Water Changes

[dick benbow]

wonderful thread! thanks all for your input and to mike for starting it!

When I give my seminars and tell people I heat my pond, do 10 per cent water changes and drain my vortexes am and pm DAILY, they almost fall off thier chairs!

but if the tables were turned and thier personal health was on the line
many wouldn't think anything about doing it. yet that's exactly what's involved here with thier koi.( the others would ask for a pill to cover them on thier non involvement so they could continue thier life as usual routine)

if we were going to chart water quality on a graph, the difference between 10% water changes coming once a week and that of 10% daily would definitely show an advantage to continuous 24/7 water addition.

one last comment, if well water is tested and found to be good, the only thing it doesn't bring to the table is oxygen, so depending on where in the sytem it is added it may help to oxygenate it. my system looks like a jacuzzi. i know because i've been told that. I have such good "luck" with my koi for health,growth and quality that I would never change that for a moment!

[MikeM]

Bringing this to the top for Andy Rose.

[Akai-San]

Thanks MikeM. Great thread, how did I miss this discussion? Let me think of some more questions now...hmmmm.

[dick benbow]

Hey Henry, nice to see you lending some of your knowledge to our board. I was labeled "fanatic" decades ago because of my water replacement schedule.
Constant 10% trickle and all vortexes drained depending on season once or twice a day.

I really care about the koi that are under my care. When others come to visit they cannot get over the way the koi look and act. I put my efforts into prevention instead of cure. Lots of air, understocking, food kept fresh and varied.

like so much of life it's truely pay me now or pay me later. It's easier on the koi ( and Lord knows on me ) to not to have to deal with health concerns. Glad to see others telling it like it is......

[MikeM]

Hey, Dick: I was thinking about you when I got around to reading the latest KoiUSA. An article on water changes vs constant trickle, with wonderfully incomprehensible Norm Meck formula, concluded that even if one assumes complete mixing of new water, a constant trickle is as efficient a means to change water as emptying/re-filling up to about 20-25% of pond capacity. Of course, if mixing is not total & immediate (and on whose pond would it be?), it will be far less efficient if overflow is located in the current carrying the fresh water, and more nearly identical if the new water stays at one end of the pond due to very poor mixing. Any way, your promotion of a constant trickle came to mind. I know you focus on the stability factor, but it turns out that it is not materially less efficient than a labor-intensive water change if your pond has excellent circulation, as I know yours does. .... You are even smarter than you knew!!

[Tamus]

Awesome post!

I being one of those newbie wanna be koi keepers with a water garden have never done frequent water changes. I only turn the hose on to refill the pond from evaporation (big problem in OK in the summer) but I do use a dechlorinator when I do add water. The last 2 weeks on this site I have learned so much more than in the year of having my water garden and it doesn't cease to amaze me. I would be more than happy to lend whatever insight I can into the newbie frame of mind on matters if you are interested. I would like to help you experienced teachers learn more of the why us newbies do what we do.
For instance I have a bunch of bio balls inside the cut off leg of nylons and weighted down at the bottom of my water garden right now. Does this help my pond in any way? Heck if I know, but I was told that bio balls help to grow good bacteria which aids in keeping your pond in good shape.

I have got to say the hardest part about learning from you guys is asking questions that I know are of the simplicity of adding with blocks for you guys. It is embarassing to be so ignorant on a topic yet wanting to learn from people that know what is right or wrong. I am sure I could hold any of you hostage for weeks asking countless questions because right now I can't have a 10x20x5 pond with at least two bottom drains, vortexs, uv lights, and bakki showers along with a host of things I yet to fully know what their use is for and most of the posts and advice is based on similar situations and I find it hard to adapt it to mine.
So for now I am just a newbie with junk koi in a watergarden trying to keep my fish alive untill I can make a real koi pond, but in the mean time if I can help any of you understand why new people do stuff please ask. I am sure I will learn more than you do from any correspondence we have, but hopefully I can give something back that helps some of you in your teaching or understanding.

[Akai-San]

Tamus,

Just ask away. Like I told you before, the novices and experts in this forum ARE NOT afraid to lend a hand in what ever questions you have. Know matter how simple you think it might be. There is no reason to be embarrased ...There was a time when I didn't even know what K1 was . And there are even some wannabes out there like you and me that can't even spell.....hahaha...just kiddin.

For me...better to ask and get it straight before another koi dies in my care. Junk or Show, dead is still dead.

Now that I've gave another one of my two cents, I'll expect at least 10-15 postings of questions by the end of the day...hahaha.

[Tamus]

Deleted to maintain topic admin feel free to remove. Thanks

[MikeM]

[MikeM]