I inherited a koi pond with a home purchase about 10 weeks ago. The pond was leaking in two places and despite many attempts, we were unable to find the second source. We had to fix it because it was getting below the skimmer level of the filter and we were worried it could get to shallow during winter for the fish to survive. A local pond "expert"/builder who was recommended to us just helped us reline the pond for several reasons (said it was the way it was built that was the problem). The leak has stopped, but despite my many concerns about maintaining/restarting the biofiltration especially during fall as temps are falling, I was told not to worry and not to take any special measures including reusing the old pond water, replacing some underlayment with plants growing on it that they had on the pond bottom, or getting any bacteria, etc.. I had my worries but felt I should trust him. So now I have three roughly 18-20 inch, 5 year old koi that I have become completely attached to and they are sitting in a new pond syndrome pond with no active bio filtration and the ammonia is spiking. Before this, it was always zero. Now I've got 1 ppm. All other info is below. I have done a 10% water change and added a half cup of Pond Prime (chloramine and ammonia etc. binder) to the ~900 gallon pond. Bubblers are at highest level for aeration. I put in 250ml of Seachem Stability with bacteria yesterday (meant for Aquariums but all I could get locally right away). I have another bottle I could add today if that is advised. Seachem Gel Filter Inoculant is coming tomorrow by mail along with Microbe Lift Fall Pond Prep, which also has bacteria supposedly. I've stopped feeding and was only feeding very sparingly before. My source water tests at .5ppm for ammonia so water changes will have less than the usual effect. I've got one lily in the pond but no other plants. All three fish are traumatized by the move and change and one is acting funny. All are a little sluggish but one is moving less than the others and just hanging in the water a good bit. It's usually my most active fish. She is hugging her middle/back fins to her side so that they are generally not visible most of the time. The pond person used a koi net to move them (not a sock or bag) and was very careful, but this one fish really thrashed and resisted a lot so I don't know if she was injured. I'm new to this so I don't know how much of a change in their behavior can be attributed to the water cooling each day a little more as fall sets in (nighttime temps have been in the 40s to low 50s), and how much is ammonia poisoning. Any help on anything I can possibly do would be much appreciated. I can't bear the thought of these fish not making it.
Water quality
* Ammonia Level (pond): 1 ppm
* Nitrite Level (pond): 0
* Ammonia Level (tap water): .5ppm
* Nitrite Level (tap water): will add later
* Ph Level, pond (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine):7.6
* Ph Level, tap water (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine): 7.4
* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? API drops
Other useful information:
* Water temperature?: 62
* Pond size and how long has it been running? 900 gallons, ~5x11x 2 to 4 deep. Three days since relining a 5-year-old pond
* What is the name and size of the filter(s)? : Savio 1450 gph
* How often do you change the water and how much? Weekly 10% changes. Did one yesterday, but have held off today so far because I'm afraid it will slow biofilter establishment and because source water has ammonia.
* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?: 1 day, 90 gallons
* How many fish in the pond and their type? 3 koi: 2 sanke females and one ogan male, all 5 years old and previously very healthy
* What kind of water additives or conditioners have you used? Pond Prime, Stability, Prime
* What do you feed your fish and how often? Dr. Fosters Spring and Fall food. Usually two level tbs. per day right now and tapering. But prior to reline no food for 3 days and then after one tbs. on Tues. and Wed. No food since Wed.
* Any new fish added to the pond recently? No
* Any medications added to the pond? No
* List entire medication/treatment history for fish and pond None that I know of. Inherited pond 8 weeks ago.
* Any unusual findings on the fish? No
* Any unusual behaviour like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.? Only the male ogon ate normally on Tues. & Wed. My sickest seeming fish (usually the most athletic and aggressive eater) ate almost nothing. The other female sanke also ate less and more slowly and clumsily. All three are acting different as noted above, but the one sake is less active than the others and is crimping fins.
Water quality
* Ammonia Level (pond): 1 ppm
* Nitrite Level (pond): 0
* Ammonia Level (tap water): .5ppm
* Nitrite Level (tap water): will add later
* Ph Level, pond (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine):7.6
* Ph Level, tap water (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine): 7.4
* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? API drops
Other useful information:
* Water temperature?: 62
* Pond size and how long has it been running? 900 gallons, ~5x11x 2 to 4 deep. Three days since relining a 5-year-old pond
* What is the name and size of the filter(s)? : Savio 1450 gph
* How often do you change the water and how much? Weekly 10% changes. Did one yesterday, but have held off today so far because I'm afraid it will slow biofilter establishment and because source water has ammonia.
* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?: 1 day, 90 gallons
* How many fish in the pond and their type? 3 koi: 2 sanke females and one ogan male, all 5 years old and previously very healthy
* What kind of water additives or conditioners have you used? Pond Prime, Stability, Prime
* What do you feed your fish and how often? Dr. Fosters Spring and Fall food. Usually two level tbs. per day right now and tapering. But prior to reline no food for 3 days and then after one tbs. on Tues. and Wed. No food since Wed.
* Any new fish added to the pond recently? No
* Any medications added to the pond? No
* List entire medication/treatment history for fish and pond None that I know of. Inherited pond 8 weeks ago.
* Any unusual findings on the fish? No
* Any unusual behaviour like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.? Only the male ogon ate normally on Tues. & Wed. My sickest seeming fish (usually the most athletic and aggressive eater) ate almost nothing. The other female sanke also ate less and more slowly and clumsily. All three are acting different as noted above, but the one sake is less active than the others and is crimping fins.
