Water Changes

[barryian]

We've never lost a fish - koi or goldfish - to parasites or disease. Lost a couple to a skunk, but that's another story!

Well that's a impressive record but, seriously, ... did you ever confer with the skunk as to wether he did that because you hadn't done water changes? Hope you got laugh!!!

 

[barryian]

Maybe they are exhibiting a stress reaction. They have been irritated.

Hard to say! They are eating a quite happy immediately following, at least they seem to exhibit all positive ...

 

[barryian]

Do the bad guys build up in your filter? That is what a 'bog' basically is with the added feature of plants growing in it. The bad guys are still controlled by the 'good guys' who eat them. It is all part of the balance of Nature.

@Meyer Jordan ... and what about in systems like my own, do they build up exponentially if I do no water changes? What good guys are destroying the bad guys? I'm not referencing bb such nitrobacter or nitrosomonas eating up the ammonia and nitrites but pathogens ( not viral ) such as bacteria. They are there, correct? Even doing pp, they still aren't all eradicated, right! Aren't things such as costia & ich always present in the water? or not? Just good healthy slime coats keep them at bay.

Each spring I do a Prazi treatment even though I never ran into a fluke but I did run into one single anchor worm. Eugenol-ed the fellow, pulled the anchor worm and all was well. Followed up with Dimlin 25. That was back around 3 years ago when I rebuilt the pond and it had to reestablish.Never had an incident since. Not sure how things get into the pond but I guess it's as easy as a bird flying over or a leaf dropping in.

Does anyone run into these creatures. I would think a bog is more susceptible, no?
Sorry for all the questions but this fascinates me and though I've been ponding for so long, we always keep learning. Thanks for all the info to all ....

 

[MitchM]

... Just good healthy slime coats keep them at bay....

Keep in mind that whenever you make sudden chemical changes to the water (water changes and adding other chemicals), the slime coat has to readjust to the new chemical parameters...
Those changes can create a compromised slime coat.

.

 

[Lisak1]

Well that's a impressive record but, seriously, ... did you ever confer with the skunk as to wether he did that because you hadn't done water changes? Hope you got laugh!!!

Ha! I did ask him "why'd you have to eat my favorite fish?" He said "your clean water was so appealing - I couldn't help myself!"

I should have added bad water chemistry to the list of things we've never lost a fish to. Our pond is extremely low maintenance - which is good, since I'm more of a gardener at heart than a pond keeper. I love to putter around the pond, but would not enjoy cleaning and back washing and all that goes into some filtration systems.

 

[barryian]

Ha! I did ask him "why'd you have to eat my favorite fish?" He said "your clean water was so appealing - I couldn't help myself!"

I should have added bad water chemistry to the list of things we've never lost a fish to. Our pond is extremely low maintenance - which is good, since I'm more of a gardener at heart than a pond keeper. I love to putter around the pond, but would not enjoy cleaning and back washing and all that goes into some filtration systems.

Lol ... Cute! Never ever lost a fish in how many years? Nice! Backwashing is nothing as it's the turn of a handle, an air blower separates the media and the complete process is about 3 minutes. Then just topping it. If it became work instead of a passion, I'd can it but so far, it's been 2 decades plus.

Where is everyone getting the emoticons from up here?

 

[DrCase]

ing?


Nice looking natural pond there. .... and as I, with all that 2" piping and filter, backwashing is a must. Do you remove more than just what you lose in back washing? Would you agree, it helps in keeping the koi attacking little creatures at bay? As far as Lisa and Addy, I thought it was a bog so not much maintenance. @DrCase What size is that setup of yours in gallons?

Not sure where that ing? is from ...lol

Lol .... I was wondering what the ing was

I have 4 ponds , my two oldest ponds are 4500 gal combined with just skimmers
Then the other 2 are 2700 gals combined with skimmers and bottom drains

I keep my ponds clean , the ones with the bottom drains are all most self cleaning
The other 2 take a net and a vac to match but it's not a lot of trouble

I send all my waste water to my plants ,every time I flush the filters

I look at it like this ... If I was in a pool with a floater I wouldn't like it. So I filter it out and get rid of it. And put fresh water in.

 

[Lisak1]

Yeah but fish are designed to swim in the same water they poop in - and eat in, and make babies in, and breathe in. Totally different. People always use the toilet analogy - it just doesn't work.

 

[barryian]

Lol .... I was wondering what the ing was

I have 4 ponds , my two oldest ponds are 4500 gal combined with just skimmers
Then the other 2 are 2700 gals combined with skimmers and bottom drains

I keep my ponds clean , the ones with the bottom drains are all most self cleaning
The other 2 take a net and a vac to match but it's not a lot of trouble

I send all my waste water to my plants ,every time I flush the filters

I look at it like this ... If I was in a pool with a floater I wouldn't like it. So I filter it out and get rid of it. And put fresh water in.

Yikes, 4 ponds! Full time job? Do you work?
Total agree! I only have one pond 2000 gal and it stays perfectly clean with the bottom drain. Skimmer pulls in at about 2000 gal/hr and the bio has a 1/4 hp Wunderflow energy efficient. Both return to the falls. With the 2 UV's ( overkill ) and the pre-filter, I'd feel safe if my grandkids accidentally drank out of it. I could probably be assured, the flow rate through the 2 isolated UV's would kill off giardia. Like you, I like a clean pond, koi seem to agree .... I also pipe into the garden but being higher than a neighbor, it's been more in his than mine so this week, I'm picking up 80' of 2" pvc and run it out past everything. Simple hidden straight run. Since I sold my business 2 years ago, I can't stop. I was cutting a jandy valve in under the blower in Feb when it was 30F ... ....

 

[DrCase]

Yeah but fish are designed to swim in the same water they poop in - and eat in, and make babies in, and breathe in. Totally different. People always use the toilet analogy - it just doesn't work.

There is no right or wrong , im sure your fish are happy Lisa , just like mine are

 

[barryian]

Yeah but fish are designed to swim in the same water they poop in - and eat in, and make babies in, and breathe in. Totally different. People always use the toilet analogy - it just doesn't work.

Interestingly, I've never seen a bog pond on the Island here, only bio-filter systems with Pre-filters and bottom drains, etc. As the dr said, both scenarios seem perfectly fine. Regardless how it works, if it works, fish are happy, swimming, not dying every so often, there is no right or wrong, right? Possibly in my area, it's heavily populated and unless one has a large property, bogs are difficult! You have the space. Enjoy!!!

 

[Lisak1]

@barryian We live on a standard 1/4 acre suburban lot. For years we had nothing but a backyard with grass to mow - too much of it for my taste! Once our kids were grown and out of the house we had time for more gardening, which is my real enjoyment. Now our backyard is half patio / half pond. I believe any pond can be designed with a bog in mind and we've even seen a few retro-fitted bogs. One pond that we toured the guy had built a bog that looked like a stream bed leading to his pond. You would have never known it was a bog if he hadn't pointed it out.

There are definitely many ways of doing things and most will work. Bogs as manmade pond filtration are relatively new on the scene so there is still a lot of misinformation about how effective they can be or how much maintenance they require. It seems the days are almost over when the mention of a bog would bring on the doom and gloomers - I used to routinely hear "oh sure, your fish are fine NOW! Just you WAIT!" I'm still waiting... and enjoying my bog!

@Meyer Jordan - remind me... what did we decide bogs should really be called? I have "wetland filter" stuck in my head, but I feel like it was a three word description. Maybe "manmade wetland filter"?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

what did we decide bogs should really be called? I have "wetland filter"

Constructed wetlands filter.

 

[Lisak1]

THAT'S IT! CWF. Thanks!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Saw this given as advice on Facebook. Any comments?

"Smaller but often water changes are best (25%), every 2 or 3 days pulling water from the bottom of the pond. This is where the "Heavy" Water is, heavy in bad bacterial."