koi dancing

[farne230]

Early this morning after first light I was startled when one then two then three fish jumped straight up exposing half of their bodies. Then they just swam slowly in a line around the pond as though nothing had just happened.

The koi are 2 to 3 years old (20 to 22" long) and females. Our water temps are 50 degrees for winter. The water perameters were tested and found normal. No visual signs of loose gills or skin irretations. The Shiro is turning a little off white with red veins due to winter conditions. O2 is always max with floor drain aerators, three foot waterfall and twin four tray bakki showers with 200kg of BH media. Also the water in the 8300 gallon pond is turned over every twenty minuetes.

I will continue to watch but do not think anything is wrong.

[KoiCop]

I've one that startles me by doing that infrequently.

No reason that I've been able to figure out and there's never been anything wrong with her.

I'm sure you've checked for parasites with negative results, and I know your water's fine, so it looks like its just one of those 'Go figure' moments.

[koiczar]

Here's one possibility

Question - When your fish breached, was there a storm front or low pressure system moving into your area within the next 24 hours?

The reason I ask is that over the years, and on que, when a weather front begins to move into my area, I notice that the barometric pressure of a low pressure system compresses the water and can irritate the fish via their lateral lines. They have a sense of being incomfortable. It seems to make them act like they just put a new coat on that doesn't quite fit right (if that makes sense). This has been going on for many years.

As far as your shiro showing signs of stress, it could be related but it could also be related to recent rain water that got into the pond with some funny stuff in it. I also notice that occurs with my shiro and my tancho showa. Right after a storm, their skin shows stress. Once I do a water change and wait 24 hours, they go back to their normal clear shiroji on the shoulders.

Hope this helps. Just something most people don't look for but seems to be right under our noses.

Mike

[koifishgirl]

Hey I have a Gin Matsuba that takes flying leaps all the time. Everything in the pond is ok. I have worried one day she is going to jump out of the pond because she jumps so high, she come completely out of the water. Only one that ever does this. My first reaction to this also was that something was wrong with my water. It was not of course, she just likes to jump

By the way she is so beautiful, snow white shiro and a good thick body and I got her at petsmart. Never thought I would get a good one somewhere like that but I did, good matsuba pattern also with no yellow at all on her.

[farne230]

Mike and Koifishgirl good to hear others experience this behavior. The weather is changing again. A cold front is moving in, winds are up and tempertures rose today water temp rose two or three degrees (54 degrees now). I did a 10% water change and after I got the skimmer running again and air out my kin ki utsuri took 6 jumps. No one else jumped but she did straight up (half body) out of the water then she stopped, wondered around awhile and the rest just move around as usual. You may be right a cold front. I also find that my bead filter always pushes out suspended material when it clears the tpr's. Not sure why. I do not know if this is excessive bacteria or something that irritates the kku. I will keep an eye on their behavior and let you know. I will keep the camera ready maybe I can get a picture.

[RayJordan]

Hi Bob,
Sounds like things are OK as long as just some of the koi jump or flash occasionally and no other symptoms are apparent and water tests are OK.

Did you ever get the bypass installed on your bead filter. It is a very good idea to bypass the bead filter water to waste for 30 seconds or so to flush out the remaining waste in the bead filter to prevent it from being flushed back into the pond.

[jnorth]

They also do that when the ph swings. Since you checked the ph this morning you might want to go back out and check it again to see if it has swung very much from this morning until now. Generally when you have a ph swing it will be at its highest just before sunset and at its lowest right around sunrise. Just a thought but its probably just the weather.

[farne230]

Hi Ray: The bead was installed with the backflush valve provided by Gary at GCTeck. No other special piping other then I just rinse with air, backwash with water then rinse with water. Then place the valve back to filter after rinse. This is when I have noted a cloud discharged from the tpr's. I have also noticed ground up bakki house media mixed with green algae on floor of pond near bakki shower bypass at waterfall. I suspect the bakki house media under high water pressure and weight has broken down some what and collects in bottom tray. This is flushed out and collects at base of waterfall or in bypass pipes and flushed out if I open the bypass valves. I will have to aske Gary about his bead filter opertation. Good think the filters circulate the water every 20 min., or so. This should help. The koi are all at the bottom now for the night.

[koiczar]

Quote: Originally Posted by farne230 Hi Ray: The bead was installed with the backflush valve provided by Gary at GCTeck. No other special piping other then I just rinse with air, backwash with water then rinse with water. Then place the valve back to filter after rinse. This is when I have noted a cloud discharged from the tpr's. I have also noticed ground up bakki house media mixed with green algae on floor of pond near bakki shower bypass at waterfall. I suspect the bakki house media under high water pressure and weight has broken down some what and collects in bottom tray. This is flushed out and collects at base of waterfall or in bypass pipes and flushed out if I open the bypass valves. I will have to aske Gary about his bead filter opertation. Good think the filters circulate the water every 20 min., or so. This should help. The koi are all at the bottom now for the night.

Try doing the backwash to rinse a couple or three times before you return to filter mode. You obviously are not getting all the settled waste off the bottom of the filter tank.

Do you have a "sightglass" installed on your waste discharge line? If not you can do this very easily. Hayward makes them and they should be available at your local swimming pool supply store. The come in 1.5" and 2" sizes. Just cut the pipe where you want and glue it in. Then you can observe your waste water and you will KNOW when the water runs clear enough to return back to filter mode.

Mike

[farne230]

Thanks Mike: I have the usual 1" dome spy glass on the multiport valve gary supplies. I will try multiple backwash rinses. No more jumping, it is raining here now and the water temps have risin to 54 degrees. The koi are more active now.