Water PH

I have no fish in my pond as yet, I will be stocking next spring but I was
wondering I haven't tested my ph as yet if I get a high reading how does one
lower the ph and or if the ph is very low how does one raise it, so it will
accommodate Japanese Koi.
I have never kept Japanese koi before so I know it is not an easy thing to
do I am a complete beginner with koi.
Mostyn

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 07:15:50 GMT, "mostyn30" wrote:

I have no fish in my pond as yet, I will be stocking next spring but I was
wondering I haven't tested my ph as yet if I get a high reading how does one
lower the ph and or if the ph is very low how does one raise it, so it will
accommodate Japanese Koi.
I have never kept Japanese koi before so I know it is not an easy thing to
do I am a complete beginner with koi.
Mostyn

If the pH is over 8.4 soak the pond with a gallon of muriatic acid per
1,000 gallons till pH stays well below 7.0 (add more if acid if necessary).
Drain, rinse, fill, check pH after a month of sitting. Repeat above if
necessary.

If pH is under 6.5. Add baking soda, 1 cup/1000 and retest, repeat till pH
is where you want it. ~ jan


~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

as a campaigner for old water I'd just like to congratulate you for not
digging a hole, filling with water and shoving in fish all in one afternoon

I'm not sure all this testing is worth the price of the kits. If the pond
has settled you'll be all right. If not you're going to chuck in chemicals
to raise this and that, and then to lower it again. I think you've left the
pond to settle itself and all will be well


"mostyn30" wrote in message
...
I have no fish in my pond as yet, I will be stocking next spring but I was
wondering I haven't tested my ph as yet if I get a high reading how does
one lower the ph and or if the ph is very low how does one raise it, so it
will accommodate Japanese Koi.
I have never kept Japanese koi before so I know it is not an easy thing to
do I am a complete beginner withkoi.
Mostyn

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:38:03 +0100, "Oxymel of Squill"
wrote:

"mostyn30" wrote in message
...
I have no fish in my pond as yet, I will be stocking next spring

as a campaigner for old water I'd just like to congratulate you for not
digging a hole, filling with water and shoving in fish all in one afternoon

I'm not sure all this testing is worth the price of the kits. If the pond
has settled you'll be all right. If not you're going to chuck in chemicals
to raise this and that, and then to lower it again. I think you've left the
pond to settle itself and all will be well

The kit will allow you to know when it is time to add fish. Unless
there is a source of waste matter, however, there is no way to start
the reaction cycle. Some people add bacteria or various starters, but
the missing element is actually waste matter. If you do not add fish
you will need to add your own.
"Beer me, Marge, the pond's full"

--
Crashj

Oxywhat? of Squill wrote:

as a campaigner for old water I'd just like to congratulate you for not
digging a hole, filling with water and shoving in fish all in one
afternoon

I'm not sure all this testing is worth the price of the kits. If the pond
has settled you'll be all right. If not you're going to chuck in chemicals
to raise this and that, and then to lower it again. I think you've left
the pond to settle itself and all will be well

Wow. So far I've just accepted that you're unnecessarily cautious, but I'm
not sure how you managed to get so much wrong in only four lines. Just
because the pond is "settled" doesn't, in any way, mean that it's safe for
fish. Your water may be entirely incompatible with fishy life. There's
only two ways to know - throw in some cheap fish that you won't worry about
if they die, or test.

Just because you _do_ test, doesn't mean that you're going to "chuck in
chemicals". Testing for ammonia or nitrites only every tells you when you
need to do two things - clean the filter and change water - but they're
pretty vital. I wouldn't bother testing for pH, because I think it's a bad
idea to adjust pH if you can help it, and I only test for ammonia if the
fish seem distressed (which, in my ponds has been never), but it's always a
good idea to know what your ammonia is like.
--
derek

Crashj wrote:

The kit will allow you to know when it is time to add fish. Unless
there is a source of waste matter, however, there is no way to start
the reaction cycle. Some people add bacteria or various starters, but
the missing element is actually waste matter. If you do not add fish
you will need to add your own.

Well, the missing element is ammonia. I have even known aquarists to use
pure ammonia to kick the cycle.

"Beer me, Marge, the pond's full"

Probably a pretty good solution :-)
--
derek

Thanks for all the information as i said i havent yet put in any fish as its
getting cold here in the uk so i will wait till next spring now. the water
has been in the pond since september 2003 but due to the amount of
construction work that has been takeing place around the pond i decided to
wait un till it was all finnished incase any concrete accidently fell in to
the pond.
Mostyn
"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Oxywhat? of Squill wrote:

as a campaigner for old water I'd just like to congratulate you for not
digging a hole, filling with water and shoving in fish all in one
afternoon

I'm not sure all this testing is worth the price of the kits. If the
pond
has settled you'll be all right. If not you're going to chuck in
chemicals
to raise this and that, and then to lower it again. I think you've left
the pond to settle itself and all will be well

Wow. So far I've just accepted that you're unnecessarily cautious, but
I'm
not sure how you managed to get so much wrong in only four lines. Just
because the pond is "settled" doesn't, in any way, mean that it's safe for
fish. Your water may be entirely incompatible with fishy life. There's
only two ways to know - throw in some cheap fish that you won't worry
about
if they die, or test.

Just because you _do_ test, doesn't mean that you're going to "chuck in
chemicals". Testing for ammonia or nitrites only every tells you when you
need to do two things - clean the filter and change water - but they're
pretty vital. I wouldn't bother testing for pH, because I think it's a
bad
idea to adjust pH if you can help it, and I only test for ammonia if the
fish seem distressed (which, in my ponds has been never), but it's always
a
good idea to know what your ammonia is like.
--
derek