Question about GH and KH

[gcuss]

So based on a 2K pond I would shoot for 400 - 600 gals per week instead of 200, and rather than dump 30% on a saturday, do a 10% change 3 times during the week?

Also, I've read/heard that an automatic feeder is a nice way to go so that the bacteria don't have to deal with ammonia in surges, but rather they get a consistent load and don't have the "peaks and valleys" associated with feeding on my schedule... Worth considering?

I'm a firefighter so I do shift work and sometimes am away for 48 hours at a time if I'm covering a buddy's shift, or perhaps working an overtime shift. This isn't all the time, but I am frequently absent for 24 hours at a time and have been informed that my ammonia goes up when I'm home, the bacteria start to multiply a bit, then I'm gone for 24 - 48 hours, and any new bacteria die off again because of lack of food....

Thanks for everyone's help. I'm going to analyze my pond a bit better and see if I can get to the bottom of the Gh/Kh thing. As Mike pointed out, even if it's not a problem right now, obviously there is something going on and I should figure it out before it becomes a crisis.

Cheers,

Grant

[MikeM]

It is definitely better to do 10% water changes two or three times per week than doing 20% or 30% at a time. I don't because I have only Saturday to do pond maintenance. The key is to avoid fluctuating water conditions. The goal is stability, recognizing that water conditions in a koi pond are continually in a state of degrading. I can do 35% or even 50% water changes without a problem because even on day 7 the parameters are virtually identical to my source water.

Your work schedule limits what you can do to achieve optimal care. In the best of all worlds, the koi would be fed small amounts hourly throughout the day... and even into the night. For most working folks, twice per day is the best that can be done. I would like to try a feeder, particularly a demand feeder. (There is an old thread about demand feeders on this board. The koi really do learn how to trigger the food release and only release as much as they will eat.) However, there are so many raccoons, opposums and squirrels getting into things that I've not bothered to try.

In theory what you've been told about the nitrifying bacteria is accurate. ....but, reality and theory do not always match. Nitrifiers are very adaptive and some ammonia is always present if fish are present. I'd not be overly concerned about the nitrifiers. Optimizing the koi would be my concern, which pretty much gets you to the same place. In 2,000 gallons you really do not want to produce 30" females. You'll be much happier, the fish healthier and the pond more attractive if you focus on males.

[gcuss]

Well explained advice and I appreciate the help.

I think I'll do the 10% thing as often as I can up to 3 times/week. As far as the auto feeder goes, that's something I may look at next year.

Also, I'll be seeking a ton of advice early spring next year as I'm planning a new pond. So far, I've managed to square away a nice sized area in the yard, and I'm shooting for about 10,000 gals. Haven't crunched the numbers yet but it's going to be approx 20' X 12' and I'm planning on 6' of water depth. Unfortunately for the asthetics, I've got to have about 30" out of the ground because I've got a 2 year old and a 5 year old... safety thing.

Can't believe this all started from a little poly preformed "pond" that had a bunch of mosquito larvae in it so we bought some goldfish to control them.... Then bought a Koi from the local nursery. Started learning, dug a 2K gal pond... now I realize that it's a better Q-Tank than a pond and I'm very excited to get the new pond underway. I'm starting to plan it now so I can aquire parts and bits as the winter ticks by. Going to start a thread in the pond construction section with a rough description of what I'm after and seek advice from those that have been down this road.

Gotta love it!