| Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards! | | | | When the pH of your pond drops below 7 it is |
| There are many Koi water quality hazards. The | | | | considered acidic. To raise the pH tryadding baking |
| biggies are ammonia and nitrites and, to a lesser | | | | soda or ground limestone. |
| extent, nitrates. Some others that are important | | | | If your pH exceeds 8.5 your Koi's immune |
| to have knowledge about are chlorine, | | | | systems will be stressed to the point ofbecoming |
| chloramines, pH balance and random contaminants. | | | | ill. A common cause of this can be cement or |
| Both chlorine and chloramines can harm fish and | | | | mortar leeching lime into yourpond. |
| can burn or kill pond plants. They willalso kill the | | | | You do need to watch out for a "pH crash". A |
| beneficial nitrifying bacteria in your Koi pond. | | | | "pH crash" is when in a relatively shortperiod of |
| Chlorine, which is a volatile gas, breaks down with | | | | time the pH begins to drop and won't stop until it |
| water circulation and exposure to airwithin 24-48 | | | | reaches 5.5. This can happenliterally overnight in a |
| hours. Chloramines, on the other hand, take much | | | | small pond. At a pH of 5.5 Koi will begin dying |
| longer to dissipate. | | | | within a few days. |
| Municipal water supplies have begun adding | | | | Any time you see all the fish in your pond start |
| ammonia along with the chlorine whichresults in | | | | to act differently at the same time youshould |
| the longer-lasting chloramines. If you add water to | | | | suspect a pH crash. If this occurs you can raise |
| your pond from a municipalsupply make sure to | | | | the pH by adding 1 cup of bakingsoda for each |
| spray it in with a hose to add aeration that will | | | | 1,000 gallons of water and check and repeat |
| help break down andmove out the gases. | | | | every two hours until the pH isback to at least |
| Another good option would be to let the water sit | | | | 7.0. |
| for a day or two before adding it toyour pond to | | | | Run-off water is the main way that contaminants |
| make sure it doesn't constitute a Koi water | | | | affecting Koi water quality enter yourpond. |
| quality hazard! | | | | Run-off water from a nearby stream, or collected |
| Sodium Thiosulfate removes chlorine from water | | | | rainwater may contain toxicinsecticides, herbicides |
| and will also pull chlorine from thechloramines. You | | | | and/or fertilizers. |
| can make a stock solution by adding four ounces | | | | Rainwater from metal roofs or asbestos shingles |
| of Sodium | | | | will contaminate the pond and can provetoxic to |
| Thioslufate crystals to one gallon of distilled water. | | | | both your Koi and your plants. |
| One drop per gallon (50ml per 1,000gallons) will | | | | You will also want to be careful with your lawn |
| safely de-chlorinate your pond.pH is a | | | | care practices. Don't use anything onyour lawn or |
| measurement of whether the water is acidic or | | | | garden that you don't want in your pond! |
| alkaline. pH is measured on a scaleranging from 1 | | | | Particularly if your pond is onlower level ground. |
| to 14 with 7.0 being neutral | | | | If you see white foam near your waterfall it can |
| A pH range of 6 to 8.5 is considered to be | | | | indicate a high level of dissolved organiccompounds |
| acceptable for most pond life. The biggestworry | | | | and you should perform some partial water |
| associated with pH is its direct relationship to the | | | | changes and perhaps use anadditive to help handle |
| toxicity of ammonia and nitrite. | | | | the higher organic load. |
| For each pH number above the neutral 7 there is | | | | As you can see, you need to carefully monitor |
| a tenfold increase in those toxicities. | | | | your pond water. |