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Koi Lover
Jun 16, 2008, 2:39 AM
Post #2 of 4
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My first suggestion is to by liquid drop test kits, because test strips are known to be unreliable and not as accurate. So before making any drastic changes, retest the water with a liquid drop test kit, and make sure to get the wide range pH test. You also need to know the KH and GH of your water, because these are what buffer the pH to prevent swings and crashes.
At a pH of 5.5, koi will begin to die within a few days. If this happens you can easily raise the pH by simply adding baking soda to the water. Try adding one cup for every 1000 gallons and check it every two hours until the pH is back to at least 7.0.
The main thing with pH is stability. The nominal pH is around 7.5, but from 7-9 is fine as long as it doesn't move around. For example, if your pond naturally stays at a pH of 8.5 and doesn't shift much, then don't mess with it by trying to lower it to 7.5. This will only be a constant fight to keep your pH there, and will screw up the balance of your pond. Large rapid swings in pH is what kills fish, so when raising the pH be sure to to do it very slowly (about +0.1 pH per hour).
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