koiguy1969
GIGGETY-GIGGETY!!
IDK but i do know my water is always stable...and i guess i may have just not noticed that more than i said disappeared....i replaced it and the stocking feet still felt pretty full as i remember it.
(too?) cheap Koi
- Thread starter vertigo72
- Start date
IM sure there is no harm in it, since I bought a 25Kg bag and thats probably going to last me 10 lifetimes, I might as well use it. Already did in fact, just dont think it will do wonders 
Still wondering if I shouldnt use it as substrate. From what I read, it doesnt look likely you can "overdose" it, it just wont dissolve but wont do anything harmful either. Ill probably mix some between the substrate of my plant baskets.
Still wondering if I shouldnt use it as substrate. From what I read, it doesnt look likely you can "overdose" it, it just wont dissolve but wont do anything harmful either. Ill probably mix some between the substrate of my plant baskets.
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All I know is my ph was changing all of the time, used baking soda to bring it up,(well has a ph of 5ish) but once I added the oyster shells, one large net bag from bulbs, every time I test the water the ph is still the same. Sitting in the 7 range.
I just lost my first baby koi. One minute he was swimming around fine, next thing I know, he was floating on his back and not moving. Dead. Like he had heart attack? Cant see anything wrong with him.
Some of the others are also still struggling it seems. isolating themselves from the rest in the "small pond", "sleeping" a lot, and often floating around with little or no control, just going with the flow, literally, often sideways or angled up strangely. Wouldnt be be surprised if I lost a few more. Fortunately some of the best looking one's seem to do better, swimming around in the big pond with the big fish and looking completely healthy.
Some of the others are also still struggling it seems. isolating themselves from the rest in the "small pond", "sleeping" a lot, and often floating around with little or no control, just going with the flow, literally, often sideways or angled up strangely. Wouldnt be be surprised if I lost a few more. Fortunately some of the best looking one's seem to do better, swimming around in the big pond with the big fish and looking completely healthy.
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
Vertigo, Check you PH, That's exactly what I saw when the PH crashed in a pond I had years ago. One day the PH was fine the next I walked out and found 6 out of 11 fish bellied up. By the time I figured out what had happened I was only able to keep two alive. Seriously the Ph went from like 7.2-7.3 down to below 5 in that short of time period! That's why I do water changes and buffer the water now.
Ph is fine. 7.5, I just measured it. A Ph crash doesnt seem likely in my pond, its quite big and I have a KH of 9 IIRC ( ~170 ppm). Ammonia and nitrites are also zero, as far as I can measure
fishin4cars
True friends just call me Larkin
PH crash you need to read up on. This has plagued even the Japanes farmers and Dealers all across the world. Right now you should be fine but it doesn't give any fair warning, everything will look fine and the fish show very little signs of stress or anything so it's hard to identify that is the cause. One way to help prevent it is also high saturation of oxygen and like you said keeping the KH up and measurable. If the KH gets to low to read then it can happen at any given time.
I'll keep thinking for other suggestions that was the first thing that I thought of.
I'll keep thinking for other suggestions that was the first thing that I thought of.
Ive read about Ph crashes, and I dont mean to dismiss the risk, its just that I have a (very) large pond (50K liter) with a very low number of fishes (25 or so, most small) and much higher GH and KH than koi breeders want (high KH and GH seems to limit growth and reduce color). I also dont rely as much on biofiltration like those professionals, as I have lots of plants. Its also a concrete pond. PH crashes are real and dangerous, but of all things that can or will go wrong, its not whats gonna happen in my pond . Appreciate the thought though
. Appreciate the thought though
onemean said:
Not quite. If you read this thread:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/diagnosing-dead-fish-and-other-qs-t7973.html
You may find I almost scored an own goal.
Word if warning, if you ever buy young koi that where grown in natural pond, put them in quarantine and 0.5% salt for several weeks before putting them your main pond. That will prevent an outbreak of the virus causing koi sleepy decease. More info here:
http://www.int-res.com/articles/dao2005/65/d065p197.pdf