pH question

[Rick]

Any suggestion as to what I can put into my small 160g pond to lower pH?
Should I add a certian type of rock, or should I remove some of the ones
that are in there? What type are good to raise or lower pH?
Thanx

[Bill Stock]

"Rick" > wrote in message
...
> Any suggestion as to what I can put into my small 160g pond to lower pH?
> Should I add a certian type of rock, or should I remove some of the ones
> that are in there? What type are good to raise or lower pH?
> Thanx

What's your PH now? Anything below 8.5ish should not be a problem for most
pond fish. Bouncing the PH around with chemicals will bother the fish more
than a higher PH.

My pond has a Limestone waterfall, so the PH is a pretty solid 8.4 and the
KH is around 140. Goldfish are completely happy, although plants are
sometimes a challenge.

[Rick]

"Bill Stock" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Rick" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Any suggestion as to what I can put into my small 160g pond to lower pH?
>> Should I add a certian type of rock, or should I remove some of the ones
>> that are in there? What type are good to raise or lower pH?
>> Thanx
>
> What's your PH now? Anything below 8.5ish should not be a problem for most
> pond fish. Bouncing the PH around with chemicals will bother the fish more
> than a higher PH.
>
> My pond has a Limestone waterfall, so the PH is a pretty solid 8.4 and the
> KH is around 140. Goldfish are completely happy, although plants are
> sometimes a challenge.
>
pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small koi. I
talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true? I
agree that bouncing pH around will do more harm then good, but I was
wondering if certian rocks could make a permanent difference, up or down.
All fish were fine, I thought, (5 fantail gf and now only 1 koi and a couple
plecos) but found 2 dead. Life will go on, but I really do try to keep them
alive.

[Bill Stock]

"Rick" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "Bill Stock" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Rick" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Any suggestion as to what I can put into my small 160g pond to lower pH?
>>> Should I add a certian type of rock, or should I remove some of the ones
>>> that are in there? What type are good to raise or lower pH?
>>> Thanx
>>
>> What's your PH now? Anything below 8.5ish should not be a problem for
>> most pond fish. Bouncing the PH around with chemicals will bother the
>> fish more than a higher PH.
>>
>> My pond has a Limestone waterfall, so the PH is a pretty solid 8.4 and
>> the KH is around 140. Goldfish are completely happy, although plants are
>> sometimes a challenge.
>>
> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small koi. I
> talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true? I
> agree that bouncing pH around will do more harm then good, but I was
> wondering if certian rocks could make a permanent difference, up or down.
> All fish were fine, I thought, (5 fantail gf and now only 1 koi and a
> couple plecos) but found 2 dead. Life will go on, but I really do try to
> keep them alive.

I don't have any Koi, as my puddle is too small. I would have thought 8ish
was fine for Koi. How big is your pond, how many fish, Nitrates, Nitrite,
Ammonia levels? I'd have suggested you ask over in rec.ponds, but it's
become a real cesspool.

[Mean_Chlorine]

Thusly "Rick" > Spake Unto All:

> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small koi. I
>talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true?

The pH in itself is *perfect* for koi. It can't get any better.

A lower pH helps if you're overstocked and underfiltered, as is often
the case with koi ponds, because at higher pH's you might get problem
with ammonia/nitrite (at low pH's the ammonia is transformed into less
toxic ammonium). You could check for ammonium/nitrite to see if this
is the case (plus the water probably smells nasty if this is what
killed your fish).

Info: http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longpHlevels.html

[Rick]

"Mean_Chlorine" > wrote in message
...
> Thusly "Rick" > Spake Unto All:
>
>> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small koi.
>> I
>>talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true?
>
> The pH in itself is *perfect* for koi. It can't get any better.
>
> A lower pH helps if you're overstocked and underfiltered, as is often
> the case with koi ponds, because at higher pH's you might get problem
> with ammonia/nitrite (at low pH's the ammonia is transformed into less
> toxic ammonium). You could check for ammonium/nitrite to see if this
> is the case (plus the water probably smells nasty if this is what
> killed your fish).
>
> Info: http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longpHlevels.html

>
>
No smell, not overstocked. 3 3in Koi and 4 fantail goldfish, and 2 plecos,
160gals.
I came home tonight and 3rd koi was dead. Could the plecos be doing
something? The goldfish flakes I am using say good for small ponds and koi.
Like I said, tested the water at the LFS and all he could find was the 8.0
pH. Im at a temporary lose.

[NetMax]

"Rick" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Mean_Chlorine" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Thusly "Rick" > Spake Unto All:
>>
>>> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small
>>> koi. I
>>>talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this
>>>true?
>>
>> The pH in itself is *perfect* for koi. It can't get any better.
>>
>> A lower pH helps if you're overstocked and underfiltered, as is often
>> the case with koi ponds, because at higher pH's you might get problem
>> with ammonia/nitrite (at low pH's the ammonia is transformed into less
>> toxic ammonium). You could check for ammonium/nitrite to see if this
>> is the case (plus the water probably smells nasty if this is what
>> killed your fish).
>>
>> Info: http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longpHlevels.html
>
>>
>>
> No smell, not overstocked. 3 3in Koi and 4 fantail goldfish, and 2
> plecos, 160gals.
> I came home tonight and 3rd koi was dead. Could the plecos be doing
> something? The goldfish flakes I am using say good for small ponds and
> koi. Like I said, tested the water at the LFS and all he could find was
> the 8.0 pH. Im at a temporary lose.


You would need to provide us with the ammonia and nitrite levels of the
pond. Plecos can attack Goldies but systematically one per day is very
unlikely. A description of the corpse might help someone here, but a
description of the survivors might be more useful.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Rick]

"NetMax" > wrote in message
.. .
> "Rick" > wrote in message
> m...
>>
>> "Mean_Chlorine" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Thusly "Rick" > Spake Unto All:
>>>
>>>> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small
>>>> koi. I
>>>>talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true?
>>>
>>> The pH in itself is *perfect* for koi. It can't get any better.
>>>
>>> A lower pH helps if you're overstocked and underfiltered, as is often
>>> the case with koi ponds, because at higher pH's you might get problem
>>> with ammonia/nitrite (at low pH's the ammonia is transformed into less
>>> toxic ammonium). You could check for ammonium/nitrite to see if this
>>> is the case (plus the water probably smells nasty if this is what
>>> killed your fish).
>>>
>>> Info: http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longpHlevels.html
>>
>>>
>>>
>> No smell, not overstocked. 3 3in Koi and 4 fantail goldfish, and 2
>> plecos, 160gals.
>> I came home tonight and 3rd koi was dead. Could the plecos be doing
>> something? The goldfish flakes I am using say good for small ponds and
>> koi. Like I said, tested the water at the LFS and all he could find was
>> the 8.0 pH. Im at a temporary lose.
>
>
> You would need to provide us with the ammonia and nitrite levels of the
> pond. Plecos can attack Goldies but systematically one per day is very
> unlikely. A description of the corpse might help someone here, but a
> description of the survivors might be more useful.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
Nitrate 0, nitrite 0, amonia 0, pH 8
The dead kio all seemed to be missing scales, and the gold fish all appear
to be fine. this is really upsetting me. I hope I don't have killer plecos.

[Rick]

"Mean_Chlorine" > wrote in message
...
> Thusly "Rick" > Spake Unto All:
>
>> pH is 7.8 to 8.0, I thought I was ok, but last night I lost 2 small koi.
>> I
>>talked to my LFS guy and he said that is too high for koi. Is this true?
>
> The pH in itself is *perfect* for koi. It can't get any better.
>
> A lower pH helps if you're overstocked and underfiltered, as is often
> the case with koi ponds, because at higher pH's you might get problem
> with ammonia/nitrite (at low pH's the ammonia is transformed into less
> toxic ammonium). You could check for ammonium/nitrite to see if this
> is the case (plus the water probably smells nasty if this is what
> killed your fish).
>
> Info: http://www.pond-doctor.co.uk/longpHlevels.html
>
>
The web site did answer my questions, but now the mystery thickens