Help w/ new pond (little)

[huskerfan]

Hi Everybody,

First post, first of many questions.

Last month I installed a small 150 gal pond/tank w/ 3-7" Koi and 4-3"Koi, run 258gph pump 24/7, pond is south of house but mostly in shade.

Water is clear but nitrite level is high. whats a quick way to lower it? I've added stuff to help the bacteria(?) brake down and lower level, but doesn't seem to help.
Do I just need to wait?

Salt content is appx. .2% should I go higher?

[CarolinaGirl]

First of all, in order to get the nitrites under control, get rid of ALL of the koi. Koi need a bare minumum of 250 gallons each with a minimum pond size of 1000 gallons. Your 150 gallon pond is better suited to a couple of goldfish. As long as you try to keep koi in an environment that is totally unsuitable for them, you will be fighting water quality forever. Many of the koi keepers here allow 1000 gallons per koi. Seriously...your pond is not even close to being a suitable environment. Please find them a new home or start digging a new MUCH larger pond.

[mstrseed]

Cindy's right, just look at you water to fish ratio...........

Instead of having day or hours to fix water quality issues..............you have minuets.

The only band aid would be a mature filter for a pond of 1500 gallons........................ and that not going to happen.

[huskerfan]

thanks...I think,

Ok, the backhoe will be over Monday to dig a 3000 gal. pond.

Getting rid of the Koi is a great answer to get the nitrite levels down!

Come on people, I know its not perfect, nor far from it. I plan to keep the 3 larger Koi and maybe two of the smaller. I got to think with a biofilter running 24/7 and weekly 25% water changes should work once the ponds 'ages' ?

Doesn't a new pond take time before the nitrite break down?

fyi,

I found this on the 'net:

In figuring the stocking density of koi, this is a good rule
of thumb: One 8” Koi needs 50 gallons
One 16” Koi is equivalent to four 8” Koi and needs 200
gallons
One 24” Koi is equivalent to twelve 8” Koi and needs 600
gallons
And remember the 8” Koi this year will be 12-16” next year,
and so on!
MacArthurWaterGardens: Today's Pond Q&A

[Nancy M.]

You are quoting stocking levels from a water garden site NOT A KOI POND SITE.

Serious, your pond is made for a few goldfish, NOT koi. A constant drip system on the water garden that you have will help control the nitrites TEMPORARELY, there is no quick fix for what you have.
A KOI POND, has external pumps and filtration, it has bottom drains, jets, minimum depth of 4 feet. You can push a system to handle one koi per hundred gallons, but you would need triple the pond volume in filtration.

Questions:
1. Do you have a bottom drain?
2. What type & size filter ?
3. What type & size pump ?
4. Do you have an air pump ?
5. What do you feed the koi ?
6. Do you have plants in pond ?
7. Do you do weekly water changes?
8. Do you have rocks on the bottom of pond?
9. Do you have a waterfall for oxygen?
10. Would you make a full grown german shepard life in your bathroom?

Quote: Originally Posted by huskerfan thanks...I think, Ok, the backhoe will be over Monday to dig a 3000 gal. pond. Getting rid of the Koi is a great answer to get the nitrite levels down! Come on people, I know its not perfect, nor far from it. I plan to keep the 3 larger Koi and maybe two of the smaller. I got to think with a biofilter running 24/7 and weekly 25% water changes should work once the ponds 'ages' ? Doesn't a new pond take time before the nitrite break down? fyi, I found this on the 'net: In figuring the stocking density of koi, this is a good rule of thumb: One 8” Koi needs 50 gallons One 16” Koi is equivalent to four 8” Koi and needs 200 gallons One 24” Koi is equivalent to twelve 8” Koi and needs 600 gallons And remember the 8” Koi this year will be 12-16” next year, and so on! MacArthurWaterGardens: Today's Pond Q&A

[gcuss]

Quote: Originally Posted by huskerfan thanks...I think, Ok, the backhoe will be over Monday to dig a 3000 gal. pond. Getting rid of the Koi is a great answer to get the nitrite levels down! Come on people, I know its not perfect, nor far from it. I plan to keep the 3 larger Koi and maybe two of the smaller. I got to think with a biofilter running 24/7 and weekly 25% water changes should work once the ponds 'ages' ? Doesn't a new pond take time before the nitrite break down? fyi, I found this on the 'net: In figuring the stocking density of koi, this is a good rule of thumb: One 8” Koi needs 50 gallons One 16” Koi is equivalent to four 8” Koi and needs 200 gallons One 24” Koi is equivalent to twelve 8” Koi and needs 600 gallons And remember the 8” Koi this year will be 12-16” next year, and so on! MacArthurWaterGardens: Today's Pond Q&A

You asked for help. And got honest answers. Unfortunately, not what you wanted to hear, but honest, and correct non the less.

we could all tell you that water changes, trickle systems etc. would help. But at the end of the day, to mislead you is unfair to you, and the Koi. Spend some time researching, and it will become obvious.

As a beginner also, I find it funny that "popular" web sites, nursery's and such advise us on the kind of stats you quoted. As beginners we should be as far away as possible from the ragged edge of capacity to allow for all of the other blunders that we're likely to perform. In my opinion the only people that can manage things that close to the edge are extremely experienced keepers. Yet youll find the more you learn, the farther from the edge you want to be...

Please reconsider keeping koi in such an unsuitable environment.

Sincerely,

Grant

[smithvillemike]

Hey Huskerfan

I just wanted to say welcome to the forum. There are many extremely intelligent people on this board, with decades of experience. When I first got here I didn't like what I was hearing but have learned if you take their advice not only you, but your koi will be happier.

Building a koi pond and doing it right is not a cheap and easy thing so what I have done is do what I can, and then when I have more money I add the things I need. But while you are working up to it, keep your stocking rates low. Within the last year I have added bottom drains, skimmers, and a nexus. I learned to have the BD and skimmer on different pumps and to separate filtrations systems. I'm finally adding a diy bakki shower this year since I have a few fish in the mud at Bretts that want to come home. While all this learning is going on I currently only have 4 koi in the pond.

What I am getting at, is don't be discouraged by the excellent advice you are getting. Use that knowledge, but while you are learning keep your stocking rate low. It will help you recover from the mistakes we all have made, and the ones I am still making. Use these folks experience as they have all made mistake, and finally you won't find better advice anywhere on the net then with these folks.

my 2 cents.

Mike

[MysticKoi]

Hmmm... I'm giving 3 to 1 that he won't be back for more advise.

Kind Regards,
Bill

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by MysticKoi Hmmm... I'm giving 3 to 1 that he won't be back for more advise. Kind Regards, Bill

No way I'm gonna take that bet, but on the off chance he does here goes.

I'm very familiar with the type of advice you got before installing the pond, and it is fairly common to find it from those who replace Koi regularly as a matter of course. Long term survival rates in such ponds is low, a fact to which most of us can attest either from personal experience or from helping others who've been down that road.
There is a massive distinction between an environment in which Koi can "survive" and one in which they can thrive. Water garden shops specialize in water features, with Koi serving as "decoration" only. Koi health is not their focus, so it is not their area of expertise either. I seriously doubt the people who sold you the pond kit and fish can even tell you what variety they are without having to look at a "cheat sheet".
As I mentioned in another thread earlier today, we have a small (85 gallon) aquarium/quarantine tank. It is filtered with a setup for a 750 gallon pond. Because it is overfiltered relative to tank size it can manage 4-5 Koi of the size you say you have without any health issues. If it was filtered with an 85 gallon sized aquarium filter it MIGHT be adequate for 1 small Koi, but just barely, and only if I did extra water changes daily as opposed to once or twice a week depending on fish load.
In a small pond there is zero margin for error. If ANYTHING goes a bit off the entire pond goes south in a matter of minutes. Having a larger volume of water and filtration allows time to work for you rather than against you. A pond of less than 1000 gallons can go acidic from a single downpour of rain, killing all the fish and the filter bacteria. A larger pond (5000 gallons+) can endure rain for days with little effect.

[Meg]

Quote: Originally Posted by huskerfan fyi, I found this on the 'net: In figuring the stocking density of koi, this is a good rule of thumb: One 8” Koi needs 50 gallons One 16” Koi is equivalent to four 8” Koi and needs 200 gallons One 24” Koi is equivalent to twelve 8” Koi and needs 600 gallons And remember the 8” Koi this year will be 12-16” next year, and so on! MacArthurWaterGardens: Today's Pond Q&A

....but those 8 inch koi aren't going to stay eight inches, they grow very fast.....ever read the childrens book
"A Fish Out of Water" by HelenPalmer?

you are getting good point blank advice here
and EVEN BY THE STANDARDS YOU QUOTED YOU ARE ALREADY OVER STOCKED ,
and those four 3 inch koi will be 8 plus befor summer is half over. and those three 7 inchers will be 12....in 150 gal pond....