Fish Health - FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
- Q: When do I change the water?
A
Pond every 14 days, tank every 7 days
- Q: Should I leave my end filter bay dirty to let bacteria grow?
A No, all filter bays should be kept clean at all times.
- Q: If I am treating my pond/tank with a parasite treatment etc.
what do I do with the filters?
A Run a by pass, never allow
treated water to enter the filters.
- Q: In cold weather, I have a fish that floats. What can I do?
A Bring the fish indoors (in pond water) and add 3% salt
solution (cooking salt @ 1oz per gallon) at the rate of ¼ oz per day
until 3% (1oz per gallon) is reached. Allow to reach room temperature. Change
50% of water in container per 5 days add 50 % of salt dose to keep at 3%
solution strength.
- Q: Can I treat an invert marine tank with bacteria or parasite
treatment?
A No!
- Q: How long is a freshwater dip for a marine fish?
A 10 minutes but monitor the fish.
- Q: Is a potassium permanganate dip any good?
A
No!
- Q: Is a salt dip for Koi at 3 oz per gallon
good?
A Yes
- Q: Can I treat a fish for dropsy scales, which stick out like a
pine cone?
A Yes, if you are GOD
- Q: If I put a canopy above my pond will it stop Blanket
weed?
A No, but it will slow it down.
- Q: Is Blanket weed created by sunshine only?
A No!
- Q: How then do I control Blanket weed"?
A
Don't use fresh mains water. In most cases it's the mains water that's the
problem. All water entering your pond should go through mains water filters.
Our blanket weed controller was developed just for this problem - keep your
nitrates and phosphates down (both can be found in in mains water), and keep
your filters clean. My system reached 32oC water temperature on 26
June 2006 but I have no blanket weed. My 4.600 tank is south facing with no
cover - it's got nothing to do with sunshine other than if you don't control it
with the latter temperatures and sunlight. Blanket Weed can grow at a meter a
day.
- Q: Does clear water mean healthy water
A No!
- Q: Is good water nil ammonia, nil nitrates and a steady pH.
A Yes
- Q: What kills a Koi slowly?
A Being on its
own.
- Q: Do I need a quarantine tank?
A Yes!
- Q When I build my pond do I think first about filters or the
pond?
A The filters
- Q: What size filters do I need?
A As big as
possible you can never be too big!
- Q: Do bottom drains work in every pond?
A Bottom
drains are fine if you can control blanket weed, otherwise you're in for the
time of your life. Bottom drains only work in koi ponds where there is no plant
debris, no leaf fall - in other words in a covered pond. They are no good where
your pond backs on to a field. Do not under-rate which pump you use. Buy one
with a third more power (g.p.h) for the summer months, (though you many come
unstuck this summer). Just a note - 90% of fiber glass ponds if they leak, it's
at the drain. The same goes for liners. Flanges are not much better. If you
want bottom drains with a liner then buy a box weld but a good one. Also,
bottom drains need large settling or vortex's, nothing under 6ft across -
smaller ones are a waste of time and money.
- Q: Is it true that fish only grow to the size of the
container?
A No!
- Q: Is it true that Koi can live up to 300 years of age?
A No. but many of their ancestors may have lived to a ripe
old age.
- Q: Can a Koi/goldfish change colour?
A Yes!
Goldfish and koi change colour but not completely. Some reds go orange, most
blues go battleship grey, black can appear where there was none, red markings
can move down the body as fish grows. The fins can also colour where they were
pure white, also pure white fish can turn light gold and vise versa. Along with
many other variations.
- Q: Do Koi/goldfish jump?
A No, only when stressed
e.g.. Parasite or other problems to do with the environment in the water.
- Q: Do Koi lay on their side at the bottom of the pond when they
are cold or asleep?
A No!
- Q: Are Koi easy to keep?
A Yes!
- Q: What is the best way to keep fish healthy?
A
Good water!
- Q: Is there such an infection as FIN ROT?
A No,
this is a form of flexi-bacteria
- Q: Will a plastic heron protect my fish from other herons?
A No!
- Q: What is the best way to start a pond ready for Koi?
A Put goldfish in the pond to seed the system. This is better than
any man-made product.