Koi In Distress
- Thread starter Jules H-T
- Start date
Tokis-Phoenix
^_^
Whats the "8 balls 8 pipes" thing and how are they getting their oxygen supply exactly? If he added a filter to the pond (which he should have got right from the start), then the pond will have just started to cycle. Give him this article to read on how cycling works;
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099
If the pond is only 850gals and has large koi in it, it is probably overstocked- usually 1200gallons is the recommended minimum, although the measurements of the pond are more important, it should be at least 12ft long by 6ft wide and 4ft deep, as koi are big fish which can grow up to 3ft long, they need a pond at least 4times as long as their maximum length and twice as wide their length to allow adequate swimming space, and at least 4ft deep to ensure good growth and easy and uninterupted hibernation during the winter.
When he says the pond is murky, what colour is the water (green, brown, milky colour etc)?
Because the pond is most likley cycling which is why the koi are becomming stressed (or more stressed than what they already were, if the pond is overstocked), my advice is;
a. Buy an accurate test kit for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and test water ASAP and post exact results here.
b. Do a water change on the pond- remove about 200gallons of water and replace it with fresh water which has been treated with dechlorinator.
c. Test water again after water change.
d. Test water daily and do a 100gallon water change if any nitrites or ammonia above 0 or nitrates over 40 is detected.
e. Avoid feeding the fish until water quality has been tested. If the pond is suffering from water quality problems, then feeding the fish will only make them poop more and make the water quality problems worse- koi can very easily go for weeks without food, so he should not worry about them going hungry.
How many koi and other fish does he have in the pond and their sizes roughly? What are the exact dimensions/measurements of the pond? If he has too many fish in it which are overstocking it, then that will make the water quality conditions even worse and more unstable and thus put the whole health of the fish at risk, and so fish must be rehomed to help alleviate the problem.
Ammonia has a similar effect on koi as what carbon monoxide has on us, if he has ammonia problems in the pond then these must be sorted out so the fish can breath easier etc. Only by testing the water quality can he know exactly what is going on with it.
Koi are as tough as old boots when it comes to water quality, but this also means that they can tolerate bad water quality conditions for a long time before the owner notices anything wrong with the fish, which can come as a shock.
Also ask him whether the fish is showing any odd physical symptoms, like lumps/bumps/growths/stringy things on the fish body, tattered looking fins, sore/inflamed looking anus, cotton like or white slimey looking stuff on fish, bloody streaks appearing or bruising under the skin etc etc...?
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099If the pond is only 850gals and has large koi in it, it is probably overstocked- usually 1200gallons is the recommended minimum, although the measurements of the pond are more important, it should be at least 12ft long by 6ft wide and 4ft deep, as koi are big fish which can grow up to 3ft long, they need a pond at least 4times as long as their maximum length and twice as wide their length to allow adequate swimming space, and at least 4ft deep to ensure good growth and easy and uninterupted hibernation during the winter.
When he says the pond is murky, what colour is the water (green, brown, milky colour etc)?
Because the pond is most likley cycling which is why the koi are becomming stressed (or more stressed than what they already were, if the pond is overstocked), my advice is;
a. Buy an accurate test kit for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and ph and test water ASAP and post exact results here.
b. Do a water change on the pond- remove about 200gallons of water and replace it with fresh water which has been treated with dechlorinator.
c. Test water again after water change.
d. Test water daily and do a 100gallon water change if any nitrites or ammonia above 0 or nitrates over 40 is detected.
e. Avoid feeding the fish until water quality has been tested. If the pond is suffering from water quality problems, then feeding the fish will only make them poop more and make the water quality problems worse- koi can very easily go for weeks without food, so he should not worry about them going hungry.
How many koi and other fish does he have in the pond and their sizes roughly? What are the exact dimensions/measurements of the pond? If he has too many fish in it which are overstocking it, then that will make the water quality conditions even worse and more unstable and thus put the whole health of the fish at risk, and so fish must be rehomed to help alleviate the problem.
Ammonia has a similar effect on koi as what carbon monoxide has on us, if he has ammonia problems in the pond then these must be sorted out so the fish can breath easier etc. Only by testing the water quality can he know exactly what is going on with it.
Koi are as tough as old boots when it comes to water quality, but this also means that they can tolerate bad water quality conditions for a long time before the owner notices anything wrong with the fish, which can come as a shock.
Also ask him whether the fish is showing any odd physical symptoms, like lumps/bumps/growths/stringy things on the fish body, tattered looking fins, sore/inflamed looking anus, cotton like or white slimey looking stuff on fish, bloody streaks appearing or bruising under the skin etc etc...?
Tokis-Phoenix
^_^
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