Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

Koi Water Quality -

The #1 Factor In Koi Health

By Karla Deacon

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What's Inside This Report:

What Is Healthy Koi Water? .....................................................................................................................3

Take Proper Precautions With Your Koi Water..........................................................................................4

Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards!....................................................................................6

Is There Enough Oxygen In Your Koi Water?...........................................................................................8

The #1 Way To Keep Koi Healthy Is With Regular Koi Water Testing!...................................................9

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

What Is Healthy Koi Water?

What is healthy Koi water? This is an extremely important question because the
water quality in your Koi pond is the most important factor affecting the health of
your fish.

You can determine if the quality of your pond water is sufficient for your koi if the
following criteria are met:

1) The water in your pond is free of chlorine and other chemicals such as
pesticides, heavy metals, organophosphates, etc.

2) There are undetectable levels of ammonia and nitrite in your pond.

3) Water hardness, pH level, and temperature are correct.

4) There are low levels of particulate organic compounds (POC) and dissolved
organic compounds (DOC) in your pond and...

5) Your Koi water stays consistent in it's stability.

If you use tap water in your pond it has probably been treated with chlorine.
Chlorine can be fatal to your Koi. One way to make it safe is by "aging"
chlorinated water before placing your Koi in it. How long is long enough? Make
sure you wait AT LEAST 24 hours before placing your Koi in tap water.

If you use subsequent additions of tap water in your pond make sure that the
amount is a small percentage of the total volume of pond water. Also be sure to
test for chlorine levels after each addition.

The next deadliest contaminant in your Koi water would be ammonia. You always
have to be careful of ammonia because the main source of the ammonia in your
pond is your Koi themselves! Fortunately ammonia can be broken down into it's
less harmful components through the process of biological filtration.

Since certain types of beneficial bacteria break down the ammonia, the highest
risk for ammonia contamination is in newer ponds. This is due to the fact that
they haven't yet developed large enough colonies to neutralize the ammonia.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

Since the danger from ammonia in new ponds is so serious I recommend that you
check ammonia levels every day until they stabilize and make frequent Koi water
changes, even daily if necessary. Once your ammonia readings stabilize you will
be able to relax a bit!

An acceptable level of ammonia in your pond is actually ZERO!

Even very low ammonia levels (<.1mg./liter) are extremely irritating to Koi fish,
especially to their gills, and higher levels can lead to skin and gill hyperplasia. In
gill hyperplasia the secondary gill lamellae become swollen leading to breathing
difficulties. Serious gill disease and death occur when high levels of ammonia
contamination are reached.

As you can see, even in the case of just these two factors of water quality it is
essential that you monitor and maintain your pond so that your fish have healthy
Koi water!

Take Proper Precautions With Your Koi Water

Since the quality of your Koi water is the single most important factor affecting
the health of your Koi it is imperative that you take proper precautions in
maintaining it.

There are several key elements you will want to keep a very close eye on. We all
know that the #1 most important thing to keep tabs on is ammonia, particularly
in a newer pond. It takes time for the beneficial bacteria to colonize enough to
help keep ammonia levels under control.

As ammonia levels drop another toxic compound will take it's place. Ammonia is
converted by the nitrosomonas bacteria into nitrites, which are also harmful to
your fish, but not as deadly as ammonia. As ammonia levels drop in your pond,
nitrite levels will rise.

Nitrites (NO2) at low levels can stress your Koi, suppressing their immune
systems thus causing them to be susceptible to diseases caused by other factors.
High levels of nitrites cause skin and gill epithelia damage, which can lead to
parasite attacks and/or secondary bacterial infections.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

A common symptom of Koi that are suffering from nitrite poisoning is that they
will gasp at the water surface and stay around water outlets. For Koi water to be
considered nitrite-safe your pond must register nitrite readings of ZERO.

If you get higher readings you can correct the problem by doing partial water
changes. Adding salt to the pond (approximately .02%) also makes nitrites less
toxic to Koi. Their gills will tend to take up the added chloride ions instead of the
nitrite ions. This will help protect your fish from the nitrite ions.

Sooner or later the nitrite readings in your pond will go down. the reason for this
is that the nitrites are converted into nitrates by 'good' bacteria (nitrobacter sp).
Nitrates are quite a bit less toxic than nitrites, but you should still check them
regularly.

If the nitrate levels in your Koi water are allowed to go unchecked your Koi may
start to lose their appetites. Nitrate levels should always be kept under 60 parts
per million (ppm)/ 60 mg./liter although some Koi experts say that a nitrate level
of 100-500 ppm is not harmful to your fish.

Once again, a good solution to higher-than-normal nitrate levels is a partial water

change. The use of plants and trickle filters will also help stabilize the nitrate
levels in your pond.

Be aware that there are also metals, such as copper and iron, that are toxic to Koi
fish. Some possible sources of exposure can be heaters, pipes and even
sometimes filters!

Weekly testing for ammonia and nitrite levels is recommended, and in the very
early stages of your Koi pond even daily checks are the best way to go.

Once your pond has matured enough and you are getting consistently stable
readings you can cut down on frequency. Nitrate level testing can usually be done
only once a month. Of course, any change in the filtration system or koi pond
itself will require a return to more frequent monitoring until the readings stabilize
again.

If you take these precautions you will be assured of the best quality possible for
your Koi water.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards!

There are many Koi water quality hazards. The biggies are ammonia and nitrites
and, to a lesser extent, nitrates. Some others that are important to have
knowledge about are chlorine, chloramines, pH balance and random
contaminants.

Both chlorine and chloramines can harm fish and can burn or kill pond plants.
They will also kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria in your Koi pond.

Chlorine, which is a volatile gas, breaks down with water circulation and exposure
to air within 24-48 hours. Chloramines, on the other hand, take much longer to
dissipate.

Municipal water supplies have begun adding ammonia along with the chlorine
which results in the longer-lasting chloramines. If you add water to your pond
from a municipal supply make sure to spray it in with a hose to add aeration that
will help break down and move out the gases.

Another good option would be to let the water sit for a day or two before adding it
to your pond to make sure it doesn't constitute a Koi water quality hazard!

Sodium Thiosulfate removes chlorine from water and will also pull chlorine from
the chloramines. You can make a stock solution by adding four ounces of Sodium
Thioslufate crystals to one gallon of distilled water. One drop per gallon (50ml per
1,000 gallons) will safely de-chlorinate your pond.

pH is a measurement of whether the water is acidic or alkaline. pH is measured

on a scale ranging from 1 to 14 with 7.0 being neutral

A pH range of 6 to 8.5 is considered to be acceptable for most pond life. The

biggest worry associated with pH is its direct relationship to the toxicity of
ammonia and nitrite. For each pH number above the neutral 7 there is a tenfold
increase in those toxicities.

When the pH of your pond drops below 7 it is considered acidic. To raise the pH
try adding baking soda or ground limestone.

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If your pH exceeds 8.5 your Koi's immune systems will be stressed to the point of
becoming ill. A common cause of this can be cement or mortar leeching lime into
your pond.

You do need to watch out for a "pH crash". A "pH crash" is when in a relatively
short period of time the pH begins to drop and won't stop until it reaches 5.5.
This can happen literally overnight in a small pond. At a pH of 5.5 Koi will begin
dying within a few days.

Any time you see all the fish in your pond start to act differently at the same time
you should suspect a pH crash. If this occurs you can raise the pH by adding 1
cup of baking soda for each 1,000 gallons of water and check and repeat every
two hours until the pH is back to at least 7.0.

Run-off water is the main way that contaminants affecting Koi water quality enter
your pond. Run-off water from a nearby stream, or collected rainwater may
contain toxic insecticides, herbicides and/or fertilizers.

Rainwater from metal roofs or asbestos shingles will contaminate the pond and
can prove toxic to both your Koi and your plants.

You will also want to be careful with your lawn care practices. Don't use anything
on your lawn or garden that you don't want in your pond! Particularly if your pond
is on lower level ground.

If you see white foam near your waterfall it can indicate a high level of dissolved
organic compounds and you should perform some partial water changes and
perhaps use an additive to help handle the higher organic load.

As you can see, you need to carefully monitor your pond water. If you are
educated about what to test for, when to test and signs of some of the more
common problems, you should be well equipped to maintain a high level of Koi
water quality!

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

Is There Enough Oxygen In Your Koi Water?

Oxygen levels in your pond are one of the most important things health of your
Koi! Without enough oxygen in your Koi water your fish will die.

During the day plants and algae will produce oxygen but at night the whole
process is reversed and plants and algae actually consume oxygen. Many people
will turn off their pumps at night to conserve energy. Make sure you do not do
this or you could wake up and find a pond full of dead fish in the morning.

One of the most common ways to add oxygen to a pond is by installing a

waterfall. In fact, anything that disrupts the surface of the pond will help add
oxygen.

The only place where oxygen can effectively be transferred into the pond water is
at the surface. This is because, at the surface, atmospheric pressure on the water
and the oxygen is equal. That is why putting an air stone in the bottom of a pond
doesn't oxygenate the pond until the bubbles reach the surface and break.

A benefit of having an air stone at the bottom of the pond is that the bubbles
rising to the surface bring along with them water from the bottom of the pond.
This water is generally low in oxygen. Thus, there is a constant flow of water
moving up from the bottom where the oxygen level is lower, to the surface where
it picks up new oxygen.

If you would like an alternative to air stones you can use jets to move the water
to the surface. An advantage of using jets to move the water rather than air is
that they cause much less disruption on the surface of the pond, affording a
better view of your beautiful Koi.

The only way to accurately test the oxygen level in your Koi water is by using a
digital oxygen meter. Oxygen testers start at around $175.00. If this isn't in your
budget you will have to guess as to how much oxygen your pond contains.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

As a general rule, if the pond has an average sized waterfall and you can hear the
water flowing you probably have enough oxygen. Of course if your Koi spend
most of the day near the waterfall or near the surface of the pond you may need
to increase the oxygen level.

A pond with consistently low levels of oxygen can dramatically slow your Koi's
growth rate as well as causing many other health problems in your fish.

Typical Koi Responses To Different Oxygen Levels:

3 ppm Koi begin to die
5 ppm Koi barely survive
7 ppm Koi will live
8 ppm Koi will do well
11 ppm Koi do very well

As you can see, oxygen levels are of the utmost importance to the health of your
fish. Make sure you take these simple steps to assure proper oxygen levels in
your Koi water.

The #1 Way To Keep Koi Healthy Is With Regular

Koi Water Testing!

Water quality is to Koi as air quality is to humans. This is why Koi water quality
has more impact than anything else on your fish's overall health.

Low oxygen in a pond can kill every fish in the pond overnight. High ammonia
levels can kill fish within several days. But, even borderline levels of oxygen,
ammonia and nitrates can impact your Koi's immune system enough that they
contract other life threatening problems.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

Pond water conditions can vary significantly on a day-to-day basis. This is

especially true when a new pond goes through the initial ‘maturing process’.

As a responsible Koi owner you you need to perform frequent "indicator" Koi
water tests to make sure the water in your pond is of a sufficient quality to
support Koi health. The reason they are called indicator tests is because they are
not as accurate as those done in a laboratory setting.

You could send a water sample in to a lab for a complete water analysis but this is
generally not economically feasible.

The following are the suggested Koi water tests:

1. Ammonia test – This reading should be zero. Ammonia build-up can be
fatal to your Koi. The initial maturing process in your pond can take over six
weeks to stabilize and high ammonia readings can be extremely dangerous.
Water changes can reduce ammonia build-up and daily tests are extremely
important in new ponds.

2. Dissolved Oxygen test – This test is very helpful during the hotter months
when high water temperatures can deplete the dissolved oxygen content of the
pond water. Keeping track of your pond's temperature via a thermometer is also
recommended. Always try to maintain a reading of 6.0ppm and over. If you are
having difficulty consider adding aeration with a suitable air pump and air stones
and/or installing a waterfall. It is not healthy for your Koi to be gasping for air at
the top of the pond!

3. pH test – For healthy Koi water readings, we require a pH reading of

between 7.00 to 8.00 although a reading of 7.5 to 7.8 is optimal. In a new pond
the pH reading can fluctuate from morning to night in addition to day-by-day. It is
advisable to take morning and evening readings and record them every two days
until they are stabilized. For mature systems, generally a monthly or quarterly
pH test is all that is required.

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Koi Water Quality – The #1 Factor In Koi Health Karla Deacon

4. Nitrite test – This reading should be zero for optimum water conditions.
However, it will vary widely in new ponds and can prove to be serious if not
addressed promptly. If the reading is high then feeding should cease and constant
new water added to the system until the bacterial activity in the filter begins to be
able to handle the nitrite build-up. Nitrite readings should be taken and recorded
on a daily basis until they are consistent. After that monthly or quarterly tests
should be fine.

Although there are also many other types of tests available, these four tests are
sufficient to ensure adequate Koi water quality.

For more information about Koi and Koi pond care visit:
http://www.KoiCareBasics.com
and
http://www.KoiCareBasics.com/blog

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