Using mud pond water to do water changes

[jacovors]

I was wondering if I can use my mud pond water to do water changes in my main concrete pond. I realise the water will become cloudy from doing this , but if done weekly it should clear quite quickly.
I also realise that the PH and other water parameters should not differ too much from the one pond to the other.
My aim is to add that something special from the mud pond to my concrete pond.
Is this wishfull thinking or is it possible?. :?: :?:

[dick benbow]

Just thinking out loud here....most mud ponds are used to grow koi. the extra minerals help the younger koi who get most of thier body building needs from the water as opposed to the older koi who do the same with thier food.

These same koi come in to an indoor facility in the fall and are then finished for the show.

Are you hopeful to grow the koi or finish them? Also once koi are treated for paracites and are indoors they are alot easier to keep healthy then the ones kept outside. by influxing this outside water inside wouldn't you hasten the development of paracites which you would again have to deal with as an ongoing struggle.


If money were not an object, i would build a pond in a greenhouse and raise my koi there were I had control of water quality and temperature, predation and disease. I would have three different filters/media set up and lots of fresh RO( reverse osmosis) water and current, really aireated!
I would understock the pond and feed every two hours at 27 C.


Quess we could conjecture all this theory wise...but you won't know till you try it yourself to find out what works in theory and what works in application. PLEASE share what you learn!

[matt]

is there any kind of mineral additive that can make the water in a concrete or liner display pond simmilar to the mud ponds?

something that would help young koi grow when we do not have a mud pond to put them in?

nothing that would make the water

[jacovors]

Thanks Dick and Matt.

What I noticed when dragging the mudpond and seeing some of my older koi that were put into the mudpond was a skin quality I could never achieve in my main pond. Even adding clay did not even come close.
The koi glow and every single edge of every single scale had a shine and lustre I never seen in any of these koi before.
Dick you said if you had a choice you would raise them inside, well I for one do not think you can get the same or even close to the results gained from a mud pond.
Did you ever move some of you're older koi to a mud pond even for one month?
The growth of these big koi also surprised me , they grew in length but also in gridth.
The pic below is of a Hasagawa Kohaku that turned Shiro after one month of being shipped to me from Infiltration. The koi grew in length and being female never had a good body shape. The pic was taken after 4 months in the mud pond. The koi increased in length from 66 to 71cm in this time.

[James P]

Jaco, do you have a before picture of this shiromuji? And if so can I use this fish photo in a local lecture I am giving? Call me nuts ( lots do!) but I can definitely appreciate that shiromuji for its skin quality and luster! JR

[jacovors]

Hi JR,

You're welcome to my pics anytime.
When I drag the pond again in October I will take a high resolution closeup of this koi just for you.
The pics below were taken when I bought it.

[Werner]

Jaco---

I've been experimenting with such a system for close to 4 Years now. My mud pond is actually a series of lakes totaling 155 Acres with a few natural aquifer springs, but I have no control over the runoff from storm drains. Water is piped from the pond to my inground pond and then allowed to return by natural sand percolation. Interestingly enough, I've found no parasites except those imported with the fish from the breeder. The fish are healthy, breed consistantly and show improved colors and luster from my store fish. The small amount of turbidity dissapears in one day.

From a standpoint of a controllable water source, such as a pond whose inflow can be controlled, when I lived in MD I was fortunate enough to have a mountain spring on the property. I fed this directly and constantly into the pond via a stream made from the local clay. No turbidity problems water was always crystal clear, fish in excellent health and appearance, but because of the constant low temp. of the water, the growth rate suffered.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

[dick benbow]

jaco, the koi in my avitar spent two years in the mud ponds. I know what your saying about when the koi first come out of the ponds. Sakai of isawa has goshiki/goromos that are to die for when just out. words fail to discribe the subtlties of each scale but within a week inside this is gone.
I quess I have had lots of parasite problems outside to where i don't want to let them in to an inside pond where i do have better control
I like werner's idea of a spring.no disease problems and if the water quality was not compromised a great way to go. I would think some heating would be in order depending on the volumn of replacement water one required.
Let us know what your up to and what your planning if it works.

[Fishbreeder]

All my koi live in mud ponds or alternatively in tanks irrigated from an earthen reservoir. The reservoir is filled with well water which is then aged prior to pumping to the fish house.

Problems that might arise from using mud pond water in your pond...

Parasites. Always a risk when adding "live" water to your system.

Virus. KHV (and otyher virus and bacteria) can be spread by mud pond and creek water.

Bad water, even mud ponds can get funky water in them.

Silt. You can filter out silt, or just let it in your pond and let the filters there get it. Silt can stop up filters.

Suspended colloids. Filters won't capture colloidal suspensions and they can make your water very cloudy. Yoiu would have to use a flocculant.

If'n I had my druthers and was using mud pond water in my concrete pond...

I'd want that water filtered for solids then treated with enough UV to kill anything that might be lurking therein before putting it in my pond. By then, you'd probly removed any magic "mud pond juice" from the water.

Brett

P.S. I've gotta a really good bottled "Gin-U-Wine Mud Pond Extract" for use in koi ponds to bring the fish into show form. Just $25 a bottle and all you need is one bottle a week. Oh, I also gotta really good bride for sale, Fred Hartman bridge from Houston to Baytown.

[jacovors]

Thanks Guys,

I see what you mean , the cons outweighs the pros by far. That is why I asked.
Werner you're idea seems to be the best option. Unfortunatly I live in South Africa where water from the ground is a very scarce resource, aspecially where I live.
Dick I see where you are comming from about retaining the tsuya and teri after the koi is removed from the mud pond is impossible. Then again Mr Maeda grows koi indoors that looks like a million dollars when inspected upclose, yoiu can always dream can't you. :P
Brett send me 10 bottles ASAP. :twisted:
If Brett says it won't work it won't .
Thanks again.
Jaco