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Thread: Kamikaze koi

  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    Kamikaze koi

    Woke up this morning to a koi about 5 meters from the pond on the patio. No marks to the body other than scrapes so can only assume it jumped. I had two others jump out a few weeks ago but that was within 24 hours of being moved from one pond to another so I put that down to stress and new environment.

    Pond is about a month old now and water is still looking good with 0 for ammonia and nitrites, about 20 nitrate and PH of 8.2 which it has been since day one. Haven’t cleaned the bead filter yet as i was advised to leave it for 6 weeks to start with.

    Fish have been eating ok considering it is a new pond and all fish either moved from our existing pond or were purchased (quarantined by all suppliers). I have been trying to feed at the same time and build confidence but still not massively active when feeding.

    As a newbie to proper pond keeping I don’t have a microscope yet which I understand I probably should have done by now. I have purchased a net for now to avoid any more jumping and will keep and eye on the fish as much as possible.

    Everything I have read on here says to not treat without knowing what you are treating for which makes sense but feel like I should be doing something. I know the answer is probably buy a microscope and rule that out with the water quality but I am just not sure I would be competent enough to get it right.


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  2. #2
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    Should add...the pond is 12k litres, bottom drain, sieve, bead, UV to two under water returns and a waterfall. Also have two air stones with 50l of air.


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    I think koi will jump occasionally, even without a parasitic reason. I have had fish soon after moving ponds, but have also had one do it for absolutely no reason at all once. I have jump guards round my pond to prevent it these days.

    But it's definitely worth trying to rule parasites out first. If you don't yet have the kit and are worried about doing scrapes for the first time then you could always get in someone like Lee B to do it for you, and he will teach you what he's doing as he goes along. LB Aquatics Consultants - Healthy Fish. Healthy Ponds.
    Another option is to join a local koi club if there is one, and see if any members would be prepared to help you.
    It is perfectly possible to learn how to do scrapes by reading online and watching youtube videos of the scrape process and also of the actual parasites, but it is a steep learning curve if you have little previous microscope experience.

    Also check that your pH is remaining stable between first thing in the morning and early evening- they don't like changes of more than around 0.2 a day ideally.

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    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    Nothing local here, I am based just outside St Neots in Cambs. I will see what I can come up with and might just have to take the leap and get a microscope.




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    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    How have you done your jump guard? I was thinking about fishing line in a way that would be fine for herons but more levels and tighter together.

    I have a raised sleeper build so should be pretty simple to do something


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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    How have you done your jump guard? I was thinking about fishing line in a way that would be fine for herons but more levels and tighter together.

    I have a raised sleeper build so should be pretty simple to do something


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    With my pond I just made a frame work out of 25mm PVC conduit and fittings then put a net on it with loads of cable ties holding the net to the frame. The net was doubled over for extra strength and the hole thing can be lifted off should it need to be. Just got it held down with speed clamps at the moment until I can find something more pleasing to the eye.

    Just out of interest was the fish that jumped out a Grass Carp by any chance LOL Feline knows where this is going LOL

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    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    Showa


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    It was on it's way out to have a feed on your lawn

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    My framework is round and then the pipes form a X as they go over the pond and are joined together in the middle with a cross box and are attached to the round section with T's. The cross is made slightly too big so it is raised up by 4" to 6" by the time it gets to the middle to give it a bit more strength and if I reach over and put my hand on the cross box I can put quite a bit of weight on it which is good as my cat has a tendency to walk over it and even sits in the middle watching the fish.

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    Showa


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    Sorry it's a bit of a long standing joke on here about what grass carp actually eat lol

  12. #11
    crikey how have you got zero nitrite after a month on a new system ?

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    Quote Originally Posted by familyman View Post
    crikey how have you got zero nitrite after a month on a new system ?
    That did sound a bit odd to me but just thought I'd misread it or something.

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    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    That’s what the tests are saying and I have re-tested at different times of the day and is the same each time. The test kit is about 6 weeks old so should be fine.

    I have not cleaned the filter at all and only have 8 plants in the top little pond feeding the waterfall

    I did expect after all the reading I have done to have issues but none at all yet


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    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    I plan to do a water change of 20% at the weekend so can only help things.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    That’s what the tests are saying and I have re-tested at different times of the day and is the same each time. The test kit is about 6 weeks old so should be fine.

    I have not cleaned the filter at all and only have 8 plants in the top little pond feeding the waterfall

    I did expect after all the reading I have done to have issues but none at all yet


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    Maybe the waterfall and those plants are removing, absorbing or consuming the Ammonia before your filters can convert it?

    What test kit have you got?

  18. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    KK liquid test kit


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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    KK liquid test kit


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    Not used KK ones so can't comment on how well they work. Not saying they don't work BTW.

    A lot of people use NT Labs, API, Tetra plus a few other makes.

    To prove the Ammonia kit is working OK you could drop some of your fish food into a bucket of water leave it a couple of days or so and test it to see what the results are. You will need to test the water before you add the food so you get before and after readings. If you have any household Ammonia that'll work in minutes if not seconds.

    Have you had a look on Mankey Sanke's website yet? There's loads of advice on water related stuff on there.

    Here's a link for you -

    Home

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  21. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Kyusai Rapleyr's Avatar
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    Thanks and had a brief look and will keep referring

    Steep learning curve....thought building the thing was the hard part! I did anticipate some issues with water, fish, etc as I did research before. I didn’t however anticipate fish trying to commit hara kiri!


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  23. #19
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    I know what you mean

    I lost some, well 6 or 8 in about a week a couple jumped and the rest were killed off by high Ammonia as the result of a treatment I put in the pond to get rid of the blanket weed as the instructions weren't very good. This was a few years ago now so have learnt a lot more since then.

  24. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapleyr View Post
    How have you done your jump guard? I was thinking about fishing line in a way that would be fine for herons but more levels and tighter together.

    I have a raised sleeper build so should be pretty simple to do something


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    I had some 25 cm high stainless steel balustrade posts with clamps custom made, and then had perspex panels with rounded corners machine-cut to fit.
    I will take some pics- but am not here in daylight over the next few days to do it ...

 

 
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