Hi, a couple of months ago I moved in a new house with a pond.

I was thrilled, but I soon discovered that the pond was left abandoned for
months. I knew nothing of ponds, but quickly I grew attached and fascinated
by my Kois. I spent many days by the pond feeding the kois and enjoying
them.

One day, we were trying to get the dead leaves out, and toward the end of
the day a garden hose fell in the pond. I did not noticed.

The day after, I found 28 dead kois (7" to 12") splashed around the
overfilled pond and one lone small goldfish alive inside.

The hose was spraying full force and the pond was crystal clear.

I was devastated! I cried like a baby. These kois had become my best friends
and my morning ritual. To this day I can't go by the pond without feeling a
knot in my stomach.

Being new at ponds and not knowing any better, we (my wife and I) went out
and bought 12 baby kois (we had the water tested beforehand) and repopulated
the pond.

I have 2 questions: 1) What did the kois died of? One thing I feel I must
add is that the filter was clogged when I found them)

2) my wife is obsessed with the pond being clear, I would rather have the
pond dirty and happy, live Kois. She is going ahead with emptying the pond
and clean the muck from the bottom. We have a Pump wet-dry vac and all the
chemicals plus the testing strips. How would you do it? The pond is 900/1200
gallons, 3-4 ft deep and L shaped. We have now 3 bio-filtered pumps.

I am telling my wife to leave it alone and let the chemicals and pumps do
their work, but she won't listen and has acquired enough opinions from pond
shops to uphold her way of doing things.

I, don't want to lose one single Koi, or I'll be heartbroken again.

Ideas?

Thank you very much

Pond in California