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Thread: Amonia spike bluh bluh bluh
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10-07-2020, 10:26 PM #1
Amonia spike bluh bluh bluh
Hey my fellow fish keepers sorry if this is one that comes up all the time but I have my own questions on it so thought I’d post away!
So I had a new pond last year and had amonia spike and nitrite spikes this was my fault to much feeding and not matured filters.
It took around a month for them to stable out and go to zero. I slowly realised my feeding wasn’t consistent and I was over feeding and was more worried about the fish going without food than the water quality.
Anyway this year I redone the pond and made it bigger etc and brought over the filters from the old pond which are fully matured. Didnt bring over any of the old pond water as I put the water through a water meter to clock the volume of water so I knew what it went.
So first month everything was fine feeding around 2-3 times a day. Doing weekly checks then realised my amonia had creeped up. So I stopped the feeding to like a tiny handful a week so the filters can catch up.
So I have seen the amonia on two occasions drop very close to the zero (yellow color) but then pop back up (green) again so I’m kind of suprised as I thought once it gone down it would stay down as I have been feeding the littlest of amounts and totally missing days of feeding aswel probably feeding two days a week and really small amounts of food.
Last year the nitrites slowly came down over a month. This year new pond nitrites are zero every time I checked but amonia seems to be jumping up and down within the space of two weeks ? Is this normal ? Only my 2nd year keeping pondfish so still fairly new for me. Thanks
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10-07-2020, 11:20 PM #2
What capacity is the new pond, how many fish and what is your filtration? Has anything else changed since the new pond? New fish added?
I am now about 14 months in to koi keeping and I have not had any issues this year with my water and I am feeding around 6 times a day.
I would assume you are aware that although you moved the filters over the pond itself will also need time to mature.
Have you seen a nitrite spike yet?
How is the nitrate levels?
I assume as this is your second season you are aware of the nitrogen cycle process.
Fishless cycling
Sorry I’m not much help in explaining why you are having the spikes but you are doing the right thing with reducing the feeding, dilution via water change and reduce/stop feeding in the spikes
Hope it stables for you soon.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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11-07-2020, 02:50 AM #3
Hey bud, thanks for the response.
My ponds just over 1000gallons and I have around 7 koi and a few goldfish all small biggest 25cm and the rest are a lot smaller. Filtration is pump fed to uv to sieve to foam to 36litre k1 moving bed then return to pond. I put the filters on the first pond and also done fish-less cycling on them before that so they would be ready for the new pond also. But yeah I am aware of the pond itself having to mature and the nitrogen cycle... that’s why I thought it was odd it was bouncing up and down and not staying steady and slowly lowering.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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11-07-2020, 09:52 AM #4
What you have done is take away the pond
Maturity. Which could equate to a 1/4 or half. Of your pond bio side of things. It all has to re mature. So in other words you have mild new pond syndrome Chaz.
Plus if you add a drum. I think it states in the instructions. With draco. It could affect your parameters for a while lol. I think it was RS told me about that lol. So your setup has completely changed from your last pond lol. It shouldn't take that long to come right. With mature media already in the filters. So just feed less and water changes mate. And patience.
Fred
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11-07-2020, 10:00 AM #5
Here it is lol.
Draco instructions
I know it says nitrites and nitrates.
But the cycle all starts with ammonia.
Lol
Fred
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11-07-2020, 12:27 PM #6
Cheers Fred mate. I haven’t lost any fish this year except from the jumper so that’s one thing! Definatly helps stopping feeding completly if water is thrown off! Last year I slowered down on feeding and lost fish this year I stopped all together prity much and seems to have done a lot better
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11-07-2020, 01:15 PM #7
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RS2OOO Thanked / Liked this Post
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11-07-2020, 01:37 PM #8
Basically it down to the weather really hot some days and cool on others.
The koi have stay hydrated so drink alot more which means they need to wee an awful lot so as a result you tend to get ammonia spikes.
hope this helpsLast edited by Sim; 11-07-2020 at 04:34 PM.
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anne Thanked / Liked this Post
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11-07-2020, 01:38 PM #9
Ok perhaps Freddy’s right
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12-07-2020, 12:46 AM #10
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12-07-2020, 05:24 PM #11
Your not takin the pith are you Sim.................
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12-07-2020, 06:53 PM #12
In my experience, Ammonia will spike occasionally, however it’s Nitrite than can be difficult to shift over at times which for prolonged periods can lead to brown blood disease for the Koi.
Salt can protect the koi during this phase mate if needed.
Cheers
GazHobby and business gone but when you’re hooked you’re hooked.
Always happy to help!!
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12-07-2020, 08:01 PM #13
How me
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12-07-2020, 09:07 PM #14
[QUOTE=Sim;341729]How me ..........Sim you've gone all back to front on me............
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Sim Thanked / Liked this Post
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13-07-2020, 03:57 PM #15
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Gazkoi Thanked / Liked this Post
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13-07-2020, 11:25 PM #16
Give it a couple more weeks and Ammonia will be the last thing on your mind lol.
Ammonia can spike up and down a bit at first but will settle relatively quickly.
Nitrite is the one I found to be a real pig.
Took me 9 months to get rid of it then once it went I've never had a reading since, whereas even now I still get the occasional Ammonia wobble, especially in spring.
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15-07-2020, 01:08 PM #17
Thanks for the response rs. I done a amonia test today and it has creeped up again even though it was nearly at zero on Sunday. It’s seems to be jumping from zero to a 0.25ppm and on the odd time I reckon 0.40ppm which is the time I have been worried. My chart goes from 0.25 then next one is 0.50 so I’m predicting 0.40ppm on the odd occasion as doesn’t seem to be as high at the 0.50 on the chart. But I’m having a zero nitrite reading though. Would it not have creeped up by now you reckon this has been going on for about 2-3 weeks I’d say. I’m feeding such little amounts I’m even getting concerned for the fish not being fed over a long period of time. I’m adding bioballs to the moving bed probably 2-3 a week. Around four handfuls for the week so a decent amount of bio balls. Just a learning lesson this one as I didn’t experience ammonia like this last year i had it show then once under control it never came back this time seems to be in and out throughout the week. Very odd.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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23-08-2020, 07:50 PM #18
Thought I would post an update on this, so it’s been almost three months since the new pond was finished. I had mature filters but the pond itself was new. As you can probably see from this post thread within a month of the new pond I started to run into amonia issues.... but I think I am out of the woods on that one now. Been increasing feeding for nearly a week now and had no spike from nitrite or amonia. I’m trying to make the most of the feeding now as the koi have been on rations due to the battle with amonia. I thought It would be worth updating just if someone’s having similar issues.
IMG_0944.JPG
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23-08-2020, 08:06 PM #19
Ace mate
Cheers
GazHobby and business gone but when you’re hooked you’re hooked.
Always happy to help!!
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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23-08-2020, 08:37 PM #20
Tbats got to be a relief for you, one part of my new pond I am not looking forward too!!
The Daily pond temp thread
Pond still covered, currently 11.6C Been really mild this year as far as pond temps go. ...