Help - My fish won't feed

[Mark Cable]

If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful. I have a 3,000 gallon
pond with 7 Koi about 20-25ins each, normal bio filter with sediment chamber
set up. Due to the recent hot weather (water temp 23c here!) I decided to
treat the fish to some extra oxygen so I bought an air pump and two
airstones, installed it all and switched it on expecting the fish to enjoy
this extra boost. What did they do? Swam to the bottom of the pond and hid
under the venturi to get as far from the airstones as possible. A bit of
moving and tweaking and they are now swimming around normally. Except they
have stopped feeding - It's been nearly a week now of the hottest weather
and I've had to fish out every pellet that I've put in - They don't even
rise when the food goes in. I tried switching the air pump off for a day but
that didn't make any difference to them either. There is nothing else edible
in the pond except a very small amount of residual blanket weed from a pond
balance treatment two months ago which they nibble at occasionally as they
always have done. All other factors are the same: Perfect Ammonia, Nitrate
and Nitrite levels. PH around 7.5 - 8.0 (where it normally is) same food fed
in the same place at the same time as normal. I understand that Koi are
sensitive, but surely after a week they would get used to the airstones
(they're turned down low so they don't create a massive current). Any
suggestions?

[Benign Vanilla]

"Mark Cable" > wrote in message
...
> If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful. I have a 3,000
gallon
> pond with 7 Koi about 20-25ins each, normal bio filter with sediment
chamber
> set up. Due to the recent hot weather (water temp 23c here!) I decided to
> treat the fish to some extra oxygen so I bought an air pump and two
> airstones, installed it all and switched it on expecting the fish to enjoy
> this extra boost. What did they do? Swam to the bottom of the pond and hid
> under the venturi to get as far from the airstones as possible. A bit of
> moving and tweaking and they are now swimming around normally. Except they
> have stopped feeding - It's been nearly a week now of the hottest weather
> and I've had to fish out every pellet that I've put in - They don't even
> rise when the food goes in. I tried switching the air pump off for a day
but
> that didn't make any difference to them either. There is nothing else
edible
> in the pond except a very small amount of residual blanket weed from a
pond
> balance treatment two months ago which they nibble at occasionally as they
> always have done. All other factors are the same: Perfect Ammonia, Nitrate
> and Nitrite levels. PH around 7.5 - 8.0 (where it normally is) same food
fed
> in the same place at the same time as normal. I understand that Koi are
> sensitive, but surely after a week they would get used to the airstones
> (they're turned down low so they don't create a massive current). Any
> suggestions?

I'd continue on your normal schedule. I don't think I have ever heard of a
fed fish starving to death. They'll come and get it when they are ready. You
may also want to try letting some of the pellets sink. Don't net them out.
Let them fall to the fish and see what they do.

BV.

[Ka30P]

Converting to F, that means your water temp is 73.... okay, that's the limit of
my knowledge ;-) but I did find a discussion on another board that may answer
your question.
http://www.koi.com.my/forum/KOI_Talk_C1/Pond_Water_Quality_F3/Water_Too_Wa
rm_P31057/


kathy :-)
<A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/">Once upon a pond</A>

[RichToyBox]

I have a very large amount of air coming from three airstones in my larger
pond, raising the water level above the airstones almost a half inch. I
don't remember my koi having any concerns with the air stones. At times
they play and roll in the current. I would boost the air flow back to
maximum, since their is no such thing as too much. Was there anything else,
like a heron that came the same day you installed the air stones?
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"Mark Cable" > wrote in message
...
> If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful. I have a 3,000
gallon
> pond with 7 Koi about 20-25ins each, normal bio filter with sediment
chamber
> set up. Due to the recent hot weather (water temp 23c here!) I decided to
> treat the fish to some extra oxygen so I bought an air pump and two
> airstones, installed it all and switched it on expecting the fish to enjoy
> this extra boost. What did they do? Swam to the bottom of the pond and hid
> under the venturi to get as far from the airstones as possible. A bit of
> moving and tweaking and they are now swimming around normally. Except they
> have stopped feeding - It's been nearly a week now of the hottest weather
> and I've had to fish out every pellet that I've put in - They don't even
> rise when the food goes in. I tried switching the air pump off for a day
but
> that didn't make any difference to them either. There is nothing else
edible
> in the pond except a very small amount of residual blanket weed from a
pond
> balance treatment two months ago which they nibble at occasionally as they
> always have done. All other factors are the same: Perfect Ammonia, Nitrate
> and Nitrite levels. PH around 7.5 - 8.0 (where it normally is) same food
fed
> in the same place at the same time as normal. I understand that Koi are
> sensitive, but surely after a week they would get used to the airstones
> (they're turned down low so they don't create a massive current). Any
> suggestions?
>
>

[dkat]

Problem is covariance. Could be the fish are hanging out in cooler spots
(dark and deep - appear to be hiding). Could be that it is too warm for
them to be interested in eating... Could be there is enough oxygen in the
pond so they don't need to suck up to the air stones (doesn't mean that
isn't why there is enough oxygen)...


"Mark Cable" > wrote in message
...
> If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful. I have a 3,000
gallon
> pond with 7 Koi about 20-25ins each, normal bio filter with sediment
chamber
> set up. Due to the recent hot weather (water temp 23c here!) I decided to
> treat the fish to some extra oxygen so I bought an air pump and two
> airstones, installed it all and switched it on expecting the fish to enjoy
> this extra boost. What did they do? Swam to the bottom of the pond and hid
> under the venturi to get as far from the airstones as possible. A bit of
> moving and tweaking and they are now swimming around normally. Except they
> have stopped feeding - It's been nearly a week now of the hottest weather
> and I've had to fish out every pellet that I've put in - They don't even
> rise when the food goes in. I tried switching the air pump off for a day
but
> that didn't make any difference to them either. There is nothing else
edible
> in the pond except a very small amount of residual blanket weed from a
pond
> balance treatment two months ago which they nibble at occasionally as they
> always have done. All other factors are the same: Perfect Ammonia, Nitrate
> and Nitrite levels. PH around 7.5 - 8.0 (where it normally is) same food
fed
> in the same place at the same time as normal. I understand that Koi are
> sensitive, but surely after a week they would get used to the airstones
> (they're turned down low so they don't create a massive current). Any
> suggestions?
>
>

[Tim Downie]

Mark Cable wrote:
> If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful.

I'm not an experienced ponder but here's a thought.

Could it be that by adding the airstones you've destroyed the normal
stratification of the water (cooler at the bottom, warm at the top)?

Obviously you've had water circulating all the time with your filtration but
now you've changes the way water's moving in your pond. By improving the
mixing you've perhaps robbed the fish of some of their "comfort zones".

Tim

--
Remove the obvious to reply by email.

[matrix j]

I had the same problem with my koi when I introduce some as's to my
pond. They stayed away for about 1 day.

Usually there is always ONE fish with the most guts that leads the
others out of hiding...luckily I have 4 that are not shy as the rest.
And yes those 4 are the fattest! ;-)

[[email protected]]

what is the temp of the water?
most fish play in air bubbles, perhaps there was a predator made a visit.
Ingrid

"Mark Cable" > wrote:
>If anyone can help me with this I'd be most grateful. I have a 3,000 gallon
>pond with 7 Koi about 20-25ins each, normal bio filter with sediment chamber
>set up. Due to the recent hot weather (water temp 23c here!) I decided to
>treat the fish to some extra oxygen so I bought an air pump and two
>airstones, installed it all and switched it on expecting the fish to enjoy
>this extra boost. What did they do? Swam to the bottom of the pond and hid
>under the venturi to get as far from the airstones as possible. A bit of
>moving and tweaking and they are now swimming around normally. Except they
>have stopped feeding - It's been nearly a week now of the hottest weather
>and I've had to fish out every pellet that I've put in - They don't even
>rise when the food goes in. I tried switching the air pump off for a day but
>that didn't make any difference to them either. There is nothing else edible
>in the pond except a very small amount of residual blanket weed from a pond
>balance treatment two months ago which they nibble at occasionally as they
>always have done. All other factors are the same: Perfect Ammonia, Nitrate
>and Nitrite levels. PH around 7.5 - 8.0 (where it normally is) same food fed
>in the same place at the same time as normal. I understand that Koi are
>sensitive, but surely after a week they would get used to the airstones
>(they're turned down low so they don't create a massive current). Any
>suggestions?
>



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