Sick Koi but good water parameters in outdoor Koi Pond??
Hello,
I’m currently babysitting my parents’ outdoor koi pond and will be doing so for about 2 weeks. It’s quite a large pond (10,000 gallons and spans half of our backyard). We have several large koi (length of adult forearm) and several smaller goldfish (length of adult palm) and based on the number of fish, the pond may be overstocked. The outdoor temperature in Vancouver has been quite variable this summer (16 – 32 degrees Celcius. Low-mid 20’s this week but the temperature was up to 30 degrees over the last 2 weeks). For some reason the pond is losing about 4 inches of water each day so we refill the pond with a bit of fresh water each day (like a 5% daily partial water change!). My parents have had this pond for about 5 years.
At first glace, the fish look relatively healthy (full scales/fins) but there are always a few fish in the pond that have finrot, sores on the body or strange growths. Some fish have had raised scales, pineconing and died not having released their eggs. The fish have been exposed to salt and antibiotics many times. Sometimes the treatment works, but on average about 1 fish dies each month and my parents replace them. At the moment, one very large fish currently has sores on one side, some raised scales and prefers to swim at the bottom of the pond and doesn’t seem interested in food. Another strange observation: when I fed the fish this morning, I noticed that 3 smaller fish appeared to be chewing/biting another small fish of similar size in a corner of the pond. When I threw food at them, all of them swam away. What does this mean??
Seeing that there are always ill fish, I assumed that there must be problems with the water quality. However, when I tested the water parameters of a sample of pond water today, they seemed ok:
Ammonia: 0-0.1
Nitrite: 0-0.1
Nitrate: 5-10
pH: 7.2-7.4
KH: 10
GH: 20
Phosphate: 1
I came across your site and thought that the garlic may help. My parents usually feed Hikari pellets twice a day, so over the last 2 days I have been feeding a mix of presoaked pellets and cooked peas but I think only the smaller fish were able to see the crumbled peas because the large koi swam right through the small bits.
I have attached some images of the pond. Please let me know if you have any ideas
Thanks!!
-M
Pond Update! It’s been a week since the pond lining was patched and there has been no leak so far! KH and GH are holding steady so I’m able to test parameters 1-2x/week. After a week of turning the filter back on, the water is much clearer. Pond chemistry has improved and it looks like the good bugs are returning. Ammonia = 0.1, Nitrite = 0.3, Nitrate = 20-50. KH= 120, GH= 260. I think I’m going to target KH to 140 and GH to 300. Why not aim for the best since the leak is fixed right? 😀 I’m thinking I should add calcium instead of magnesium since we’ve been doing all Epsom for GH. I should probably wait for an opportune time to buy limestone substrate??
The fish indeed seem to be slowly mending. Although, we’ve noticed that the tails of 2 of Toby’s fishes turned pink and a bit frayed. Is this bacterial? Stress from the lowered water table and no filter while looking for the leak before?
That’s good news. Things are going to get a lot easier now
It’s possible the lowered water table increased nitrates. If this were the case the fish would be on the bottom; not swimming around. They could be stressed by all the activity, but if this were the case the stress would be short lived. Lower temps are more than likely to blame. It’s only natural they slow down as the water temps lower due to cold weather
Keep an eye on ammonia and nitrites in case of a spike. Feed foods high in roughage when the temps are low if they’re interested in eating
Do you have a thermometer for the pond?
Hi Venus,
After 2 weeks of pond draining, we finally found and patched a hole in the pond lining. The pond has been slowly filled to the top again and the pond pumps are running as they were before. No water leakage has been sighted yet! Currently working on buffering KH back to 120 and GH to 300. I’ve noticed that he koi are a bit slower than they used to be. Is it due to adjustment? Or colder temperatures? It’s been colder recently but weather temperatures will vary from 13-23 over the next week
Yes, stopping the leaks helps all the way around. It’s not easy finding a leak. You may have to fill and then lower it a few times. Just so you know and don’t point an accusing finger at the pond guy. lol I’ve been there
Hi Venus,
It’s the temperature of the air. I’ll add garlic tonight and save mint for next time when it’s warmer. I think the pond not leaking will help the garlic!
In a pond this size, it takes several days for the water temps to drop when the weather changes. Is this the temperature of the water or the air? Goldfish and Koi both begin dormancy at 17.7 c or 64f. The lower the temps, the less oxygen they use, the less active they become, so of course treating them with remedies is pointless if the fish are in full dormancy; 54f and under
When it comes to treating parasites and bad bacteria or fungus, it’s best to treat in warm weather due to the fact the bugs are more active, and more vulnerable. I would say at this point bad bacteria are no longer a problem. Are they present? Sure. Every body of water has bad bacteria just waiting for a chance to thrive, but as long as the water quality is good, they won’t get that chance
Go ahead and use the remedy now. The temps are still warm enough for them to benefit. Garlic does much more than destroy bad bugs. It has a marvelous healing quality and boost the immune system, something your fish really need right now. Garlic is also good for the heart, prevents disease and kills cancer cells. Taken internally it’s a probiotic as well as an antibiotic
We’re still in the process of finding the pond leak but the water level seems to have stabilized. The whole pond has been running on 4 submerged water pumps (waterfall off). The outdoor temperature is quite a bit cooler ~13-15 Celsius in the evening when I’m home. Will the h2O2/garlic/mint treatment still work?
It’s hard to resist the urge to get new fish. In the world of aquarium fish keeping we call it, MTS; multiple tank syndrome. It happens when the main tank becomes overstocked, yet the fish keeper just can’t stop getting new fish. The same is true of pond keepers, only adding a second pond is a little more complicated
It’s always good to keep well below the stocking level to make room for small fry. If there are any good hiding places, there will be baby fish, which is more fun than getting a new fish really. If you’re able to add hyacinth next year, the root system makes a great nursery
How lucky will that be if the leak isn’t at the bottom? I can’t imagine catching up all those Koi and moving them to a temporary place; what a feat
It’s probably too soon to expect frayed fins to be completely repaired, but you should see improvement. By the time winter sets in, the fish should be in good condition
Yes, the higher nitrates are due to the lowered water table; higher concentrations of waste compared to the body of water. Continue feeding as you are so as not to disturb the friendly bug colonies. The higher levels of nitrates are going to encourage more algae to form, and then when the table is raised, and the nitrates are lowered, you’ll probably lose some algae due to the lower toxin levels, but this shouldn’t effect the cycle
When you find and fix the leak (that in itself is no easy task) and are ready to fill the pond, add a little every day so as to avoid a spike. Take a week or two to fill the pond. This too; if the leak isn’t fixed, there won’t be too much water loss to find it out
I should also add that the higher Nitrate concentration is likely also due to the reduced water level and lack of water topup to dilute… A bit bothersome…..
High nitrate levels may become an issue once the leak gets mended eh? We’ll no longer be exchanging fresh water for leaked Nitrate pond water… hmm
Haha I’m just pleased the fish are slowly improving. I wasn’t sure we could get this far but I’m glad we persisted.
The leakage appears to have slowed/paused but we’ll give it several more days to be sure. The water level actually isn’t that low at the moment, but we’ve never let the pond leak this much due to lack of oxygen/waterfall in the past.
The garlic has not arrived, but I’ll start it once it arrives and use mint after. It will probably be more effective with the lower water level?
I haven’t been able to examine the fish recently, so I’m not sure how their fins are. It’s dark by the time I get home so I just test the water parameters. KH is still 110, GH 220 (consistenr levels due to no water topping).
I haven’t followed up with Toby since I referred him to the blog, but I should probably see how he’s doing!
Nitrates are currently ~50ish with 0-minimal nitrites. Sometimes they get closer to 70 when we feed more. I read online that nitrates below 80 are still acceptable. Is that true? If so, I’m thinking maybe our current stocking levels are at equilibrium with nitrates and any additional push may cause them to get closer to/exceed 80. I’ve actually been telling my dad not to add any fish unless he trades some out/gives some away. He appears to agree….for now.
After thought; once the pond is lowered, you might be able to get an estimate on the number of fish you have. It would be good to get an idea of your stocking level. This could tell you if you can afford to get more fish or not
It’s always good to get a thumbs up from the pond guy. Thanks for the kudos, but be sure to give yourself a big pat on the back as well. The fact is, few will go to the lengths that you have gone, but these are the few that manage to turn things around, which is no easy task
Has the garlic arrived? Should treat 2200 gallons, so this should give the fish quite a boost
I assume the fish you got from Toby are holding their own as well. I didn’t hear back from him, but with your guidance, I’m sure he’ll do just fine
Pond draining in progress. Leak is slowing and 2 new pumps ordered as extras/add-ins if needed. The pond guy came to fix the skimmer today and stick a pump to the skimmer. He was impressed by how much better the koi looked! We sure have come a long way since the beginning and all thanks to you, Venus 😀
Maybe so. The goal is to have the entire surface agitated, except for maybe a 10’x10′ area where the water fall is. This way, you have a place to feed and or treat the fish
Hi Venus,
With the pond level lowering and waterfall off, I’m noticing several slower areas of the pond. Our pond is around 10,000gallons. 3x1800gph pump + 1x2400gph pump is only 7800gph. Shall we add 1 more 1800gph or 2400gph pump?
Excellent KH readings, as our pet shop testers read 20 ppm lower than what actually is. Yes, this is true. Good idea, waiting to add the additional pump, but keep in mind the water fall does little to oxygenate water. The action disturbs the surface a bit, which is good, but doesn’t eliminate Co2 from the water, however, aren’t they beautiful?
Hmm.. okay! I think the only way to find out would be to start draining and test KH and pH when the waterline is low enough that the waterfall does not work.
I’ll wait for the new pump to arrive first. I’ve been keeping KH pretty high in preparation for mint/garlic. It should be close to 130-140 today.
pH will be above 8!
pH levels will give you the answer. If KH is at 100 ppm, pH should be 7.8 to 8. ppm. If KH is at 120 ppm, pH should be over 8. In a pond this size, test three to four different sections. My guess is, you do have enough action, and the right kind for oxygenating water. The leak shouldn’t interfere with oxygen levels
If KH is healthy, but pH is low, this tells us the oxygen levels are low; meaning you need more action. pH levels of 8. and over are the goal. A reading of 8.6 ppm should be the maximum. The only way you can go over the max is to use too much soda or H202, and with a pond your size, this hard to do
LOL that’s a lot of crates in the pond!
We will soon have 3 x 1800gph pumps and 1 x 2400gph pump. Do you think just 4 pumps is enough to oxygenate the whole 10,000gallon pond as it is being drained by the leak? The major pump from the waterfall will be off as the waterfall shuts off when the water level is low
Thanks for reminding me; completely forgot about this issue. Yes, I have an idea, although I’ve never done it. Place each pump in an egg crate. I think they should fit. Tie a rope on each crate; tie at the bottom, so when you pull the crate over it won’t tip
To get the crate back in place, you’ll need a pole with a hook at the end. In my mind I see the poles the teachers used to open or close the awnings at the top of the windows. You should be able run the pole through the holes of both sides of the crate to support it, move it to it’s original spot, and lower it. Maybe you won’t need the hook at all, but I was thinking the crate might slide as you’re putting it in place
Genius isn’t it? LOL
Feeding less has made a huge difference to readings! Ammonia=0.1, Nitrite=0.3, Nitrate=20. Will start treating mint soon.
By the way, do you have any ideas about our issue with maneuvering the submerged pond pumps without breaking the power cords? Our only way to pull them out of the pond or place them back into the water is by tugging the pump’s power cord because of how deep the pond is and how heavy the pump is… One of the pumps has a half dead cord, a lot like a half dead phone charging cable. It’s kinda annoying…
It might take longer than you think to drain to the leaking point, but…..time will tell
The leak has gotten larger I think but Ive only been involved with this pond since I started blogging about it!
Venus,
If we lay down gravel substrate, will annual vacuuming be enough? Will be get lots of debris there? I need to double check with the pond guy if he has the tools to vacuum the pond floor!
2 new 1800gph pond pumps will arrive next week. One will be used for extra oxygen and one will be used by the pond guy to fix the filtration system for debris. (we will have 3 x 1800gph pumps and 1 x 2400 gph pump in addition to the waterfall but excluding the extra 1800gph pump for filtration).
I’m thinking we should start allowing to leak to run its course after the new pump is setup for filtration?
One thing I should mention is that due to how deep our pond is, we have great difficulty pulling up submersed pond pumps from the bottom of the pond. It’s already difficult getting the pump to sit upright so it can spray upwards when we dangle the pump into the pond, but having to fish it up to adjust or clean is quite challenging because the only way to place it in the pond or take it out is by pulling at the electric cable/wire. One of the pond pumps doesn’t work well and sometimes stops altogether when the cable is nudged. The cable has likely been damaged inside… any solutions to this??
You could do it now. There’s always a risk of spike with fish keeping. The key is to be prepared, and to keep a close watch on the toxins. There may be a little stress involved, but I think it would be better for the ecosystem to not be topping off so often and so much; it disturbs the balance
The city uses disinfectants periodically as needed. There may be times when the products are faint, and you don’t get a reading, but there may be also be times when it’s present. Adding tap water straight to the pond without treating is risky
Plus, how do you know the leak won’t get larger? Did it start off small, and seems to be getting worse?
It may actually help stabilize the cycle
Maybe it would be better to get all these things done before winter sets in. Muck out the pond, lay the gravel, or if you’ve laid the gravel than perhaps vacuum; see what’s lurks down under. lol
It will be a fun project, and give you a chance to look all of the fish over
Nope! Not sure when we should start allowing the water to leak out. Can we do that now that we are stabilizing the cycle and about to add mint?
*without topping with water
That’s a tough one. Hopefully, the leak isn’t too far down, and the fish can remain at home. The only way to find out is do the deed. Have you determined how many inches of water you’re losing a day? or within a week?
Hi Venus,
I didn’t do a water change, we’ve been topping off the pond with more water than usual. Although, dad did clean out the canister sponges yesterday.
He will continue to do so… I’m not sure if they’re being converted or not as it appears we do not have enough of the bacteria that converts nitrites to nitrate so we’re still seeing quite a bit of nitrites? Will keep monitoring the parameters.
We’re wondering when we should start letting the pond drain to assess where the leak is before winter. With the unstable cycle right now, I’ve been telling dad to put that off.
But how long should we wait for the cycle to stabilize before assessing the leak?
Also want to do the mint and garlic treatments… hmm…
If you’re seeing red streaks in the tail fin, it’s due to previous readings. It takes several weeks for these symptoms to appear. It seems that nitrites were much higher which may have created the issue
Nitrites and nitrates are closely related, causing similar issues. There’s nothing more dangerous than high nitrates combined with a nitrite spike. These toxins rob the blood of oxygen. With nitrates, the fish will stop eating and sit on the bottom. In the final stages, they curl to one side. With nitrites, you’ll see blood vessels in the tail fins, and spider veins on the body if nitrites continue to rise
Most fish will recover from nitrite poisoning if the water is rich in oxygen, and your is. I think what you’re seeing is the result of a previous poisoning when oxygen levels were low. Yes, treat for the 1000 gallons to be on the safe side. Nitrates looks good. Did you do a water change?
Here’s the thing about ammonia and nitrite both; there’s a spike, so you reduce feeding to make sure the friendly bug colony can handle the bio load; good, but….where are the toxins going to go? They’re just going to hang out until the levels are lowered by a water change. It’s likely the spike in under control. The amounts you’re seeing aren’t recently produced, but just have no where to go. They’ve more than likely been converted. If this wasn’t the case the readings would continue to rise. These readings you’re reporting are insignificant, and won’t injure your fish
Venus,
The readings today are the same as yesterday (ammonia 0.1, nitrite 0.3-0.8 nitrate~20). I’m dosing with 100mL Prime for 1,000 gallons. Some fish are showing red streaks. We’re topping extra water each day. Do you think we should do a water change? Or allow the fish to tough it out?
Yes, I would say that’s it. It’s hard to resist feeding fish, and the extra food means extra waste. Extra waste means extra ammonia. Ammonia is a food source for beneficial bacteria, but when there’s more ammonia than there are friendly bugs to consume it, the fish are exposed
The bugs that consume ammonia convert it into nitrites. When nitrites are present, another type of friendly bug forms to feed on it, converting it into nitrates, the final toxin to form in the cycle. As you know, nitrates are safe in low amounts, but ammonia and nitrite are dangerous toxins at any amount. There’s really nothing to be concerned about until the decimal falls to the right of the reading, but the thing is, the numbers can climb in a short time, so the key is to treat for a higher reading; just in case
It’s good to see the nitrates climbing. This indicates the cycle isn’t broken. The spike is due to extra waste. If you cut back feeding slightly, you’ll see these numbers recede as well
More fish mean more waste if you feed more food. If you feed the same amount, you’ll get the same amount of waste. This doesn’t mean you can’t add more fish, but feed up gradually to reduce the risk of a spike
I’m always cycling pumps in my main tank. When I pull a pump, I feed a little less, and gradually work my way back up; no spike ever. Just keep in mind, when you feed your fish, you’re also feeding the beneficial bacteria
Hi Venus,
The cannister hasn’t been cleaned out lately but the fish were fed more by my parents and I’m guessing the 10 extra koi produce more waste? We’re trying to feed much less.
I tested ammonia as 0.1, nitrite as 0.3-0.8 and nitrate as 20-50 tonight. Looks like ammonia is lowering and nitrite and nitrate are climbing. I added 100mL of Prime to treat 1,000 gallons and some tap water. Thoughts?
Nitrite comes in between ammonia and nitrates, so if ammonia increases, nitrites increase, leading to increased nitrates. Spikes are often hard to read, and the causes are many. New fish can only cause a spike if the amount of food is increased. Waste comes from other sources besides food, but there’s also a chance the colony was injured. Did you parents clean the canister filter out again?
I would guess the colony has been injured because nitrites are present. Perhaps less food was fed, and then someone fed more than what the colony was used to. It’s really difficult when more than one person feeds. Feeding the fish is a something everyone enjoys. Guest arrive, and a visit to the pond includes tossing some food to the fish no doubt, and this is fine in most cases. In time the cycle will be able to tolerate some inconsistency
For now the trace amounts don’t pose a threat. With some luck, the ammonia and nitrite will disappear within a few days
Good to know. Thank you.
I’ll keep monitoring the water parameters and try to get KH to 120.
If ammonia or nitrite get to 0.5ppm, do I add enough Prime for 10,000 gallons (full pond) or 1,000 gallons (10% of pond/new water exchanged)?
I added 100mL Prime for 1,000 gallons last night.
I understand the Ammonia/Nitrate increase with the 10 new koi and feeding, but I’m wondering what is causing the Nitrite to climb. I don’t think we added anything new other than the Pond pumps and the 10 koi.
What happened?
These are insignificant amounts, but if they continue to climb; dangerous. If ammonia and nitrite; either or both reach .5 treat the pond with a single dose of Prime. Treat daily until levels decrease. Hopefully they’ll decrease
Because nitrites are present, this tells me some of the original colony has been injured, so keep a close watch
Now that we have the pond pumps to rely on, cleaning the canister shouldn’t injure the cycle, but it will take a few months for them to become established, so tread lightly. The friendly bugs prefer pond pumps over other types of filtering systems, so you can bet they’re busy building their colonies in the new pumps right now
Improving the water quality, or treating with a remedy is a good idea no matter whether toxins are present or not. You’re aware. You’re watching, and ready to convert if necessary
HI Venus,
Actually, because the pond is taken care of by both my parents and I, the feeding responsibilities are shared. I only feed once daily with spinach. They feed once to twice with pellets…
Since the nitrate spike, we’re all feeding less. We finished feeding gel food a few weeks ago during the garlic recipe use. Do you think we should use garlic again soon?
I can prepare the mint tea tomorrow after I get more hydrogen peroxide.
Yes, I was googling and realized 20ppm should not be too alarming for nitrates. But we were surprised because our nitrates are usually closer to 5ppm.
I measured the water parameters today, KH was 100, GH 200, Ammonia 0.3, Nitrite 0.3, Nitrate 15-20.
Should we be concerned about the sudden increase in Nitrite along with Ammonia?
Should we fix these parameters before starting mint tomorrow?
You’re probably right about the algae. Since we added the additional pond pumps, the water has been much clearer. We can now see to the bottom of the pond.
There’s no green water!
You should be feeding the exact same amount of food as you were before the new fish were added. Same amount of food; same amount of waste; same amount of toxins being produced and converted. The ammonia spike says you’re feeding a little more; cut back to just a little less than what you were feeding before the new fish arrived, and gradually work your way up. Chances are you’re overfeeding anyway. Pond fish have algae, bugs and worms to supplement their diets
It’s our subconscious. More fish were added, and they’re sickly, so you want to nourish them
The amount of nitrates being produced is based solely on the amount of waste being produced and converted. When you see ammonia in a cycled fish house, this indicates there’s additional waste coming from somewhere, therefore too much ammonia for the existing colony of friendly bugs to convert. If you were to continue feeding larger amounts, the ammonia would attract more friendly bugs, and the colony size would increase to meet the available food source. but in the process, the fish would be exposed to ammonia and nitrite
As fish grow, and produce offspring, we subconsciously feed more very gradually, and nitrifying bacteria increase gradually as well, so there’s no spike in the cycle
Maybe you’re not overfeeding. In a pond this size, a dead fish could easily go unnoticed, laying on the bottom of a pond; rotting, adding to the waste. The waste your fish produce contain enzymes, which is vital for friendly bugs. Enzymes initiate change. The waste created from a rotting fish has no enzymes, so it may be quite a strain on the bio load
It is theoretically impossible for the fish to infect healthy pond water, as bad bacteria cannot tolerate oxygen. Your only worry is keeping the parameters up, and the readings you listed sound good; good enough to ward off infection
We use H202 to destroy germs on our cuts and scrapes. This is because oxygen kills them instantly. This doesn’t mean you need to overdo, as your pH and KH readings tell me the water is properly oxygenated, but an H202 tonic will bump that pH up a bit, increasing its immunity even more. In times of stress, increasing pH to 8.4 is very beneficial. The water movement is excellent, but your KH could be a little higher in order to achieve maximum results
If your fish were in good shape, your parameters would be more than acceptable, but considering your fish are sickly, maximum comfort zones are the key. Bump KH to 120 ppm. I think you’ll need less buffering after limestone is added; cant wait to see the results
Besides bad bacteria, low GH can cause fins to deteriorate, and scales to drop, so no matter, you’re doing what needs to be done. Prepare the rest of the mint for treatment, and add H202 before adding the mint. Mint is truly amazing, and will expedite healing. Favorite remedies are dandelion, garlic, mint and aloe. The last remedy I sent you had all but mint; a powerful combo
Are you feeding the gel food? Great for fin and scale repair. My mom used to drink Knox gelatin for her hair and fingernails
Let’s address the heavily medicated pond. In this case the fish could have stressed organs, as fish meds are made up of dangerous chemicals. Medicinal antibiotics destroy bad bacteria short term, but they also destroy healthy bacteria, killing the friendly bugs that create the cycle, leaving the pond and the fish without an immune system. In a short time the bad bugs will build an immunity, working around the meds, however, the friendly bugs are unable to do this
What’s sad, most issues are caused by bad water, which medicine doesn’t fix. The fish experience a short term of good healthy, convincing the pond keeper it worked, when it actually worsened the situation. The fish are left with no immune system, the water is still poor, and now there is no healthy bacteria. The bad bacteria come back twice fold. To date, I’ve never treated a fish with an actual infectious disease
The higher nitrates indicate the green water algae is is being removed, but at the same time it’s changing to substrate. Still, some algae will be lost in the process. This explains why you’re seeing the increase. A reading of 20 ppm is something to be proud of. Most fish keepers have to fight to get this low of readings. Of course, this doesn’t mean lower isn’t better; it is. In a natural body of water, lush with vegetation, there are no nitrate readings. The toxin is being consumed by plants as it’s being produced. Your parent’s pond is large enough to experience the same results
Just keep a close watch, and if levels reach 40 ppm we’ll discuss. My guess is, just as these readings are met, there will be a growth spurt in substrate algae. After all, algae is the end result of the nitrogen cycle
Good idea with the plants. Will consider next Spring!
Several fish had raised scales last time and some died, but it was before we had water chemistry under control.
Speaking of which, I’ve really been neglecting nitrate levels since the 10 new koi arrived and the additional fish tank. It has slowly crept up on me and I measured ammonia to be 0.3ppm in the pond tonight and nitrate to be 20ppm! Nitrite was close to 0. Nitrate has not been this high since I started watching the pond. I’m guessing this means the pond water leakage and daily water top-offs are not enough to counter the nitrate produced by 10 extra koi? I added enough Prime (100mL) to treat 10% of the pond volume (1,000gallons) in addition to tap water. Do you think a water change is necessary? Or is 20ppm still within range?
We added quite a bit of tap water (cooler) and the fish seemed to stay closer to the bottom of the pond. I think the additional cool water helped
Your pond is deep, and when the weather warms, the fish should find relief at the bottom. Did all the fish have raised scales?
Yes, bags of crushed ice can help reduce water temps, but with a pond this size, that’s a lot of ice. Better use the van
I’m wondering if anyone tested the temperature of the pond water during that heat spell? Pull water from the bottom by reaching an arm down into the water as deep as possible
Next Spring, invest in some water hyacinths. They’re free floating water plants. They can tolerate a little action, they filter the water, and the roots give the fish a great spot to hide, but even better, they shelter the water from the sun
Got it. I will keep the water quality up.
These days the temperatures in Vancouver are 30-32 Celsius again. We’re getting a mini heat wave. The last time this happened, the koi were pineconing/heat-shocked. This time the water quality is better and well oxygenated but when it’s so hot out, what can we do?? Just add tap water when it’s hottest out? Ice cubes??
The damage done by the bad bugs is just that; done. Nothing can undo it. In time, living in healthy water, the scales and the fins will repair themselves; in time. You’re also seeing damage done by salt. Salt is used to give fish slime coating. A salt bath accomplishes this. It works by irritating the tissue, and in response the tissue produces the protective coat. We also use it to destroy bad bugs in an infected fish house, but what are the affects of salting consistently? You’re seeing it. The salt has damaged the fish in more ways than one. It stresses their organs internally, while damaging the tissue and scales externally
You may see bloating in the future, but the treatment I sent contained dandelion and aloe juice as well as garlic; a powerful combination. You can repeat as often as you desire, and that being said, there’s no greater medicine in the world than healthy water. Your fish are healing; the ones that aren’t too far gone, but we’ve been buffering for some time now. I think they’re close to the point of recovery. time will tell with the other fish
The bad bacteria present have built up an immunity to the saline, and may have even given the bad bugs an open window by irritating the fish and causing sores. The very substance used to increase a slime coat, can destroy it. It’s a case of too much of a good thing
What is the result if the Fish with bad bugs do not carry infection; water does. If the water is healthy, the bad bugs can’t survive. Oxygen destroys bad bacteria on contact. This why we put hydrogen peroxide on our injuries; it kills germs
When a sick fish comes through my doors; the first thing I do is place it in my main tank. I’m never concerned about a sick fish infecting my other fish; the opposite happens. Instead of the sick fish making the healthy water sick; the healthy water makes the sick fish healthy
Most fish keepers make the mistake of relying on medications for good health. Some argue it to the depths. As you can see; it doesn’t work any better than salt. The only thing that works is healthy water. There wouldn’t be a market for the pet shop meds if everyone understood water
Hi Venus, I try to keep KH close to 100 and GH close to 200 in the pond. pH is 8ish
I worry the 10 new sick fish will bacteria will infect our pond fish inspire of the good water because their bacteria looks strong/resistant (the other pond was heavily medicated). One of the fush’s tail is quite shredded and pink…
I’ve never heard of Koi changing or losing color. This is a goldfish thing, or so I thought. Bad bacteria eat rotting tissue, so fish living in poor water quality are at higher risk of infection. This is what you’re seeing with the shredding fins. It’s called fin rot. The raised areas are also caused by bad bacteria. In the diagnose and treat section, I have a photo of a fish without a tail due to bad bugs. The fish lived but the tail didn’t grow back. It was to far gone. The fish swam by moving its entire body; pretty crazy
Bad bugs can’t tolerate healthy water; this is why we call it healthy. As long as you keep the water parameters up, the fish will gradually improve
What are you KH and pH levels these days?
Venus, I tested the tap water to be 0 ammonia (yellow testtube reading). Should I still add a bit of Prime each time I add tap water?
I noticed that the white patches on the fish I saw were more like thick raised patches of translucent white skin. Could it be repaired scales grown in a strange way? Some fish have these bumps/patches but just 1 or 2 patches.
Also to note, of the 10 new fish recently added, some have noticeable torn fins getting worse (bacterial infection?) and one of the koi in particular is losing color rapidly. It was white with light red/black but the colors have faded so much in the last week it’s white with pink/grey and almost becoming a full white fish. What causes the koi bodies to discolour or change color?