"Koi-Lo" wrote in message
...

"humBill" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the quick response
Water quality 0-0-trace - Am- Nitri- Nitra
pH 7.6 Normal, kH 120 - gH - 180
The bottom is fairly clean. Even where muck collects agains pots etc a
pool skimmer will only capture a very fine layer (not measureable) and an
occasional Oak leaf blown in from the other side of the yard. My
Nitrates
are always very low - I have lotsa plants. I do have a very heavy fish
load.

How low are your nitrates? Below 40ppm? If over that you need to start
doing partial water changes.

Perhaps my abbreviations above were too cryptic.
My Nitrates are just a slight shade above 0 not even 5 ppm.

I rarely change water at all.

Then how do you dilute and remove contaminants from the fish and decaying
plants? What is the PH of your water? Is it very hard water?

You mention several times natural contaminants. I am not sure what that is
other than Ammonia, Nitrities and Nitrates. My pH is always right in the
middle of 7 and 8. It is a bit hard with a gH of about 180 - I believe the
scale calls that moderately hard.

Many of the ponders around here aren't high on
water changes as the pH tends to be much higher going in than before it
stabilizes and chloramine water is very difficult to neutralize without
putting about a 6X dose.

Then how do you remove natural contaminants? They wont go away by
themselves. :-)


I do of course 'dechloraminate' if I top off the pond. But adding an
occasional 50 gallons (5 %) seems to have little effect on the pond
'balance'. Our water seems to come complete with ammonia, nitrites and
nitrates. I do regular water changes in my aquariums, which is why I know I
have to dose at almost 6X recommended to neutralize it - the Nitrites seem
to be the last to be neutralized.

The pond is also full sun. It seems new water can
lead to algae bloom. While my pond is not crystal clear mid summer, it
is quite visible - so I don't mess with the 'balanced pond'. I did
actually do about a 60% change accidentally,
about last October, when my sink filter outflow clogged up and
overflowed.
What do you feel is accomplished with water changes?

It's the only way to dilute and remove contaminants and keep the water
from becoming too hard and too acid.

Old water getting harder is new info to me. I did not realize this. I will
monitor it a bit more closely to make sure this is not becoming a problem,
but for 2 1/2 years it has not been.

There are a few fish missing, which I cannot find. I suspect that is why
they have been hiding all winter (Heron) but if they just died and rotted
in
the water I don't know what problems that might manifest.

If you have herons in the area you can be sure they'll take as many of
your fish as possible - but so will bullfrogs, water snakes and
Kingfishers.

btw - You had given me your opinion in FW or GF a while back about my
curved
spine, large, lethargic Oranda. It did pass 2-3 months later (as you
surmised).

Thanks for your help
Bill


And thanks again!

--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
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