Koi not eating and hiding
My priorities on testing would be.
1. Amonia high amonia levels are quick killers of fish. Incoming water from fish that have just shipped are usualy vvery high in amonia which is why they need to taken out of the shipping water as soon as possible.
2. pH pH that is low indicates a lot of material that is probably rotting in the pond causing multiple other chemical problems. High pH can indicate other issues like lack of water changes with the hardness slowly building in the pond.
3. Nitrites and Nitrates these also can can be killers however they do work slower than amonia itself.
4. Clorine contant this is if you have city water. Clorine Cloramates and other chemicals are put into water by municipalities to destry harmful bacteria. However besides killing bacteria they alkso kill fish if the levels are hgh enough for long enough. When there is heavy rain in the area generaly municipalities increase there dosages of these chemicals.
5. Phosphates. On an outdoor pond there is always danger of excess phosphates. Lawn and garden fertalizers are high in phoisphates unless yu specificly use none phosphate fertalizers it can get into your pond through run off etc.
6. Alkilinity and calcium hardness.
Now I did not include O2 tasting. But some would rate this in the top two or three. The thing with O2 levels is that if you are not overcrowded and have adaquate water movement (fountian water fall stream or areation) this seldom is a problem. But if your over crowding a pond then that is strong possibility.
Now these tests will indicate the conditions for the ideal health of the fish. But if desease does set in and gets a firm grip on your fish correcting these will not necessarly be a great fix it all. Idealy the desease chould be identified and then properly medicated for. Most use salt as good overally medication to prevent the spread of desease but once it does set in the only thinkg I suggest is quarantine and treatment with the right pharmacutical.
Dennis
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
