We recently had a koi pond installed by a company using Aquascape products
(biofilter, skimmer, pond liner covered with gravel). We live in the South
Bay area of Los Angeles. We just had a new koi get sick and I did a little
sleuthing on the net and it seems that the gravel of the bottom of the pond
collects debris where bacteria and other organisms can breed. Has anyone
had success with koi in a gravel bottom pond? Thanks.

"old dirtbeard" wrote in message
y.com...
We recently had a koi pond installed by a company using Aquascape products
(biofilter, skimmer, pond liner covered with gravel). We live in the
South Bay area of Los Angeles. We just had a new koi get sick and I did
a little sleuthing on the net and it seems that the gravel of the bottom
of the pond collects debris where bacteria and other organisms can breed.
Has anyone had success with koi in a gravel bottom pond? Thanks.
=================================
In nature the bottom of rivers, lakes and ponds are soil mixed with assorted
size gravel and stones. The fish thrive. Unless the gravel is deep and
anaerobic areas are developing there should be no problem. I had gravel in
one pond the first year and removed it all the second year. The fish were
healthy but it was too hard to shop-vac the bottom with the dirty gravel in
place. The mulm would swirl up out of the gravel when I tried refilling the
pond. I'd rather have a clean liner bottom, more crud goes to the filter
that way.

You don't actually know what made the koi sick. It could be parasites or
almost anything........
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
All rude and/or obscene messages posted in my
name are by my impersonator.
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:01:02 GMT, "old dirtbeard"
wrote:

We recently had a koi pond installed by a company using Aquascape products
(biofilter, skimmer, pond liner covered with gravel). We live in the South
Bay area of Los Angeles. We just had a new koi get sick and I did a little
sleuthing on the net and it seems that the gravel of the bottom of the pond
collects debris where bacteria and other organisms can breed. Has anyone
had success with koi in a gravel bottom pond? Thanks.

Actually a lot of people have, but AS system were truly meant to be shallow
goldfish ponds (even though they always show koi in them). If the AS pond
is fairly recently, I highly doubt it was the pond that made the fish sick.
With a good immune system, the koi should be able to handle it. Thus said,
this is what we need to know to help, fill out the form below. Can't answer
the question? Leave it blank. ~ jan

Sick Fish or Sick Pond Form

Please describe your problem, including fish characteristics, like;
whirling, flashing, gasping at surface, wounds, etc.:

Pond Size in Gallons? (litres*.26=US Gallons):

Water Source (Well, Irrigation, City?)
If City how is water treated?: =

Time in Operation?
(How old is the pond/water?):

Liner type? (EPDM,PVC,RUBBER,Cement/Concrete etc):

Fish Population?
Type? Size? QTY, Time in Pond:

Food? Type and Frequency of feedings.:

Pump Type, IN/OUT of pond, GPH etc
(Describe your filtration system as well as possible):

Prefilter media type? Last cleaned?:

Filter is BIO or Mechanical? Last cleaned? How?:

Carbon added? How much? When last changed?:

Aeration? Waterfalls? Bubblers?
Venturies?:

Water Temp?

pH?:

KH?:

Ammonia (ppm or mg/l):

Nitrite (ppm or mg/l):

Nitrate (ppm or mg/l):

Water Color, cloudiness, odor?:

Water changes? (% of pond volume and how often):

Additives used (water conditioners etc):

Tests done by self or another?:

Weather (what's it been like lately?):

Medications used?:

What Zone or Country of residence?:

~ jan
--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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