This forum deals with ponds which have been built mainly for koi similar to those featured on the KOI Cymru website. Even if you have not built your pond yet then your views are welcome. This is a chance to discuss your ideas and views with other koi-keepers. Please mention the country,and state or county,as in different parts of the World we have different methods and climate. If you are responding to a message already posted then please use the response button on the bottom of the message, and it will then appear as a subsiduary of that message and so easier for others to find.
A good site for health is KOIVET by Dr Erich L Johnson and it can be found at www.koivet.com
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Bottom Drain
by
I still at the planning stage to build
a koi pond 14'x 8'x 6' would i get away
with one bottom drain or will i have to
have two.
Posted on Mar 5, 2007, 7:15 AM from IP address 217.45.2.229
Hi, dont quote me on this but i think you'll get away with one drain up to about 3 or 4000gallons. Ask your koi dealer though before you finish designing the pond as they'll know better. Can depend on shape etc aswell. Hope this helps.
Posted on Mar 5, 2007, 10:14 PM from IP address 82.38.195.122
This question has appeared here several times, but I don't know of anyone who has fitted one.
Suggest you type "Window" into the Search facilities on this Forum and it will show you all previous posts and replies.
Posted on Mar 5, 2007, 6:46 AM from IP address 81.129.88.105
i have one of my koi seems to be swimming around pond more than normal also breaking surface. there are no Marks on fish and it looks very healthy.any help or advice would be helpfull many thanks alfie
Posted on Feb 25, 2007, 5:40 PM from IP address 82.46.181.2
Koi Herpes Virus short for KHV is a deadly virus , which can cause 80-100 percent mortality in common carp. The first outbreak of Koi Herpes Virus was reported in 1998 and confirmed in 1999 in Israel. Since then, other cases have been confirmed in the United States, Europe and Asia as well.
The signs of KHV often non-specific. You need to monitor your Koi Fish, if your Koi remains near the surface, swims lethargically, exhibits respiratory distress, has gill lesions, has gill mottling with red and white patches, bleeding gills, has sunken eyes, pale patches or blisters on the skin and uncoordinated swimming. The KHV seems to spread in the same ways as most herpes viruses: direct contact with infected fish, with fluids from infected fish, and/or with water or mud from infected systems. Once a fish has been exposed to the virus, it will always be a carrier. There is no known cure for Koi Herpes Virus. Mortality related to Koi Herpes Virus typically occurs between 18°C and 27°C. Almost no mortalities occur below 18°C, and there has been no reported occurrence of the disease above 30°C.
How do you know your Koi Fish has KHV? You need the assistance of a fish health specialist and a fish disease diagnostic laboratory. There are direct and indirect methods.
Direct methods include: virus isolation and identification (it means growing the virus or not) and PCR techniques (it means testing for the presence of KHV genes).
Indirect tests for KHV include ELISA testing, which looks for antibodies produced by the fish against the herpes virus These testing method can give proof that a fish was infected with KHV. This indirect test cannot determine if the fish is still infected with virus, so it is not recommended as a primary diagnostic tool.
As I mentioned there is no known treatment for KHV and the mortality is very high. If your Koi fish have been diagnosed with Koi Herpes Virus unfortunatelly, you have not got other choice than depopulation (it means eliminating the entire population). This approach should be followed by disinfection of all materials and systems that have contacted the infected fish.
Posted on Feb 24, 2007, 12:36 PM from IP address 84.0.172.152
I find the most efficient test kits to be the ones where you add 'liquid' droplets to the pond water. In the past, I've found the tablet test kits to be inaccurate as the tablets don't dissolve properly (especially when the water is cold) and the 'stick' test kits don't, in my opinion, show the changes accurately enough, especially with ammonia and nitrite. The tiniest amount of ammonia and/or nitrite in the pond is bad news, and I find it difficult to detect that change on the stick tests.
So, IMHO, go for the liquid test kits ... there are a number around and are all pretty much the same ... and are very accurate.
Posted on Feb 16, 2007, 4:36 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
I do not know of anywhere you can purchase this in the South Wales area.
This has been brought up several times on this Forum. It is available from most large Koi dealers, and you will see it advertised on many dealers websites, and they will send it to you. East Riding Koi is one of them. The name can vary slightly.
Posted on Feb 12, 2007, 6:36 AM from IP address 86.150.152.46
Kusuri potassium permanganate
can you use this product at a low temp
because i have read you can only use it over 10 c
also i have read a article you can use it at any temp
can anybody please help
thanks barry
Posted on Feb 11, 2007, 4:31 PM from IP address 82.39.166.15
Hi, for the last sixteen years I have ran a aquatic shop and now I am looking at retirement I have decided to build a pond for myself. I have cleared pear shaped piece of land, width 1.5 to 4 metres and length is 8 metres, the depth in the midle is 1.8 metres, .8 of a metre of this will be above ground to help stop the grandchildren from falling in. I am looking for construction ideas, can anyone help?
Posted on Feb 8, 2007, 5:26 PM from IP address 86.129.53.125
Hi, I have noticed that one of my koi has some fungus on it pectral, anal fins and tail. Only one side of the fish is infected.
Can I use any of the fish tonics offerd for this infection at this time of year? Water temp is at 6 celcius. All my other fish are fine and are not showing any signs of infection.
Thanks Simon
Posted on Jan 6, 2007, 2:03 PM from IP address 86.138.89.252
The water would be too cold for a chemical treatment like 'Medifin' ... I think you'd have to check out the particular one you are thinking of using. Interpet and Tetra both have helplines and Q&As/contact forms on their websites, for example.
Good luck!
Posted on Jan 6, 2007, 11:28 PM from IP address 195.93.21.70
I have had a small amount of fungus on 3 of my Koi since end of December and have been holding out for the weather to improve as the infection is not worsening and the fish are their normal selves. If I find a suitable treatment in the meantime though I will post info.
PS.
Of my 40 plus Koi only 3 are orange/white and they are the only ones infected. Is this a weird coincidence or do Orange/White Koi have a weaker immune system?
Posted on Feb 6, 2007, 1:00 PM from IP address 86.144.107.136
I'm look to purchase a cloverleaf 3500 Genesis, 3 bay Vortex filter, I don't suppose anyone is selling one or know a good place to purchase one, I have found a couple of places that sell them but they are not that reasonable.
I would be willing to purchase a second hand filter if it is in good working order, the pond is only small around 1200 Gallons.
Posted on Feb 1, 2007, 11:32 AM from IP address 81.137.147.157
Hi Eric,
I am glad to see the site is still here. I tried numerous times yesterday to view, but kept on getting some strange returns dogs cats ---- !!
Can you divuldge.
KR
Phil.
Posted on Jan 26, 2007, 1:40 PM from IP address 217.34.196.82
The domain name www.koicymru.co.uk was due for renewal on 24/01/07. (It is renewed every 2 years).
I paid for it on 07/01/07 through the ISP who then pays an agent. It is only £7.99.
For some reason this did not get through and Nominet removed the site yesterday because the domain name had expired.
I chased it up yesterday morning and although I have not heard anything it had re-appeared this morning.
Hopefully this will now be OK until 24/01/09.
Hope this explains the problem.
Eric
Posted on Jan 26, 2007, 1:52 PM from IP address 86.150.152.46
I have been recently asking questions about the pond I'm planning on building. I recently had a Company come out and quote me for building my pond. The Company was Koi ponds of Distinction, has anyone had any dealings with them before, they are based in St Helens.
The Dimensions where
10Ft x 5Ft x 5Ft Deep
Completed from start to finish with all filtration / Pipe work/ Heat exchanger.
I was quoted around £5,000.00
How does this sound as I was a bit come back at the amount.
Thanks in advance.
Posted on Jan 23, 2007, 3:40 PM from IP address 81.137.147.157
hi david, i would say thats a fair price depending on the finish, you are also having a heater fitted which does,nt come cheap, are you lining or fibreglassing? how is the spoil being dug out and removed? is he fitting a skimmer or u/v? my pond is 13ft x 7.6 x 5ft deep, i built it all myself with a hired digger and dumper and used a box wlded liner and nexus 300 eazy filter and the cost was around £4500, but like i say it depends on the finish, if he,s built ponds before he should have a portfolio of previous work done , if you are apprehensive then think again as a koi pond needs to be right first time, hope this helps, cheers, danny.
Posted on Jan 23, 2007, 6:18 PM from IP address 86.27.128.169
I am in the early stages of planning a pond to be built in Thailand. Due to the size and availability of materials I was planning to build this in reinforced concrete but I know next to nothing about design and construction in this method although I will use local expertise.
I have been taking bottom drains out with me so now have enough although I have had to make some adaptors since Thai 4 inch pipe is a different size to UK 4 inch pipe.
I was planning a reinforced bottom with the drains then building up a two course blockwork wall, instead of shuttering, inserting reinforcing then filling with concrete. The local concrete blocks are quite thin, about 2 inches thick so I couldn't build using the UK method of building in blocks.
The depth would be 1.8 metres minimum, deeper if I can get away with it but ground conditions might prevent this. Half will be below ground and half above ground.
Does this sound feasable?
The basis for the pond has already been started. There was some excavating machines on site for another job so my wife got them to dig out for the pond. Much larger than I had planned but what the heck.
What I would like to know if this is feasable what thickness of wall should I be considering and how much reinforcing is necessary. I am inclined to over engineer it but when I did some back of a fag packet calculations I realised that it would need a lot of concrete which locally is about £20 per cubic metre.
Also would straight sides make the pond stronger and cheaper or could I consider a stepped profile with a metre wide ledge at a depth of about 1 metre.
Kevin
Posted on Jan 12, 2007, 10:10 AM from IP address 64.208.49.28
hi,am thinking of heating my pond to a point !!!!! whats he on about you are all asking i believe that the best time for a koi to grow is summer so =(here we go)what if i installed a electric heater and set it to 25 degress during the three months of summer then slowly decreased to natural temperature for rest of the yr.thus saving on all round costs koi get maximum growth temp.now youve stopped laffin!!! give me your comments.thanks matt
Posted on Jan 2, 2007, 9:35 PM from IP address 88.105.233.185
Many koi keepers with heating systems raise their temperatures during the summer months.
In the summer I set mine to 73 degrees. If we have a hot summer it will go above this naturally but on cooler days will not drop below 73.
I also believe that Koi are able to heal themselves at temperatures above 70 so this is important as well.
Koi's immune system is said to shut off at about 50 degrees.
If you have a heating system then I would not let the temperature go below 55 degrees. I think this is especially importamt with small koi. You can still give them a winter by stopping feeding for 4 to 6 weeks.
Many people with heating systems have different ideas on what you should do but above is what I am doing at present.
Posted on Jan 9, 2007, 8:35 AM from IP address 86.128.33.248
I wish to have a pond dug of 12 feet square by 5 feet deep. My back garden is not very large and have worked out that placing this pond central in it will give only a distance of 7 foot to where the house is. Is there any risk of subsidence to the house ?? The pond will be profesionally built and will be bricked, cemented etc.. The builder has mentioned nothing of this risk but would like to know for sure ! Does anyone know about this please ? Thanks. Dave.
Posted on Jan 3, 2007, 9:47 AM from IP address 80.3.64.11
This question cannot be answered here because it will depend on the type of soil, foundation of your house amomgst other things.
If your builder is not able to answer this then I would get it checked by a local surveyor as with all the wet weather there could be a problem.
Posted on Jan 7, 2007, 6:47 AM from IP address 86.128.33.248
I am in the final stages of pond now which is block build with liner finish. I am putting the pipework in and have chosen 4" orange pipe. I have a 4" bottom drain but it seems to be pretty loose when i put the pipe in. I plan to use drain pipe solvent, should it be loose and is this correct. I have read the section on the website around construction.
I am using a Oasis Vortec 16000 filter and plan to use solvent there. However the website seems to show no solvent required for the orange pipes.
Any advice would be appreciated
tks
tony
Posted on Jan 6, 2007, 6:07 PM from IP address 86.145.115.161
You will see an explanation on the orange and grey pipes in http://www.koicymru.co.uk/constructb3a.htm
With the orange pipe it is intended to use the rubber seals, and solvent is used on the grey pipe.
I would get in touch with the supplier/manufacturer of the bottom drain and discuss this with them. They should be able to give you advice as they know their product.
It is very important that you get a good fit.
Hope this helps
Eric
Posted on Jan 7, 2007, 6:43 AM from IP address 86.128.33.248
