I've read this ng for several years and never posted. Now, I believe I
may have forgotten more than I ever learned and need some beginning
wisdom.

Recently put a new small pond in for a friend. It's about 350 gal,
veggie filter, mechanical filter and what will be a biological when it
makes. She does have city water with both chlorine and chlormine. I
treated both, treated water with conditioner, and added bacteria.

Ran the pond for three weeks and introduced three 3" goldfish. Two weeks
later no problem. She then added 3 small koi (from two sources) One died
the second day during the night (no apparant illness) and the second
died two days later having a 1/4" blood red spot on abdomen. Third and
gf are alive and active.

I checked water and PH is fine, no ammonia but nitrites are medium high.
I increased the air, salted at 1/2 tsp per 2 gal, did partial water
change with water treated for chlorine/chlormine. The pond has bog
plants, floaters and submerged.

Could the fish have been ill when purchased? I know the Nitrite level is
due to the natural biological bacteria not being balanced yet but still
could be lethal. My ponds use well water so I am not accustomed to
treating. Also think I have forgotten "start up" and the tears it
brings. 8-(

I am thinking of transferring water from my large ponds into her small
pond to start the process. My ponds are 7 years old, appear disease free
(crossing fingers every year) and balanced. I have read that you can
transfer water to start the balance faster.

Opinions??

Thanks,
Barb

The Koi were doomed from start since the pond is too small to support Koi,
especially without a bio filter! You also may not have allowed the pond to
age long enough.

Leave it alone with the fish in there. The 3rd Koi will probably die too!
But be patient with the pond! Focus on the filter first! The goldfish
waste will create the bacteria. Don't add any more Koi. If you want you
can add goldfish!

Algae bloom is around the corner by the way!

Keep your pond separated in all ways from your friend's pond! Don't create
problems for your pond since it seems to be fine for now!

Anyway, good luck, and thanks for bringing another person in to our pond
family!

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"Sniz" wrote in message
...
I've read this ng for several years and never posted. Now, I believe I
may have forgotten more than I ever learned and need some beginning
wisdom.

Recently put a new small pond in for a friend. It's about 350 gal,
veggie filter, mechanical filter and what will be a biological when it
makes. She does have city water with both chlorine and chlormine. I
treated both, treated water with conditioner, and added bacteria.

Ran the pond for three weeks and introduced three 3" goldfish. Two weeks
later no problem. She then added 3 small koi (from two sources) One died
the second day during the night (no apparant illness) and the second
died two days later having a 1/4" blood red spot on abdomen. Third and
gf are alive and active.

I checked water and PH is fine, no ammonia but nitrites are medium high.
I increased the air, salted at 1/2 tsp per 2 gal, did partial water
change with water treated for chlorine/chlormine. The pond has bog
plants, floaters and submerged.

Could the fish have been ill when purchased? I know the Nitrite level is
due to the natural biological bacteria not being balanced yet but still
could be lethal. My ponds use well water so I am not accustomed to
treating. Also think I have forgotten "start up" and the tears it
brings. 8-(

I am thinking of transferring water from my large ponds into her small
pond to start the process. My ponds are 7 years old, appear disease free
(crossing fingers every year) and balanced. I have read that you can
transfer water to start the balance faster.

Opinions??

Thanks,
Barb

Nitrite is lethal. That red spot usually signifies the fish died of it.
Nitrite stops the ability of blood to hold oxygen.

P.S. The bacteria you added has been proven NOT to contain the real bacteria
that completes the nitrogen cycle. Get one of your submerged rocks from your
pond, stick it into a bucket of your pond water, bring it to your friends
house and put it in. Your rock does contain the bacteria that completes the
nitrogen cycle and will spread.

Sam

"Sniz" wrote in message
...
I've read this ng for several years and never posted. Now, I believe I
may have forgotten more than I ever learned and need some beginning
wisdom.

Recently put a new small pond in for a friend. It's about 350 gal,
veggie filter, mechanical filter and what will be a biological when it
makes. She does have city water with both chlorine and chlormine. I
treated both, treated water with conditioner, and added bacteria.

Ran the pond for three weeks and introduced three 3" goldfish. Two weeks
later no problem. She then added 3 small koi (from two sources) One died
the second day during the night (no apparant illness) and the second
died two days later having a 1/4" blood red spot on abdomen. Third and
gf are alive and active.

I checked water and PH is fine, no ammonia but nitrites are medium high.
I increased the air, salted at 1/2 tsp per 2 gal, did partial water
change with water treated for chlorine/chlormine. The pond has bog
plants, floaters and submerged.

Could the fish have been ill when purchased? I know the Nitrite level is
due to the natural biological bacteria not being balanced yet but still
could be lethal. My ponds use well water so I am not accustomed to
treating. Also think I have forgotten "start up" and the tears it
brings. 8-(

I am thinking of transferring water from my large ponds into her small
pond to start the process. My ponds are 7 years old, appear disease free
(crossing fingers every year) and balanced. I have read that you can
transfer water to start the balance faster.

Opinions??

Thanks,
Barb