"Ann in Houston" wrote in message
...
No, I didn't take a new one and put it outside. Ingrid said I needed to
have a koi as a test fish, but I don't want to sacrifice any of my own
koi.

I don't use "test fish" and never found that necessary. What if the test
fish has immunity to whatever the new fish has? And what do you do with the
test fish after the quarantine time is over? To each his or her own
way.......

I only was saying that the only koi I wouldn't mind testing with would be
one from the lfs, but that I didn't think that would serve the purpose
since it wouldn't be from my own pond.
The new fish I just bought was in a bldg. without any climate control,
just out of the rain, sun and wind. Right now, he's indoors because I
don't want to just put him out in the somewhat neglected tank on the patio
with the goldies. I want to improve the water somewhat.

Lots and lots of partial water changes. :-) Filtering and aeration would
also help. Get a cheap powerhead and make one of the filters like I have.
Cheap, easy and effective.

We just got in from SA
this afternoon and I had too much to do and too stormy a day to set up the
tank today. We are on a well, but the tank is full of rainwater, right
now.

Watch the hardness as rain water can make the water too soft and even acid
depending on where you live (acid rain). Also it has no buffering capacity.
A PH crash can kill all your fish.

Our highs are mostly in the mid to upper 70's now. We start most days
around 60 degrees. I don't know how I would keep him inside with enough
water to accommodate him and one other one.

Gotcha!
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö