I have a 40 gal. FW tank housing a koi and a comet. The tank is decorated with plastic plants, medium gravel (shallow layer) and a 'castle' that will soon be coming out due to sharp edges. I don't know the ammonia but the ph usually runs a tad on the high side (7.4 or so) Temp. is currently 70 deg. (no heater)
The tank has been set up for two years now, ran empty for three months before I added the comet about 18 mos. ago and the koi last Dec. The comet is about 5 in. long (of which his tail accounts for almost 1.5 in!) while the koi is about 9 in.
Currently, I'm running two gutter cleaners (both the walmart kind- tetra? I think) One rated for 46-60 gal. and the other 30-40. I only light half the tank, on at 7, off at 9p. There is no direct sunlight on the tank and it's not in a high-traffic area. I confess to not vacuuming the tank more than a couple times per month, although I rinse the filters regularly. Vacuuming the tank end up involving about a 1/3 volume water change.
The fish are fed a commercial 'pond fish' food, once per day . . . probably more than they need.
I treated the fish two weeks ago for parasites when I noticed little, white threadworms floating in the water. This is the second time I've seen them (the first time was last summer).
My questions (finally!) are twofold:
1. Having read in the forums that commercial fish food is nutritionally inferior, what should I be feeding them?
2. Over the last couple of weeks, the koi has been having these 'fits' occasionally (not every day but sometimes more than one per day) where (s)he swims frantically back and forth, breeching the water so hard (s)he bumps the lid, then lays amid the plastic (floating) plants, upside down or sideways for a few seconds. This is followed by a short period of inactive 'rest', after which the fish resumes normal activity.
The tank has been set up for two years now, ran empty for three months before I added the comet about 18 mos. ago and the koi last Dec. The comet is about 5 in. long (of which his tail accounts for almost 1.5 in!) while the koi is about 9 in.
Currently, I'm running two gutter cleaners (both the walmart kind- tetra? I think) One rated for 46-60 gal. and the other 30-40. I only light half the tank, on at 7, off at 9p. There is no direct sunlight on the tank and it's not in a high-traffic area. I confess to not vacuuming the tank more than a couple times per month, although I rinse the filters regularly. Vacuuming the tank end up involving about a 1/3 volume water change.
The fish are fed a commercial 'pond fish' food, once per day . . . probably more than they need.
I treated the fish two weeks ago for parasites when I noticed little, white threadworms floating in the water. This is the second time I've seen them (the first time was last summer).
My questions (finally!) are twofold:
1. Having read in the forums that commercial fish food is nutritionally inferior, what should I be feeding them?
2. Over the last couple of weeks, the koi has been having these 'fits' occasionally (not every day but sometimes more than one per day) where (s)he swims frantically back and forth, breeching the water so hard (s)he bumps the lid, then lays amid the plastic (floating) plants, upside down or sideways for a few seconds. This is followed by a short period of inactive 'rest', after which the fish resumes normal activity.