Water Quality
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Apple Valley, MN. 55124  USA
Phone:  952-738-1653
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Water Quality is Your First Line of Defense......

Water quality is your first line of defense in keeping your fish(koi/goldfish)healthy.
All fish have immune systems and will protect themselves when the water quality is excellent
and consistent. Your pond and quarantine tank water should be tested frequently to insure
the quality of the water and thus the health of the fish.

Stability of Ph:
Test the Ph of your tap or well water. Test the Ph of your pond. Make comparisons over
a few days to establish what Ph your pond water should be on average. Pond Ph may
be 7.0 to 9.0 but should be stable in a range of .3. If your pond tests at 7.5 it should maintain
that level or similar to a low of 7.2 and a high of 7.8 over 24 to 48 hours.

Ph crashes are generally caused by a low level of carbonate hardness. Carbonate
hardness or Kh levels above 100 will prevent such Ph crashes and protect the health
of your fish. Kh levels of 200 are required for bead filters.

Stability of carbonate hardness(Kh):
Carbonate Hardness = Total Alkalinity. Test the Kh of the tap or well water. Test the Kh of the pond. Make
comparisons over a few weeks to establish your Kh average. Kh is the buffering ability of your water to hold the
Ph at a safe level. Kh should test no less that 100. In the event of low Kh readings baking soda works exceedingly
well to maintain proper levels, and can be added without fear of harming the fish. In addition crushed oyster shells
or crushed coral can be bagged and placed in filters or in water current areas to buffer the water on a long term
basis. Just remember that shells and coral are "slow release" and a fairly large quantity must be used for any
effect at all.

One further note: If you have a bead filter in your filtration system, the Kh must be kept at 200 ppm or more for it
to function properly-Yes I said this once before.

Baking soda: 2 to 3lbs per 1000 gallons will raise and stabilize Kh levels and keep the Ph at 8.3 to 8.4. Raise your
Ph/Kh slowly over several days. Use maintenance doses of baking soda to keep them at a desired level.

Water quality in general insures pond health. Establish a baseline by testing your "raw water". Then periodically
test your pond water. In the event of a koi behavioral problem or fatality testing is very important. In addition,
water samples may need to be sent to an outside lab for heavy metal testing.

Water test kits should include Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Ph, General Hardness, and Carbonate Hardness at a
minimum.

Water Tests and Associated Information:


Raw water test parameters (water you use to change or add water to the pond):
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
GH-general hardness
Kh-carbonate hardness or total alkalinity
PH

Pond Parameters:
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
GH-general hardness
KH-carbonate hardness or total alkalinity
PH
Pond temperature.

Ideal Water Parameter Guidelines

Source water varies greatly so make sure that it is tested to give you a base line to work with. Pond water can
vary depending on the load, the filtration type and how well the water is managed including water changes.

Here are some guidelines: Although your pond may not fit exactly within them it is important to note that
consistency is equal if not more important than the test results themselves.

pH: Between 7.2 to 8.3 but consistent and not a lot of swing.
Ammonia: "0". Always.
Nitrite: "0". Always.  See the salt section on this.
Nitrate: "0". Almost never is. A trace is fine. More than that; do a water change.

KH: Carbonate hardness/Total Alkalinity: About 200ppm. Bead filters require high KH. KH stabilizes(buffers) the
pH and prevents any crashes. Baking soda works well for this if dosed regularly-Yes I said this once before……….

GH: General Hardness is measured in grains or ppm. "0" hardness is soft water. Although there are those who
might disagree, any hardness IS hardwater. It's just a matter of degree. Although hardness can be altered, it can
be expensive and it can reduce the overall stability of the pond.

Other tests worth looking at:
Dissolved Oxygen
Iron
Phosphates
I'm sure there are others.


Water Changes, Filtration and Aeration:

Consistent and frequent water changes are required for nearly every pond, quarantine tank or aquarium. 20% to
50% weekly water changes are considered customary depending on the number and size of the fish and the size
of the pond. This is also the only way besides filtration to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the pond.

Almost any pond with fish needs adequate filtration as well as aeration for the health of the fish.

Water changes usually means the addition of a dechlorinator as most mains water contains at least some chlorine
and/or chloramine. Treat accordingly and dose it at the same time in the same manner every time so that it
becomes a habit and is not forgotten.

Water changes means actually pumping or siphoning out a percentage of the existing pond water-not just adding
to it-and making sure the new water TEMPERATURE matches that of the pond or tank involved.


Test Kit Manufacturers and Resellers:


Hach Chemical Company
http://www.Hach.com

Hach Company
P.O. Box 389
Loveland , CO. 80539
1-800-227-4224
1-970-669-3050

LaMotte Company
P.O. Box 329
802 Washington Avenue
Chestertown, MD. 26120
1-800-344-3100
1-410-778-3100

Taylor Technologies, Inc.
31 Loveton Circle
Sparks , MD. 21152-9206
1-800-TESTKIT

All three of the above-named companies are known for their excellent test kits. If you want to use the best and
protect your wet investments call one of them and "get it started". They will all use total alkalinity test kits as Kh or
carbonate hardness.  Personally I prefer Hach.  They are internationally known for their excellence.

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals and Tetra test kits are available at most pet shops and pond suppliers.



Note: If the test kit looks old or dusty, it has probably been on the shelf far too long and is outdated. Check for
dating before you buy. Liquid reagents have a shelf life of one year. Powdered reagents have a shelf life of up to
four years.