Well, I never expected it really.

But one of my females is spawning !!!!

What an experience this morning has been.

Yesterday everything was fine, this morning I got up to see my normally white koi (Approx 9yrs old) BRIGHT RED, I mean like over night, a whole layer of her skin was missing!!! rubbed raw I thought.

I tested the water, and one test kit showed Nitrite level to be pretty high. I freaked out… Thought I had killed her for sure. Then while I was using another test kit, which showed NO nitrite I saw that two of our other fish were chasing her, and I mean really nasty. I thought they were eating her so I scooped her out immediately and placed her in our QT tank. Rang my local Koi shop, (which is awesome by the way) and headed down there to see if my tests were correct. 

Nothing wrong at all with the water, they reckon she is spawning  due to the change in weather last night, so now I’ve been advised to drop some ropes in catch that nasty little male fish, and hopefully she’ll have her eggs. (Blighter is evading me at present, but hubby will probably catch him later)

I just am so so worried over her, bless she looks awfully stressed out.

So ANY advise here would be great 

Hope everyone else is doing good.

Dawn

Disapointed 😦

Okay, so had two of my older fish, shubumkins in the QT for almost 2 months, and I’m really disappointed in it’s filter system.

It has an Oase pump through to the trickle tower, matting and then K1 and that liquathaqua, sorry can’t spell it right. But in those two months, none of the solid waste has been picked up from the pond !! I’m disgusted with it, because it just isn’t clean enough. Even with hooering it, and cleaning every week. I’m really after some thoughts as to what else I can do. Should I put in my other pump. I have a 1300 perfect, and make another filter, hopefully one which can filter out the solids? I’m also unsure on how to go about building it and where? How big? The QT is only 750 gallon, and maybe I should swap the oase for the perfect because it’s larger, and have the smaller one on the second filter?

I’m just so unsure. Had to pop the other fish in the big pond today, because I felt so sorry for them, had to empty it totally and put in fresh water, now I need some small fish to put in and get it back to speed, but I don’t want them in a pond which is dangerous.

On the up side. I bought three new additions to the large pond, although really small. I’m scared there going to end up down the bottom drain. I think they’ll be beauties when they get bigger. My other Koi are really growing well. I put it down to this new stuff I’m using. It really is amazing. The black is darker than ever and the red is really showing. All my fish are looking spot on, especially after their rough winter.

Hope everyone else is good.

Dawn

do I have a problem.

So after last year, I am a little paranoid I think. It doesn’t help when you’ve had big problems, and lost fish, that when you notice the slightest little thing that is off, you want to fix it.

So over the winter, after getting rid of Flukes. My koi settled to a nice winter period, no problems.

Now I’m a little concerned as the weather is warming up and it seems my pond is a little ummm ‘dead’

I had blanket weed growing in abundance two months ago, in the snow covered world of my pond. Now the bottom is brown, dead, and mucky.

I’m thinking because I’ve spent a couple of days trying to get rid of the slick. And having dredged up a bit of crap, that my beautiful black and white fish, nicknamed ‘pinky’ is ringing true to her name. She was pink last night and decidedly pinker this morning. Stress from crappy water conditions I am sure. Hopefully it will go and it is nothing too deadly to flap over.

But I can’t help but flap. I’ve tried to get my local guy out to come take a look, and he’s so snowed under it doesn’t seem to be happening. Never enough time in the day. I get this.

So this year, I really am going to have to get to learn how to do this stuff myself, and buy some better equipment. Enough said.

Just venting a little really guys.

Will keep you up to date, and I do have some great pics. My sturgeon are massive now.  I’m so proud.

——————————–

LATER

Happy to know, no bugs. 

now I can relax and have a little piece of mind at least there’s nothing major. Just have to improve their water quality.

Off to watch them.

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EVEN LATER

Yeah, was a little paranoid about it. And to some yeah wasted money. But they’re my fishies, and I can’t help but love em. Glad there is nothing in there at all. Probably will take a few days for ‘pinky’ to go white again, he really really didn’t like being caught, went even redder almost instantly. Never seen a fish do that before. Just pop and red vessels started showing all over. Barry said it happens with these fish, but just was so weird to see it.

Least I know, least I’m settled… best bit of cash to spend. Now to save for a microscope and learn to do it myself I think. 

Warm summer, cold beers, sounds awesome…

D

Well treatment for the koi went in this morning. I didn’t double dose, just put one packet in, which treats for 5500 gal, mine is about 4800 tops.

pond is at 13 degrees, a couple of fish acting up tonight, my yamabuki,and a silver one, they are going nuts off the bottom. Do these bugs not like dying, do they bite more or something. Or is the treatment not as effective in the colder weather, I am gonna heat to 15 degrees and re treat in 7 days.

I just don’t like seeing them scratch, poor things.

Dawn

Okay here we go again.

Flukes this time!!!!

My poor Koi, they never seem to have any luck.  

With them still flicking over the last two weeks, I had the sense to get the professionals in once again. Mike came out and was great as usual. Caught my Utsuri and took two scrapes, gave her a once over to check gills etc. Even let me have a good look too. Then went to check the microscope.

They have flukes, a medium infestation, but still an infestation. 

I am now going to treat with Fluke M, and hope it clears them up. He advised me to give them a pretty heavy dose. So to rid of the blighters and then hit them again once after a week. I just feel so sorry for my Koi, they have really had a s**t year.

Anyway, thought I would inform you all.

Will keep you updated.

Dawn