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  1. #1
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai Andymadd's Avatar
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    Game of Chicken ?

    Hi

    Now I am merrily doing my new filter maturation process and Ammonia is creeping up as I expect, no Nitrite showing yet that would be nice, so I would know we are moving in the right direction.

    So the game of chicken when do I blink and start changing water? fish are happy at the moment at 0.5 Ammonia. I understand the filter will mature better if I don't change water but will the fish ? I may leave it another 24 hrs if I see Nitrite I will be happy if not........

    This is about day 10 ish.

    Andy



  2. #2
    Don't believe the myth that a biofilter won't mature if you do water changes. As long as there is a measurable level of ammonia, the ammonia bugs (nitrosomonas) will be able to form a colony. Once they do, the nitrite they produce will encourage the nitrite bugs (nitrobacter) to form a colony.

    An ammonia level of 0.5 mg/L isn't too bad but, for the health of your fish, keep it from going any higher by water changes, and, especially as nitrite appears, you must do water changes prevent the nitrite from exceeding 0.2 mg/L.

    I assume you know that you can also help prevent these levels from rising by restricting or even stopping feeding.

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  4. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    At 0.5 ammonia my Koi would be visibly off-colour and flashing like hell. I would be doing urgent water changes at any amount above 0.25mg/l ..... in my pond.

    My PH is 8.2 and this along with temperature is a factor when determining toxicity.

    As for Nitrites, mine were 2.0mg/l throughout much of last summer and other than lack of growth my Koi didn't show symptoms (but I had added salt to lessen the effects). Others might well have a pond full of dead koi at that level.

    So the effects are different based on other factors such as PH and temperature.

    Regardless, Manky Sanke's good advice still stands. Reduce feeding and keep changing water. Any ammonia level is adequate to get the cycle started and more ammonia won't necessarily speed it up, and may even hinder the nitrite eating bugs.

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  6. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai Andymadd's Avatar
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    Cheers for the advice no food today and I will keep my eye on things. But test kits are rubbish they jump in huge increments mine goes from 0.5 to 1.0 so thats double in one go.

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