[Worldwide Koi Club] Ammonia problem
Darren, Your filter system should be adequate for the size of pond you have, as long as at least 1/2 of it is set up with biofilter media. If more than 1/2 is biofiltration, so much the better. You can never really have TOO MUCH biofiltration with koi in the pond. The Japanese Matala (I’m assuming that’s the matting you wrote of) is a great choice of bio media. If you can find a good replacement for the lava rock, so much the better. Lava rock is great as a biofilter media (for awhile), but then with age becomes more of problem than it’s really worth (messy, heavy, and hard to clean).
With that said, I think your fish load is a bit on the high side for the size pond you have, but as long as the biofilter is able to keep the Ammonia and Nitrite levels put out by the koi at, or very near “ZERO”, you shouldn’t run into too much trouble with the koi. My worries would be in the near future as your koi continue to develop and grow. The biofilter may become unable to handle the increased toxins put out by the larger fish load. That especially holds true if you continue feeding your koi as much as you say you are. In my opinion, you are feeding your koi way too much, and should cut back drastically. Koi are little pigs when it comes to eating. Just because they come begging for food every time you go to the pond, doesn’t mean they need to be fed. As long as you throw them food, they’ll eat. The more food the koi consume, the harder their digestive systems have to work and the more toxins (pooh and Ammonia) they will pollute the water with, …. which in turn will place a heavier work load on your filter system (especially the biofilter).
When feeding your koi, most koi sites tell you to give them enough food to allow them to eat for five minutes. I personally think they should be given only enough food for 2-3 minute feedings. I also believe they really don’t need to be fed more than twice per day. An old saying that long time koi hobbyists always say is “You’ll never see a koi die from being under fed, but many will die from being over fed”. That’s a pretty darned accurate saying. Most koi that become ill and die have started their downhill slide to illness because of problems with the water they live in. Poor water conditions lead to problems that weaken the koi immunity levels. With their immunity levels being in a lowered state, the koi become easy targets for illness and parasites, which in turn can lead to death.
What area of the country are you located? What is the water temp of your pond at this time of year, and how high do the water temps get before starting to cool down.
Don ikeepkoi
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Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
