QUARANTINE
We recommend that you quarantine your fish for at least ten days before you sell them. Any disease issues brought on by the stress of shipping will usually be apparent by then. We cannot accept responsibility for conditions created by mixing new fish with old fish.
WATER QUALITY
In order to be successful at keeping or treating goldfish and koi, you must first be sure that you are providing the fish with the best possible water conditions.
Many times, bad water quality is what causes fish to become diseased in the first place. The following are the water quality parameters that must be adhered to in order to be successful.
Toxic chemicals from your water supply – Chlorine and chloramines are both commonly used to disinfect public water supplies. Both are lethal to fish. They can be easily eliminated with commercial water conditioners that are available to neutralize these poisonous compounds present in tap water.
Temperature – Temperatures should be between 65 and 85 degrees. Goldfish and koi will thrive below 65 degrees, but disease treatment is much more effective at higher temperatures because the fish's immune system is functioning better. Be sure to keep your holding facilities in the shade if possible to avoid high temperatures.
Dissolved Oxygen – Fish need oxygen in the water to survive. A lightly stocked pond may not need additional aeration. If you have more than just a few fish in your pond or holding tank, additional aeration may be needed. You can purchase air blowers, airstones, or paddle type aerators made for the purpose. An excellent source for these and many other water gardening supplies is Aquatic Eco Systems (800-422-3939). If the water is low of dissolved oxygen, the fish will come to the top and stick their noses out of the water. Inexpensive oxygen test kits can be purchased at most pet shops. Levels need to be above 6 ppm at all times.
Ammonia – Ammonia comes from fish waste or decomposition of uneaten food. Ammonia levels will quickly rise to lethal levels in a system with new or uncycled filters (see "The Cycle" for further information). Levels need to be maintained as close to 0 ppm as possible. If levels are consistently above 0.5 ppm, you need to decrease stocking densities, feeding, and /or increase filtration. The combination of high ph and high ammonia is especially dangerous because with each 1 point increase in ph (for example from ph 7 to ph 8) the ammonia present is 10 times more toxic. (Ammonia is 100 times more toxic when you go from ph 7 to ph 9). You cannot smell or see high levels of ammonia. You MUST use test kits.
Nitrite – Bacteria in your filter system consumes ammonia. However, a byproduct of this is another toxic chemical called nitrite. It must also be monitored. Aim for 0 ppm. Anything above 0.15 ppm is stressful to the fish and can cause disease. To correct high nitrite levels, increase water changes and filtration, decrease feeding and stocking densities. You can also add uniodized salt, 3 lbs/100 gallons, to decrease the toxicity of nitrite. Nitrite accumulation will quickly kill fish in systems without fully cycled biofilters (see The Cycle).
ph – ph is the measurement of hydrogen ions in your water. Aim for ph of 7-9. Fish can survive at a lower ph. However, at this point, you are dangerously close to a ph crash, resulting in severe stress to your fish. Remember that as the bacteria in your filter does its job, it will gradually "use up" the carbonates in the water, resulting in a declining ph. Therefore it's important to continually monitor your ph. A ph above 9 is not harmful by itself. However, if you have any ammonia in your water, it is much more toxic (see the ammonia section). To increase ph, add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) @ 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons until the desired level is reached. Lowering ph is a little more difficult. Adding peat or vinegar is somewhat effective. Ponds with "pea-soup" water in them will have wide fluctuations in ph due to the photosynthesis of the algae. Elimination of the green water will correct the problem. New concrete holding tanks leech out lime and will cause high ph. Let them cure for several weeks before adding fish.
THE "CYCLE"
"The Cycle" refers to the sequence of events that take place in all new biofilters during the first few weeks of operation. It's important to understand the process so that you can avoid stressing your fish during the beginning of the season. During early spring, retailers who keep their fish outdoors are faced with the following scenario: You want to start bringing in fish to sell, but your filter is either new or has been shut down for the winter. In order for your filter to become functional and mature, it has "to cycle". The process usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. Fish produce a highly toxic chemical called ammonia. As it is produced by the fish a family of beneficial bacteria called Nitrosomonus will start to grow on your filter media and consume the ammonia, converting it to another harmful chemical called nitrite. As nitrites become present, a second kind of bacteria, Nitrobacter, will start to grow and consume the nitrite, converting it to relatively harmless nitrate. When you first put fish into your system, the ammonia will get very high, very quickly. During this period, keep stocking densities low and do lots of water changes. As the ammonia levels decrease, nitrite levels will increase rapidly. During this period, keep stocking densities low, do water changes, put salt in @ 3-4 lbs/per 100 gallons to reduce the toxicity of nitrites. When levels of both ammonia and nitrite bottom out, you have a mature, fully functional biofilter, capable of processing all of the wastes from your fish. You can now slowly increase stocking densities. To speed up the process, add filter media from a mature filter.
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