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johnson lee
Koi Kichi

Oct 22, 2002, 10:32 AM

Post #26 of 63 (30770 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Fred

I am not so worried about high nitrates of 95ppm at the moment. Kois can tolerate up to 200ppm if necessary. But the ammonia of 0.2ppm is high. You have to contain this because ammonia burns the kois' gills and damage is severe.

You will have to continue with regular water change of 10-20% every few days to dilute the ammonia. You can add salt if you want but no more than 0.1% because otherwise your plants will start to die.

Hopefully with a little more time and patience, the filter will settle down and water parameters will remain constant and green water will start to disappear too.

Keep us informed OK?

Johnson

dttk
Senior Member

Oct 22, 2002, 11:31 AM

Post #27 of 63 (30768 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Fred

, thanks for the update. So the nitrate is still high. I'm more worried about the ammonia. Looks like the good bugs are not thriving yet. It's alright to add some cockle and shells but make sure that they have been cleaned thoroughly before using as bits of flesh tends to stick to the inside of the cockle shell and will rot and foul up the water easily. Good also to know that the corals have been replaced with brushes. Did you flush the chambers to remove any excess debris as this can sometimes be the cause of the high ammonia and nitrates. Again I would like to stress that feeding should be minimum and maximum aeration to the biofilter is important. If flashing is not too frequent, just observe and wait. Yes, salt can be added at a rate of 1kg per ton or 1000L of water to make 0.1% salinity. Too much salt will kill the water plants. Let's just concentrate on reducing ammonia to zero and nitrate to <50ppm. The plants will help to do that but care should be taken to maintain the plants properly as decaying roots and leaves also increases the nitrate level. Cheers! Smile

Always friendly :)

fwpy
Koi Lover

Oct 22, 2002, 11:32 PM

Post #28 of 63 (30756 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Sifus,

Thanks for the quick response. Water para seem to have deteriorated. Readings taken this evening (3 hours after rain stopped) are as flws;
pH about 7.8, nitrate level above 100 ppm, nitrite about 0.1 mg/ltr and ammonia about 0.2 mg/ltr. Have seen some heavy rainfalls in the past few days n after each downpour, the pond level rises to the brink. As such, did not attempt any water change yet. Intend to do 20% water change first thing in the morning.

No, I did not flush the chamber after removing the corals becos I was afraid to disturb the good bugs that was building up in the biofilters.
Yes, the shells were cleaned thoroughly before using. I have 2 air supply lines to the bio-chambers from a Hiblow air pump that run 24hrs. Will monitor the flashings n leave salting to a later date.

fwpy
Koi Lover

Nov 3, 2002, 7:24 PM

Post #29 of 63 (30728 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Sifus,
Sorry I could not update all of you earlier as my computer suffered a virus attacked, subsequently hard drive crashed n cud not access internet until the damaged drive is replaced n new programs installed.

Anyway, here is an update of my green water problem. The good good news Sly

is that the water is getting clearer n clearer now. Wink

Look like the good bugs in the bio-chambers are rocking. The horrible green scourge is almost gone n for the first time in over 4 months, cud see all the lovely kois even at the bottom of the pond Sly

.Whole family are really excited to see the kois swimming again Crazy

. Reckon water shud get crystal clear over the next few days.

Over the last 10 days, I did 3 water changes of 10% each change. Did not attempt more than 30% change as there was constant rainfall throughout the week. In addition, the waste in the chambers was drained off every other day n the mech-chamber was flushed twice. The water plants are flourishing, infact had outgrown the fg tank. Feeding was limited to one feed every other day.

The water readings had gradually improved n readings taken this evening were; pH abt 8, nitrate abt 90ppm, nitrite n ammonia abt 0.1.(pH has remained quite constant in the last 10 days).Will continue with controlled feeding n monitoring of water para n try bring down nitrate, nitrite n ammonia to lower levels. When water para returned to normal, will do a salting of 0.1%. Am I on the right track?

Really appreciates all the help n advises that all you SIFUS has given me. Thanks once again Dr. Tan, Johnson Lee, Lynne, cwnchong, SMW1, andyng n all those who have help in solving my GW problem.

johnson lee
Koi Kichi

Nov 5, 2002, 11:21 AM

Post #30 of 63 (30713 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi FRed

I too share your joy of knowing that your pond is slowly clearing up! Smile

That is the best thing to happen to a new koi kepper doesn't it? Waking up one morning and see the water is clear and you can see right to the bottom!! Smile

Good for you.

Anyway, there are still traces of ammonia and nitrites, so still got to monitor these carefully until they read 0. Adding salt now to 0.1% is advisable to reduce the ammonia poisoning. Test water for this 2 at least once every 2 days for now. Feeding should still be kept to a minimal until readings are 0.

best wishes to you! Laugh

Johnson

dttk
Senior Member

Nov 5, 2002, 11:49 AM

Post #31 of 63 (30712 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Fred, I too am very happy to know that things are getting better for you. Infact, I expected good news when I saw the many smilies you posted with your message even before reading it! Yes, looks like you're on the right track. Patience and prudence is the key. As mentioned by Johnson, continue present measures till ammonia and nitrite are undetectable. Making a 0.1% salinity will not harm the plants much and should help to reduce toxic effects of nitrite. The nitrates at 90ppm is not too bad and will drop further if feeding is controlled and debris removed from mechanical filter and vege filter. Thanks for the update! Smile

Always friendly :)

fwpy
Koi Lover

Nov 25, 2002, 8:02 PM

Post #32 of 63 (30668 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Sifus,

Just an update of the amazing changes over the last 3 weeks. The green water has dissapear totally.
Sly

Good good news!! my pond water is crystal clear now. It turned crystal clear 3 days ago. Looks like the good bugs are finally thriving now.
Following your instructions, here was what I did in the past 3 weeks.

1. Flushed the mechanical chambers twice to remove any excess debris in this chamber. Left the bio-chambers alone.

2. Made 2 water changes of 15% each. Add salt 3 times of 0.1% each time. Fishes stop flashing now.

3. Clean up the fg filter once. Add some new bio-medias to old ones.

4. Changed water in the veg filter twice to remove excess debris, rotting roots n leaves. There was lots of red worms too.

5. Gradually increased feeding to once per day from once every alternate day.

The was also some improvment in the water para. Ammonia n nitrite readings is 0 now. Readings taken this evening were;

pH - abt 8 (pH is quite stable throughout).
Nitrate - about 90 ppm.

The nitrate level is still high. Though I have a TT filter running for 5 weeks now, it appears that it is not kicking yet. What else can I do to help bring the nitrate level down?

Following every stage of the experts instructions of this forum certainly paid off for me in the end. Wink

. Thank you!!!

dttk
Senior Member

Nov 26, 2002, 9:46 AM

Post #33 of 63 (30655 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Fred, very happy to know that things are getting better and better for you! Smile

The main credit goes to you for having the patience to follow our advice. Alot of others would have given up and tried other methods by now. Nitrates still at 90ppm? This does not cause any harm to the koi but the source of the nitrate must be from the koi waste and the rotting plants. It is good that you have done some cleaning of the veg filter and regular flushing of mechanical chamber. Are you over stocked? If so, this should explain the persistant high nitrates. Your TT if built correctly may not kick in yet for another 3-7 weeks. The TT and the veg filters will help to reduce your nitrates now. As usual be careful not to overfeed as nitrates will climb. Remember to change 10% water every week. Maintaining salinity at 0.1% is fine if the plants are able to tolerate it. Keep up the good work! Thanks for the update. Sly

Always friendly :)

johnson lee
Koi Kichi

Nov 26, 2002, 12:31 PM

Post #34 of 63 (30652 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Fred

We are happy that you are happy! Wink

You have been patient and did all the right things.

You still need to watch the feeding for now. Overfeeding could overload your filter. You can feed daily but not too much. Always remember to test for ammonia and nitrites regularly until you are confident that everything has stabilise.

Reduce nitrates at the moment with weekly water change of 10%. Wait till the TT filter kicks in and you'll have lower nitrate reading soon. Cheers!

Johnson

mattloui
Koi Lover

Nov 26, 2002, 1:13 PM

Post #35 of 63 (30648 views)
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Re: [johnson lee] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

See i told you, you guys are doing a great service to the koi world and in many respects you are also doing the nation a service- Malaysian BOLEH-to obtain clear water and healthy kois. Many koi kakis love what you doing-pl keep up the good work.
CHEERS

wan
Koi Lover

Nov 27, 2002, 12:04 PM

Post #36 of 63 (30612 views)
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Re: [johnson lee] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Johnson,

There is a product called S 1 - green liquid , sort of anti parasite, - being sold at aquarium shops. Do u happen to know what is it actually ?
Some shops say its malachite green , some say its formalin. I am unsure and a bit concern as the recommended dosage appears to be very liberal. It is suggested that I use one whole bottle for my 9460 gallons pond.
Thanks.
WAN

johnson lee
Koi Kichi

Nov 27, 2002, 2:27 PM

Post #37 of 63 (30601 views)
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Re: [wan] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi wan

I'm not sure what S1 is but if the ingredients contain either formalin or malachite green, then any overdose will kill your kois and it will also knock out your filter as well.

Be careful when buying these "kill all" chemicals, always check the label for the main ingredients.

My opinion is to use salt as a first option. Salt is virtually harmless and also kills many harmful bugs in the pond.

Cheers!
Johnson

Betsy
New User

May 12, 2003, 1:28 AM

Post #38 of 63 (30408 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

I wish green water was my problem but I have brown mucky water.. It started out green and has turned to a lovely shade of brown. HELP, I built this pond last year , it is about thirty five hundred gallons.. The man who built it lined the whole thing with river rock and now I have heard that is the problem and that we should remove all of the rocks... Can you tell me if this is true or what I can do to get this pond cleaned up.. I have a few small Koi in it and that is all.... Have you ever heard of lining a whole pond with river rock? We just hooked up one of the UV fliters and are not seeing much help from it... The pond is a black rubber liner, I do not know the real name of it... Thanks for any help you can give...Betsy

dttk
Senior Member

May 12, 2003, 1:41 PM

Post #39 of 63 (30385 views)
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Re: [Betsy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Betsy, so you have brown water instead of green water. How are the water parameters? Do you mean that the exposed edges of the liner is covered by river rocks? Is there a bottom drain in the pond? Try to remove as much debris as possible from the pond floor and filter without disturbing the biomedia too much. Top up with fresh dechlorinated water. We need to know the water parameters before we could suggest ways to solve the problem. Also pls let us know abt your filtration system. Hope to hear from you soon. Cheers! Smile

Always friendly :)

rogermoo
Member

May 13, 2003, 2:04 AM

Post #40 of 63 (30368 views)
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Re: [johnson lee] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

13.05.03,

Hi Johnson Lee,

Sorry for me asking, how do you do your 5 filter chambers above ground? You meant the 5 chambers are at floor level? I am asking because I might need more filter chambers for my fish pond. The present one don't seem to do its job thoroughly as it is only about 10% of the pond size. Please advise cos I am new to koi breeding ( a beginner)

Thanks

Rogermoo

BirdzWord
Koi Lover

Jul 19, 2003, 11:44 AM

Post #41 of 63 (30015 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello everyone----To everyone with this problem, I symphathize with you. I found that AlgeaFix workss great, sometimes it takes alot of treatments but it really clears it up good, it ceared my water andstringy algea (that we don't want) but I still have the healthy fish algea ( that we do want) and it is safe for both fish and plants. Good luck all, Roberta

fwpy
Koi Lover

Jul 21, 2003, 5:50 PM

Post #42 of 63 (29995 views)
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Re: [Betsy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Betsy,

Don't despair, you are in good hands with Dr. Tan n other veterans around. Before long, your green water problems will be solved. I lived with this nightmare for months before I found this forum. I followed their advice diligently n within 2 months I was amazed to see clear water in my pond.

To start with, it is important that you have the proper bio-filter system to support your pond. A good bio-filter with the correct bio-media in its chambers are necessary for good bacteria to grow.

You need to provide the experts here with all the info on your pond bio-filtration system, pump flow rates, water parameters, etc and Dr. Tan n other veteran here will be able to come out with the right solutions to slove your GW problem.

Be patience, follow their instructions n before long, your nightmare will be over.

Fred

andyng
Koi Lover

Jul 21, 2003, 11:44 PM

Post #43 of 63 (29989 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Well said....... kudo to our great Dr. Tan aka DTTK.

Andy Ng

dttk
Senior Member

Jul 22, 2003, 2:40 AM

Post #44 of 63 (29984 views)
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Re: [fwpy] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Fred

, good to see you online again! Hope things are well with you. Thanks for the kind words but I'm glad we're getting lots of help from more experienced keepers like Bran, Douglezzz and Aussie Koi too Sly

. Of course HWong, Andy, Matt, Chong and others are still around to lend a helping hand. I must say I'm learning alot from them too Smile

. We all just try our best to impart the correct knowledge to others and hope that it'll continue to benefit keepers like you. Regards Wink

.
Always friendly :)

dttk
Senior Member

Jul 22, 2003, 2:47 AM

Post #45 of 63 (29982 views)
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Re: [andyng] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Andy

, whatlah...gotta give credits to you and the others who are always around to help too. See, even Fred is doing his part now by contributing his experiences in tackling green water. Kudos to all of you! Wink

Always friendly :)

fwpy
Koi Lover

Jul 23, 2003, 8:30 PM

Post #46 of 63 (29952 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the encouraging words. Really learning a lot on koi keeping from this forum n enjoying every bit of it. Hope to contribute to this forum from time to time. Cheers.

Fred

fff
Koi Lover

Aug 4, 2003, 12:17 PM

Post #47 of 63 (29867 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Can anyone recommend any floating/submerged plants?
Please provide the pics if possible as well.

Also advise on building of a TT filter, with a actual pic will be appreciated.

Anywhere i can get water test kit in SG?

kth
Koi Lover

Aug 11, 2003, 9:40 PM

Post #48 of 63 (29818 views)
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Re: [fff] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi fff, can't help with the plants excepting for water lettuce which a friend gave me a few days ago.
The water test kits are available from a number of outlets in Singapore (see Singapore Koi Club website for dealers). I got the TetraTest kits from AquaPet in Bt Timah Plaza, at B1 level.
TH

dttk
Senior Member

Aug 25, 2003, 1:18 PM

Post #49 of 63 (29759 views)
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Re: [fff] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi, some plants that are commonly used in this region are the different varieties of Yam, Pandan and "Money" plant. The former two could be held in place by bricks/rocks placed in water to support the stem or roots. As for the latter, just dump it in water and they will grow easily. For a picture of these plants just go to my website at www.angelfire.com/home/drttk . I place these plants in the waterway or veg filter away from the koi. Smile

Always friendly :)

koifun
Koi Kichi

Aug 25, 2003, 6:47 PM

Post #50 of 63 (29749 views)
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Re: [dttk] green water problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi, Doc

I can see that u are making it back to the forum again after a brief period of disappearing Cool

.

What a beautiful updated website with clear water and happy kois. I like your showa and kohakus u have Cool

? Thanks. I believe most of us here enjoy seeing more pictures of the living jewels than just wordings.

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. - Euripides"

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