 8 years only lost one fish that jumped out as i did not know shubbies would do that .Live and learn .

Dr Newman who kicked off the barley myth with a study that was later disproved by several Universities published a letter 6 years later to defend his study. In that letter he proposes several theories about how barley could kill algae. One was the production of peroxide. Since then several sellers have used that letter to explain "why barley works". The letter was just a theory and a pretty poor one. Here's my web page with the details for those who care to research further.

If this new myth gains traction in forums you will probably see sellers forced to sell "algae controlling peroxide" in the future as customers demand it. It's like politicians, we believe the easy to understand lies, elect them, and then blame them for the mess. Maybe it's us?

 

[sissy]

It cleans the algae on rocks and cleans my filter media and my lava rock .I clean all my plants with it diluted before they go in my pond ,I don't want tag alongs or something nasty .

 

[Waterbug]

It cleans the algae on rocks and cleans my filter media and my lava rock .I clean all my plants with it diluted before they go in my pond ,I don't want tag alongs or something nasty .

Hydrogen peroxide in high enough doses is indeed a powerful oxidizer. Lot's of info on that.