Water parameters

[ghindle]

I need some advice on where I am at with the nitrification cycle, and if there is anything that i need to do ( apart from water changes and restrict food)

Pond size 23300 L - fibreglass some algae stuck to sides but no string or blanket weed, and clear water.
2 bottom drains feeding filter with air powered by airpumps
Synergy 35 multi - 100 L HEL X
Amalgam 80W
Flow rate to pond by 2 Varipumps ~15000 L per hour
Surface skimmer to filter
Automatic Water topup via big blue dechlorintor - which i have now changed to trickle in /out

Filter has been up and running since September 2023

6 koi - 85cm , 3 x 35cm , 2 20cm, 10 small goldfish

Water measurements using Hanna 83303
The ammonia levels have been falling with a combination of water changes and reduced feeding. Stable PH for a very long time.
Currently
NH3 0.03 mg/L
N02 0.267 mg/L
N03 27.4 mg/L
PH 8.0
Alkalinity 226
Chlorine 0
KH 12.5
Temperature 18.4 ( small increases over last month)

I have reduced food to 50 % and just completed a further 15% water change. I have seen a drop in Ammonia but a spike in Nitrite, and i was expecting a fall in nitrite after the water change.

Any advice analysis would be helpful

[Alburglar]

You are well over new pond syndrome if it's been running since September. If that is what you're asking?
Sounds like trickle in would be they way forward and you're already on that, along with reduced feeding etc. But you should test your source water to see if that's the issue?
You have low stock levels, so it doesn't look like that's an issue. Perhaps filters took a knock? Have you treated lately for parasites?
Perhaps some filter bacteria as a quick fix for nitrite.

[Ajm]

Personally I way I understand it NPS can take up to and past 2 years to fully mature

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[Maddog1]

You have to give it more time, The filter will just be starting to run something like at those temps. How are your fish behaving? Have you measured your tickle in rate?

[Maddog1]

Plastic media can be a pig to get on top with Nitrite, I like to run something porous with it, pumice etc.

[Maddog1]

I would want to add a shower, you need some more media.

[NamoAmituofo]

Is there enough air going into your bio chamber to really boil? Plastic media takes a long time to mature.

Like said above you can invest in a bakki shower. I’d get the largest 4 tier you can find and buy the bio home media to fill it. Still you’ll need to take it easy with feeding as this shower won’t mature till next summer. It’s still well worth doing as you’ll save the existing fish from prolonged ammonia and nitrite exposure, plus future proof you feeding capacity.

While this shower matures, for rest of this summer you can add zeolite as temp fix for ammonia, into a separate unit after bio and before shower. For nitrite you can add salt to let you ride the nitrite spike.