pH question
 

Hi: This is my first pond. 500 gallons with waterfall, EPDM liner,
planted (bogs, oxygenators, one small water lily), 2 shubunkins, 2
sarasa comets, 3 kois all about 4 inches. The fish and plants are doing
fine, growing great. The water is clear down to the three foot end but
slightly brown. Filtration is upflow through the waterfall (two bags of
biomedia and filter pads) and a TetraPond trickle filter with two pads
and bioball-type media with a UV sterilizer. The pond is about six
weeks old now and I've noticed the pH had begun creeping up to about ph
9.0 this past week (checked with both a pH color test kit and a portable
pH meter). During the day it fluctuates between about 8.5 in the AM and
about 9.1 in the late afternoon. Ammonia and nitrite are not detectable.

Do I have anything to be worried about? Should I be doing a water
change(s) or should I leave well enough alone since the fish seem to be
doing just fine.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
Joe

Sorry,
I didn't have my preferences set correctly for my Email address.

Joe


j wrote:

Hi: This is my first pond. 500 gallons with waterfall, EPDM liner,
planted (bogs, oxygenators, one small water lily), 2 shubunkins, 2
sarasa comets, 3 kois all about 4 inches. The fish and plants are doing
fine, growing great. The water is clear down to the three foot end but
slightly brown. Filtration is upflow through the waterfall (two bags of
biomedia and filter pads) and a TetraPond trickle filter with two pads
and bioball-type media with a UV sterilizer. The pond is about six
weeks old now and I've noticed the pH had begun creeping up to about ph
9.0 this past week (checked with both a pH color test kit and a portable
pH meter). During the day it fluctuates between about 8.5 in the AM and
about 9.1 in the late afternoon. Ammonia and nitrite are not detectable.

Do I have anything to be worried about? Should I be doing a water
change(s) or should I leave well enough alone since the fish seem to be
doing just fine.

Thanks in advance for your advice.
Joe

I believe most would suggest you first check to make sure you dont have
anything which will naturally raise your pH such as limestone rock, concrete
blocks (that's the only two I can remember). If not, a stable pH even
though on the high side will be fine for your fish. It is the significant
pH swings which are bad for the fish. I would think your swing is very
common. Sorry I was going to say no problem but there are also some plants
which wont thrive as well (??) and ammonia (if it developes) is much more
toxic at higher pH.
HTH some
Bill Brister - Austin, Texas

I believe most would suggest you first check to make sure you dont have
anything which will naturally raise your pH such as limestone rock, concrete
blocks (that's the only two I can remember). If not, a stable pH even
though on the high side will be fine for your fish. It is the significant
pH swings which are bad for the fish. I would think your swing is very
common. Sorry I was going to say no problem but there are also some plants
which wont thrive as well (??) and ammonia (if it developes) is much more
toxic at higher pH. HTH some Bill Brister - Austin, Texas

Right. :o) Gonna have to change your Newbie handle.

I would add: Check your KH/Total Alkalinity, do a test on your tap water of
both pH and KH. With no showing of ammonia, a water change is always wise
and you should be doing 10-15% weekly anyway. See this website as a good
reference: http://www.koiclubsandiego.org/H2oQual.html ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

"jrio" wrote in message
et...
Sorry,
I didn't have my preferences set correctly for my Email address.

Fake addresses are perfectly legitimate on most usenet groups and will not
have any effect on how your posts are seen. That is a normal spamresitant
technique.
--
Crashj (not my real name)