Water and Chlorine, Koi Tragedy

[Nancy M.]

I was just thinking back, 2 years ago right after the ZNA SO Cal show, frank and I were cleaning our filters, Frank dropped his cell phone in the water and fried it. So we took off went to ATT to buy new phone. The next morning I went out back to have my morning Cigarette. I seen all this crap in our small pond floating, so I walked across our backyard to discover 17 of our tategoi all DEAD....We had just won best baby and best in size 1 & 2 with some of them. I just stood there crying, I got the net scooped them all out of the pond. Then came the hard part I had to call Frank and tell him what had happened. He was so pissed at himself he was ready to just bury the pond.. A good friend of ours new what happened, so he gave Frank a very nice small showa, to put in the pond.. After that Frank started to buy small tatagoi again. It is really hard to know that your fish died, because of your own stupidity. the worse thing is you know it is 100% your fault. Sometimes it takes a long time for someone to get over it, others never do and they quit the hobby. Since then when we do water changes, I always have my water timer right next to me, ( thanks koicop for buying Frank a new one for his BD). I know a lot of people who have done this, and it is very hard to get over this kind of tragedy. But when you love the hobby as much as we do, you just find a way to get over it. It is a very hard lesson in learning, but once you've done it, you will never do it again.
And thank God for good friends.. Without him giving Frank that 1st new koi, I don't know how long that pond would have stayed empty..

[junglegeorge12]

Glad I am not the only who has brought on my own problems. The thing for me is, th thing that really irked me was the amont of money the lost koi cost and the fact it would take a while to afford to replace them all. It was like a kick in the nads. After a while they, (the nads) felt better and I went down and bought some more koi. I think alot of serious hobbiests have had similar things happen, and it always tests their willingness to expose themselves to that again. However, over time the enjoyment that came out of the hobby overrides the temporary pain and you keep on.



The only encouragement I got was a sympathetic dealer who took me out back and showed me his pile of dead koi and other fish, he just shrugged and said, "Some of them they die, sometimes it's not our fault and sometimes it is, but if you love them you cannot give up because some die. I have lost thousands of fish over the years, and I still don't like it but I get used to it by now. You will get over it, just keep going on with it. And... try not to do the same thing again, it was a hard lesson so just make sure you learn it good so you dont have to go through it again. I have some customers they never learn, all they do is kill fish, I almost don't want to sell to them because I know next week they will be back and the fish will be dead. At least you are not like that." Then he special ordered some koi for me as a favor and to get me feeling better.

[Valarc]

I've overflowed once (not cool when it's an indoor pond!) and since then I always keep a kitchen timer with me to remind me to check on it. I usually overdose on dechlor just in case. With how cheap ST is from big chemical suppliers, there's no reason to give an exact dose - throw in a whole bunch and cover your arse.

[B.Scott]

Make me all the more thankful that we don't need chlorine in this countries water supply!

B.Scott

[dick benbow]

In our area of the states, the pacific northwest and puget sound, it is expected to double in population density in the next 5 years.

What happens is large sections of land are purchased and sub divided and then 40-50 homes built.

When the water lines are connected and purchased prior to people living in them and extra heavy dose of chlorine is applied.

that said, where i see problems is when people run a constant 24/7 trickle into the pond that is not being declorinaded. They are lulled into a false sense of security until the extra dose goes in and they have floaters.

Scott you are lucky! I run all my trickle thru an RO filter before it ever goes in the pond. The charcoal filters get changed about every 2 months ....

[luke frisbee]

nancy,
that needs to be chronicled and automatically posted whenever anyone Comes in here to cry on our shoulder about a crisis they have put on themselves.
Losing koi is understandable...but I beat the hell out of myself when I did it...this would have made it a little less painful

[Brutuscz]

The more I hear stories like that..the more I realize it not just me!!! Koi keeping is difficult. I enjoy it, but always feel we are one mistake away from yet another tragedy with our koi. I have mine indoors this winter for the first (and last!!) time. It has been nothing but infections and headaches. I have had more ulcers..fin&tail, and mouth rot, than I have ever seen!! I have lost 4 koi to these problems so far. I currently have 3 with ulcers, 2 with mouth rot, and a few with fin and tail rot. I have used tricide dip, bio bandage gel, praziquantel, koizyme, baytril injections...etc. I am currently waiting for a bottle nuflor to inject..it should be here tuesday. To make matters worse...some koi tried to breed...I don't have to tell everyone what that did to the water...I was doing water changes until 2am last night!! If anyone has any advice...please fell free!!! It will be my first time using nuflor. Its really becoming less enjoyment and more frustration than I bargained for!!

[joe bauer]

i tried nuflor several years ago on some koi with similar problems which i had kept inside. if you have my experience, you will be very disappointed. nuflor is used im rather ip and is very thick, making the injection take longer, and it put big bruises on my fish. didn't really matter because they eventually died anyway.


get some ms 222 because injecting nuflor is not quick like amakacin.

i will not use nuflor again.

i keep my koi outside over the winter.

[junglegeorge12]

where r u located brutus? have you thought of using a tee on your outdoor pond system and a tube system to pump water from there into your indoor pond? What is your water temp, etc? Haven't you had alot of problems this year? even in your outdoor pond? are you continually buying new koi? you might change your source if so and see if it clears up.

[Brutuscz]

Hi JG...I'm in connecticut. I'm not buying any koi now until the season starts up again...lol!! I have tried many things outdoors...but a floating heater and air pump is what I'll do next season. I am beginig to suspect coumnaris!! I neeed to make a few slides and take a look.