Koi Fishpond With Water Clear As In A Swimming Pool

[Ullini]

I have a customer and he wanted to have his Koi fishpond (about 11mx15mx1.20m) fitted with swimming pool lights

and covered all the floor with fiberglass (2 layers). Everything looked fine but he expects the water to be clear as in a swimming pool.

We added 2 filter systems (yes big) and UV Light to fight the Algae. However the pond is under direct sun on days and the algaes

are comming back faster as the filters can clear them out? Of course now we have an unhappy customer.

But where is the solution? Bigger and bigger ? regarding the filters and UV lights? Any helpfull ideas are appreciated. Is it possible at

all? or did we attack something way over our head...

[wackysleet]

I have a customer and he wanted to have his Koi fishpond (about 11mx15mx1.20m) fitted with swimming pool lights

and covered all the floor with fiberglass (2 layers). Everything looked fine but he expects the water to be clear as in a swimming pool.

We added 2 filter systems (yes big) and UV Light to fight the Algae. However the pond is under direct sun on days and the algaes

are comming back faster as the filters can clear them out? Of course now we have an unhappy customer.

But where is the solution? Bigger and bigger ? regarding the filters and UV lights? Any helpfull ideas are appreciated. Is it possible at

all? or did we attack something way over our head...

Ullini, I am into koi carp and have apprx 100 from an average size of 12 inches with several about 24inches, my pond is 8,000 gallons or if you prefer 40,000 litres, my filtration system that I designed contains three seperate chambers measuring 4feet by 4feet by 4feet gravity fed with a through put of 8,000 gallons every 45 minutes, the water return is via 2x quarter horse power pumps, I also have 3 concrete ponds that fall into each other as waterfalls that are used as vegetable filters, I also have installed in the return pipes 4 UVlamps of 140 watts in total 2 in each return, my pond is exposed to the sun all of the time with the water virtually crystal clear, the pond is painted black which enhances the colour of the fish and I have never had any algea ever, a small amount of blanket weed coming or hanging to be precise from the waterfalls which I leave for the koi to pick at which encourages them to leave the water lillies alone, the pond is now just over 2yrs old and after the first six months I turned my UVs off and have never been bothered by the green stuff, if your interested in seeing my puddle contact me and I'll email photos, if you cannot see the colours of your koi theres no point in having them, Dave.

[wackysleet]

I have a customer and he wanted to have his Koi fishpond (about 11mx15mx1.20m) fitted with swimming pool lights

and covered all the floor with fiberglass (2 layers). Everything looked fine but he expects the water to be clear as in a swimming pool.

We added 2 filter systems (yes big) and UV Light to fight the Algae. However the pond is under direct sun on days and the algaes

are comming back faster as the filters can clear them out? Of course now we have an unhappy customer.

But where is the solution? Bigger and bigger ? regarding the filters and UV lights? Any helpfull ideas are appreciated. Is it possible at

all? or did we attack something way over our head...

Ullini, I am into koi carp and have apprx 100 from an average size of 12 inches with several about 24inches, my pond is 8,000 gallons or if you prefer 40,000 litres, my filtration system that I designed contains three seperate chambers measuring 4feet by 4feet by 4feet gravity fed with a through put of 8,000 gallons every 45 minutes, the water return is via 2x quarter horse power pumps, I also have 3 concrete ponds that fall into each other as waterfalls that are used as vegetable filters, I also have installed in the return pipes 4 UVlamps of 140 watts in total 2 in each return, my pond is exposed to the sun all of the time with the water virtually crystal clear, the pond is painted black which enhances the colour of the fish and I have never had any algea ever, a small amount of blanket weed coming or hanging to be precise from the waterfalls which I leave for the koi to pick at which encourages them to leave the water lillies alone, the pond is now just over 2yrs old and after the first six months I turned my UVs off and have never been bothered by the green stuff, if your interested in seeing my puddle contact me and I'll email photos, if you cannot see the colours of your koi theres no point in having them, Dave.

By the way Ullini, the filters are not the thing that will fix the clarity in regards the algae as it only takes a few spores to get through and your back to square one and apart from that you need to deprive them of nitrate hence the vegetable filters and/or UVs which will kill them off and keep an eye on the filters as if you get it right can soon clog with dead algae, on the face of it it sounds that whatever else is wrong depending on what fish you/customer has your filters may be too smaLL as well, you need to have a turnover rate at least every two hours minimum, depending of course on stocking levels.

[wackysleet]

I have a customer and he wanted to have his Koi fishpond (about 11mx15mx1.20m) fitted with swimming pool lights

and covered all the floor with fiberglass (2 layers). Everything looked fine but he expects the water to be clear as in a swimming pool.

We added 2 filter systems (yes big) and UV Light to fight the Algae. However the pond is under direct sun on days and the algaes

are comming back faster as the filters can clear them out? Of course now we have an unhappy customer.

But where is the solution? Bigger and bigger ? regarding the filters and UV lights? Any helpfull ideas are appreciated. Is it possible at

all? or did we attack something way over our head...

Ullini, I am into koi carp and have apprx 100 from an average size of 12 inches with several about 24inches, my pond is 8,000 gallons or if you prefer 40,000 litres, my filtration system that I designed contains three seperate chambers measuring 4feet by 4feet by 4feet gravity fed with a through put of 8,000 gallons every 45 minutes, the water return is via 2x quarter horse power pumps, I also have 3 concrete ponds that fall into each other as waterfalls that are used as vegetable filters, I also have installed in the return pipes 4 UVlamps of 140 watts in total 2 in each return, my pond is exposed to the sun all of the time with the water virtually crystal clear, the pond is painted black which enhances the colour of the fish and I have never had any algea ever, a small amount of blanket weed coming or hanging to be precise from the waterfalls which I leave for the koi to pick at which encourages them to leave the water lillies alone, the pond is now just over 2yrs old and after the first six months I turned my UVs off and have never been bothered by the green stuff, if your interested in seeing my puddle contact me and I'll email photos, if you cannot see the colours of your koi theres no point in having them, Dave.

By the way Ullini, the filters are not the thing that will fix the clarity in regards the algae as it only takes a few spores to get through and your back to square one and apart from that you need to deprive them of nitrate hence the vegetable filters and/or UVs which will kill them off and keep an eye on the filters as if you get it right can soon clog with dead algae, on the face of it it sounds that whatever else is wrong depending on what fish you/customer has your filters may be too smaLL as well, you need to have a turnover rate at least every two hours minimum, depending of course on stocking levels.

By the way to calculate the gallonage it's the length by the width by the depth then times the answer by 6.25 will give you your figure but that does not include your filters.

[ronz28]

Sounds like a variety of problems/solutions with pond water quality and clear up are discussed here but he is also selling some products.

http://www.ponddoc.com/Topics/DiagnoseWater.htm

[wackysleet]

Sounds like a variety of problems/solutions with pond water quality and clear up are discussed here but he is also selling some products.

http://www.ponddoc.com/Topics/DiagnoseWater.htm

Thanks Ron, just checked out his website,seems that he has all the answers in his products, I would find it a bit embarrassing reading his page with all the remedial products and then posting that he can't get his customers water clear, especially the one about using Barley straw, that just contains minute quantities of peroxide which very rarely work for curing algae, but then I maybe wrong,as I have never set myself up as an expert just an enthusiastic amateur.

[Ifactory]

Might be good if you could explain or show a diagram of your filtration system layout and water parameters.

If the bio system has kicked in already you should not have much problem with green water, seems like you have excessive nitrate.

[wackysleet]

Might be good if you could explain or show a diagram of your filtration system layout and water parameters.

If the bio system has kicked in already you should not have much problem with green water, seems like you have excessive nitrate.

Ifactory your right in blaming too much nitrate in the pond but there could be an abundance of Phosphate {PO3/4} present in various forms usually dominated by inorganic orthophosphate which is also a nutrient for plants and of course algae, as with nitrate, a major source of phosphate is fish waste which in turn could be related to the quality and quantity of food being fed. Phosphorus is an important source of nutrition for fish and must be included in their diets {koi}. But the downside is any undigested food will be broken down and release more phosphates that are surplus too requirements and will be entering the pond through the fish urine. Phosphorus is excreted in soluble and particulate forms, with dissolved inorganic forms being directly available to algae. In actual fact there are lots of reasons why people suffer from algae in the pond but I am boring myself and no doubt any one else reading this to tears so fairwell people.

[Ifactory]

yeah depending on the ammonia cycle status of the pond high phosphate could be a reason as well , without additional feed back of the thread starter would be difficult to direct him towards a solution isnt it?

Interested to find out how the filter is being designed and set up myself ,

You a koi junkie yourself?

[wackysleet]

yeah depending on the ammonia cycle status of the pond high phosphate could be a reason as well , without additional feed back of the thread starter would be difficult to direct him towards a solution isnt it?

Interested to find out how the filter is being designed and set up myself ,

You a koi junkie yourself?

Ifactory, your right but without knowing what his filtration system is and the medium he's using it would be hard to quantify but another source of nitrates of course is plain old tap water which in England can be as high as 50mgl also run-off from garden soil, heavy rain, and yes for my sins I guess you could call me a koi junkie, and you????

[Ifactory]

I'm still learning how to keep bacteria 555

Still in the planning stage before I venture into koi ,never had the luxury for property large enough to have a koi pond.Closest was with tosakins and ranchus.

But I'm messing with some arowanas now.

[wackysleet]

I'm still learning how to keep bacteria 555

Still in the planning stage before I venture into koi ,never had the luxury for property large enough to have a koi pond.Closest was with tosakins and ranchus.

But I'm messing with some arowanas now.

Ifactory, do you live in the kingdom? and how big is your garden, doesn't have to be a large size, there have been posters around that insist you dont need a filtration system for their dozen or so 12inch koi and they are right when you have a 3rai pond for them and never really expect to see them, but for hobbyists a smallish pond with a good filter will enable one to keep more than enough fish.

[Ifactory]

Nah , staying in Sg atm.

Non filtered ponds are perfectly ok if you keep stocking density logical .

I use non filtered non aerated mud based or green water ponds for grooming quite extensively.

I think we should start a aquarist thread some where before we get kicked out

[wackysleet]

Nah , staying in Sg atm.

Non filtered ponds are perfectly ok if you keep stocking density logical .

I use non filtered non aerated mud based or green water ponds for grooming quite extensively.

I think we should start a aquarist thread some where before we get kicked out

Your probably right as most of the post I have seen are about tilapi or other commercial stuff not much about koi.

[ronthompson]

I had a Koi pond in LA which I really did enjoy, one thing I have missed in Thailand is my Koi.

I am now in the Planning stages of installing a large Koi complex, i use the term complex because what i would like would be a waterfall pond about 4X4 feet then a big c shape run XXL (using feet) and ending with another pool 4-5 feet circle. I have seen the basic design at a few Amazon Coffee Shop located on the road from Surin to Bangkok. Realizing it could be expensive.

I am looking for some one to design it for me that know how to avoid the dead water area. Any of u guys know some one in the Buriram-Surin ares that can be of help?

For my pond in LA I was told by the local Koi farm to use SALT, so I use a 5 lb bag twice a year and my fish were happy and the green stuff was very much under control.

[wackysleet]

I had a Koi pond in LA which I really did enjoy, one thing I have missed in Thailand is my Koi.

I am now in the Planning stages of installing a large Koi complex, i use the term complex because what i would like would be a waterfall pond about 4X4 feet then a big c shape run XXL (using feet) and ending with another pool 4-5 feet circle. I have seen the basic design at a few Amazon Coffee Shop located on the road from Surin to Bangkok. Realizing it could be expensive.

I am looking for some one to design it for me that know how to avoid the dead water area. Any of u guys know some one in the Buriram-Surin ares that can be of help?

For my pond in LA I was told by the local Koi farm to use SALT, so I use a 5 lb bag twice a year and my fish were happy and the green stuff was very much under control.

Ron/TActually the use of non-iodised salt is used at the rate of 1/3g per litre, it has no bearing on the Algae but is used to help with curing fungus and it also to a point lowers the stress in koi, if I can be of help just ask.

[Ifactory]

Guys i created a thread in the pets / animals / plats forum , maybe we can cont the discussion there!