Are Water Changes Essential for Maximal Health/Growth?

[kntry]

Pheromone build up causes slow growth so that's another reason for water changes and trickle in, trickle out water changes.

[gcuss]

Koi Cop,
@ 12% per day, are you on a well? Or do you just treat with amquel or the like?

Thanks,

Grant

[KoiCop]

Quote: Originally Posted by gcuss Koi Cop, @ 12% per day, are you on a well? Or do you just treat with amquel or the like?

Nope, city water.

I just toss in enough ST crystals (it's dirt cheap) to keep the ORP from climbing.

[powerman]

in my research on what to do to keep koi healthy........i found koi kichi...and i found this forum and a couple of others.......anyway, waddy says the single most important thing you can do for your kois health is a constant trickle.....so i says to myself......i think i will do a constant trickle......i made an activated carbon filter that i run the water through to nuetralize the chlorine........and i think that the constant trickle corrects alot of wrongs.............but i am still a rookie....but i believe peter wadington......the constant trickle is better than big water changes.......i am a believer

[gcuss]

Thanks Koi Cop,

Forgive the ignorance, but does sodium thiosulphate (Assuming thats what you're talking about) deal with the chloromines as well?

Also, if I wanted to switch to a constant trickle, would activated carbon deal with the chloromines?

Thanks,

Grant

[KoiCop]

Hello Grant . . .

Yes, ST is short for sodium thiosulfate.

As far as chloramines go, the ST breaks the weak ammonia/chlorine bond and neutralizes the chlorine -- then the bio-filter is left to dispose of the ammonia.

BTW, there's usually less of an ammonia spike from the chloramines with a routine water change than one would get from feeding their koi.

As for chloramines and activated carbon, I've been told that they will deal with them IF there's enough AC and IF the water's dwell time in the unit is sufficient. But, hey, I'm no expert on that point.
_____
Don

[gcuss]

Thanks Don

[Flounder]

Don, I did the math & at the rate you're changing water, you're using 21,600g each month. On city water what's your bill for this each month?

[KoiCop]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flounder Don, I did the math & at the rate you're changing water, you're using 21,600g each month. On city water what's your bill for this each month?

1. That's only for the pond; there's another 3000 gallons/mo for the QT. And then there's the house, the yard, and, and . . .
2. Cost can't be that bad; DW complains about the electricity bill every month, but never mentions the water.

[Flounder]

Quote: Originally Posted by KoiCop 1. That's only for the pond; there's another 3000 gallons/mo for the QT. And then there's the house, the yard, and, and . . . 2. Cost can't be that bad; DW complains about the electricity bill every month, but never mentions the water.

At least utilities are cheap in Cali right?