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#1
04-20-2007, 05:58 AM
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Koi tank advice
Hi all!
I've told my friend I'd help get his Koi tank back into shape for him, but I need some advice on how to go about cleaning this tank. I took my test kits over to his place to check the water and the results came out worse than I expected :P The tank water has a green tinge to it. The tank gallon size is about 60-70 gallons and houses 2 large Koi which have been in the tank since babies. Ammonia : 8ppm + (off the scale) Nitrite: 0 Nitate: 100 +(?) off the scale Phosphate : 2ppm (not sure if this is really needed...) The tank has a Aqua clear 500 running for a filter and a large pump/filter thing (not sure what its doing...) running from under the tank. There is no gravel in the tank. My experience is mainly with saltwater which is why I'm not sure how to proceed with cleaning up this tank. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do with regards to water changes etc.? Thanks, Eric 
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#2
04-20-2007, 11:56 AM
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I think do water change slowly so the fish can adapt to it. Most koi love green and dirty water and that is how they survive in the wild or lake. They eat algae for food. Put new Charcoal bag to filter out smell and stuff from the water.
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#3
04-20-2007, 06:17 PM
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If you are getting an ammonia reading in a tank with an established filter system then it does not have enough bio filtration capacity.
You either have to add another filter, replace what you have with a larger one, or add more bio media to the existing filter if there is room in it. To get rid of the Nitrate just do some big water changes. What is the PH? If it is really low, 5 or so, then you will have to do the water changes slowly so the fish can adjust to the rising PH.
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#4
04-20-2007, 06:47 PM
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Also, koi are extremely messy fish & shouldn't be kept in such a small tank. They really are pond fish. We had some large goldfish in a med. tank before & it required 100% water changes every few days or it was just full of fish poop. These fish willl overwhelm even good cannister filters, like an Eheim, IMO & IME. Your friend will probably need to upgrade both tank & filtration if he wants to keep those koi long-term. Nothing smaller than a 6' 110g and probably a couple of AC500s & a good cannister filter IMO.
Anthony
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If you see it, can take care of it, better get it or put it on hold. Otherwise, it'll be gone & you'll regret it!
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#5
04-20-2007, 06:55 PM
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I have a few tanks with Kois and one is a 90g tank which houses two 16". I do large water changes, add some Prime, run charcoal with multiple foam filters. No gravel in the tank as they are very messy fish and makes cleaning alot harder. Never had issues with the large water changes, but I think the key is I have lots of water circulation. Dirty water will lead to infections.
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Mike 150g reef, 55g sump, T5's, Vertech 200A, Profilux III - German made is highly over rated, should just say Gerpan made. Reefkeeper - individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms.
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#6
04-20-2007, 07:05 PM
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I think over 100g will not enough one day.. .. I got 2 18" Koi.. Migrate fish from tank to a huge water tub that around 6' x 6' x 4' in the furnace room.
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#7
04-21-2007, 12:53 AM
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Thanks for the advice everyone!
You all are saying about the same as what I was thinking too. I know the tank is not large enough for these fish. So I will recommend he get a 100+ gallons tank. In the mean time I will help with doing water changes and check the filter media. Thank you!
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#8
04-22-2007, 12:25 AM
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make sure you do the water change slowly as the Koi currently used to the dirty water... so a quick change from dirty to clean water migth causing problem
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