I Need Help Please

[luke frisbee]

Birdman,
Try Sail shades (they sell them on Ebay...or you could have someone you know make some ....)

About the pond.....if the fish don't show the FIRST sign of poor health just do frequent changes...
if you have to do something, well i have added a big PMS(5ft x 4ft x 3 ft to my Lake and in one day it started to change the look of my water...it has been 4 days and now the water is no longer the beautiful green it once was...Now it is a dead-brown kinda green and the visibilty has improved to about a foot...I didn't think that this PMS was going to be enough to clear the water but it has had a big impact in a short time.
I do not worry about the WhateverH's, I will if my koi ask me to. Until then I will do water changes and have low stocking rates.
I have seen all shades of green algae ponds, and in none of them have the koi been stressed by the pH changing due to algae...but algae will hide a very filthy pond?
if the pond is clean and you do lots of changes with good water, go and sit under the sail shade and have a beer.

[jnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by luke frisbee Try Sail shades (they sell them on Ebay...or you could have someone you know make some ....) I have seen all shades of green algae ponds, and in none of them have the koi been stressed by the pH changing due to algae...but algae will hide a very filthy pond? .

Sail shades are cheaper at overstock.com . I have two of them and am happy with them.

When it happened to my pond it was 3 months old and understocked. It was far from filthy. I'm not the only person this has happened to but whatever.

[luke frisbee]

J,
your fish were showing you that something was wrong...birdman doesn't have that...but as you say Whatever.
Thanks for the Overstock source i need some big ones

[Birdman]

I am totally bewildered. Yesterday my PH went up to over 10. My KH and GH remained stable at about 125.

I just shecked my water at 6AM and the PH is down a little, 9.6, BUT, with out adding anything my KH has gone up to 143 which is OK. But my GH has dropped to 107.

I didn't think you could lower the GH without doing anything. Is the PH doing this? I am confused. Gonna go do a small water change.

[jnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by luke frisbee J, your fish were showing you that something was wrong...birdman doesn't have that...but as you say Whatever. Thanks for the Overstock source i need some big ones

I now see your point Luke sorry. I do however believe that once your ph hits 10 and stays there you should take steps to lower it.

Birdman you might really want to think about some shade. Btw is your neighbors pond going over 10 at the same time yours is or is it holding in the 9s?

[luke frisbee]

birdman,
like my last four posts...just do 10% water changes as frequently as you can..twice a day even.
Or if ya really want to know if it is algae then do what JN has mrentioned..get with your fellow ponder and do the water checks at the exact same time for a day or two while maintaining closed systems.

But in the end...a little shade and constant water changes will be the prudent action

[junglegeorge12]

A list of other stuff you can check if u feel so inspired-

tds

hardness

alkalinity

stability

also if u r doing water changes and there is cholorine or bromine in the water it could be wiping your bio filtration-are your nitrates and nitrites low because of the water changes or the filtration???? needs to be asked, I would worry if I had your system with no air in the bottom of that vortex or upflow lavarock filter, I think the sand critics would call it a 'poop trap'. Just cuz the water gushes out doesnt mean it is cleansing the sides and those sharp corners of debris or aenerobic bacteria. Algae will feed off of that junk, AND I am going to add, why don't you give your koi a shower? The bakki is the best, but if u can't afford it then try Luke's pms or your own version. The other word of the day I am studying is phosphates. An old guru in the fish world told me phosphates promote algae growth......I am still trying to learn about that

he has been the fish biz for about 40 yrs, and when I told him folks were saying not to use RO or prefiltration he shook his head and said, "No way, if you want a clear pond you have to get the phosphates out to reduce the algae, you can use the sphagmum moss to absorb the phosphates but it is better if you just take them out before they get to the pond."

A shower should help--

here is some food for thought on Maurice's site
http://www.koi-uk.co.uk/mechanical_f...capable_of.htm


and add some old bay seasoning

[Birdman]

Quote: Originally Posted by jnorth I Btw is your neighbors pond going over 10 at the same time yours is or is it holding in the 9s?

I haven't been up to check it lately. I'll try and do it today. His is also in full sun. Only 2 feet deep, about 6 or 7,000 gal. Over stocked, 6 inches of gravel on the bottom, no bottom drain, just a skimmer going through a huge UV, then to a small bio falls. He has had it up and going 6 years now. He has never done a water test of any kind, basicly never changes water, just tops off from evopration, AND! over feeds. Dosn't make sense.

[Birdman]

Quote: Originally Posted by junglegeorge12 and add some old bay seasoning

We use it all the time!

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by Birdman I haven't been up to check it lately. I'll try and do it today. His is also in full sun. Only 2 feet deep, about 6 or 7,000 gal. Over stocked, 6 inches of gravel on the bottom, no bottom drain, just a skimmer going through a huge UV, then to a small bio falls. He has had it up and going 6 years now. He has never done a water test of any kind, basicly never changes water, just tops off from evopration, AND! over feeds. Dosn't make sense.

The longer this goes on the odder it gets, which makes your confusion/frustration even more understandable . For the ph/kh/gh swings you describe to be occuring it makes me wonder what specific variety of algae you may have living in your pond. Could it be that a particular algae strain may have nutrient requirements that target certain minerals for ingestion (gh drop) while excreting other minerals (kh/ph rise). I don't have a clue, but perhaps it will trigger an idea with someone more knowledeabe than myself. Could it be a combination of algae and bacterial action causing this?