Well this morning I got up at about 5am, thank God, and checked my pond, my usual morning routine, and low and behold there was about a foot or two of water in my pond. Just enough water to cover my 7 koi and 5 koi/cold fish. NOTE: This past week I removed at least 20 goldfish - goldfish/koi mix - to my new mud pond!! Still, in my now mostly purely koi pond - even though the water covered them, I lost 1 ten inch koi/gold fish and 5 koi, ranging in size from 5" to 12"! I added some salt yesterday but, thank God, I stopped adding it because I wanted to make sure it was the best salt to add. So, when the pond emptied, they either were breathing salty water, (which I don't think was the problem since my filter was drawing from the bottom and going through a bottom feed 50gal drum filter, and salt sinks doesn't it?), or because most of the fish were over 10" to 12" they didn't have enough air to breath once they were at the bottom of a foot or two of water. Not to mention the 2 incubator basket with 10 one inch koi in one and about 10 half inch koi/gold fish in the other left high and dry on a shelf in the pond. One koi did survive somehow!!
Anyway, I managed to get some water pumped back into the pond from the 50 gal. drum filter though I was running around in a panic. After that I added water from the hose and some "Start Right" that I happened to have in my emergency kit. Our chlorine levels in our water here are low because we are in the country, thank God! The fish that are left are listless, some more than others. I'm watching and waiting.
What cause this disaster? My "uncovered" 50gal drum filter had some leaves, etc., that fell into it (because it had no netting covering it), clog up the outflow hose that fed back into the pond for aeration. The drum filled up and ran over the top emptying the pond out into the yard. This was the first year I put a non-submersible filter on the outside of my pond!! I have always had submersible filters but because they took up so much room in the pond I decided to do the "non-submersible filter". It has worked so well but apparently there are "rules" you must follow with these types of filters.
I'm seriously contemplating getting rid of everything because I HATE losing them and it seems something always happens. I've been living here for 15 years and started this "koi loving thing" after living here 3 years. I dug out, with a shovel and pick ax, a 4' hole in this rock filled clay dirt and put in a 12'x12' liner with 2 koi. Every bigger pond I graduated to I dug out by hand until I added some cinder blocks to raise the last "whole" I dug to a height of 4' in some places and 3' in the rest of it. The length and width are 12'x8'. But over the 12 years something has ALWAYS happened so that I have NO big koi, no koi over 8 years old!! I have always picked out my koi personally and carefully which make them even more special to me. The Koi/gold fish were a surprising mistake but they are gorgeous with their size, color, and one pair of barbells and I love them as much as I do the smaller Koi!
I'm 64yrs old and have had to give up having a drink now and then, smoking (though I've never smoked, but it seems like it would help with stress), scuba diving, running, eating red meat, friends - my hubby is not in good health so we sorta hang around here mostly, church - same reason, freedom - same reason...hubby can't be left alone, cussing...lol.....ugg!
So... I will give myself a day before I make a decision as to should I give up one more interest...the Koi (that are left) and beautiful Koi/goldfish (all that are at least 1', one is a black and orange marbleized male). This black and orange male is supporting the orange 1' female by gently nudging her to move. Last week he was trying to spawn with her...
. There were 4 koi/gold fish that grew up together over the past 3 years. The smallest of them, 10', died today. The other 3 are hanging tight. That in itself is heart breaking to watch.
But then a phone call I just got reminded me of the surgery my husband has tomorrow. Can you believe I had forgotten about it!? He has died, and revived, on the operating table when he was having cataracts removal so needless to say I have been concerned about his upcoming surgery. But, as I sat there looking at my pond after I got things settled this morning, I remembered that all through my life it has always worked out that "when bad things happen it is always followed by GOOD things". So I don't have to worry about my husband dying tomorrow during his surgery! Maybe this whole crappy event is a super duper sign that my hubby may go through a super duper ordeal tomorrow that will work out great, one that will make this pale in comparison, but he will do great! When I put it all in perspective maybe this isn't such a big deal.
Things I've learned THIS time around: Cover your non-submersible filter drums with some sort of netting to prevent junk from falling into the filter and clogging the outflow pipe.
Thanks for letting me vent! Thanks for all the suggestions on how to handle the possible Ich problem. Any suggestion on how I can help my poor fish that are left would be appreciated...
Anyway, I managed to get some water pumped back into the pond from the 50 gal. drum filter though I was running around in a panic. After that I added water from the hose and some "Start Right" that I happened to have in my emergency kit. Our chlorine levels in our water here are low because we are in the country, thank God! The fish that are left are listless, some more than others. I'm watching and waiting.
What cause this disaster? My "uncovered" 50gal drum filter had some leaves, etc., that fell into it (because it had no netting covering it), clog up the outflow hose that fed back into the pond for aeration. The drum filled up and ran over the top emptying the pond out into the yard. This was the first year I put a non-submersible filter on the outside of my pond!! I have always had submersible filters but because they took up so much room in the pond I decided to do the "non-submersible filter". It has worked so well but apparently there are "rules" you must follow with these types of filters.
I'm seriously contemplating getting rid of everything because I HATE losing them and it seems something always happens. I've been living here for 15 years and started this "koi loving thing" after living here 3 years. I dug out, with a shovel and pick ax, a 4' hole in this rock filled clay dirt and put in a 12'x12' liner with 2 koi. Every bigger pond I graduated to I dug out by hand until I added some cinder blocks to raise the last "whole" I dug to a height of 4' in some places and 3' in the rest of it. The length and width are 12'x8'. But over the 12 years something has ALWAYS happened so that I have NO big koi, no koi over 8 years old!! I have always picked out my koi personally and carefully which make them even more special to me. The Koi/gold fish were a surprising mistake but they are gorgeous with their size, color, and one pair of barbells and I love them as much as I do the smaller Koi!
I'm 64yrs old and have had to give up having a drink now and then, smoking (though I've never smoked, but it seems like it would help with stress), scuba diving, running, eating red meat, friends - my hubby is not in good health so we sorta hang around here mostly, church - same reason, freedom - same reason...hubby can't be left alone, cussing...lol.....ugg!
So... I will give myself a day before I make a decision as to should I give up one more interest...the Koi (that are left) and beautiful Koi/goldfish (all that are at least 1', one is a black and orange marbleized male). This black and orange male is supporting the orange 1' female by gently nudging her to move. Last week he was trying to spawn with her...
. There were 4 koi/gold fish that grew up together over the past 3 years. The smallest of them, 10', died today. The other 3 are hanging tight. That in itself is heart breaking to watch.But then a phone call I just got reminded me of the surgery my husband has tomorrow. Can you believe I had forgotten about it!? He has died, and revived, on the operating table when he was having cataracts removal so needless to say I have been concerned about his upcoming surgery. But, as I sat there looking at my pond after I got things settled this morning, I remembered that all through my life it has always worked out that "when bad things happen it is always followed by GOOD things". So I don't have to worry about my husband dying tomorrow during his surgery! Maybe this whole crappy event is a super duper sign that my hubby may go through a super duper ordeal tomorrow that will work out great, one that will make this pale in comparison, but he will do great! When I put it all in perspective maybe this isn't such a big deal.
Things I've learned THIS time around: Cover your non-submersible filter drums with some sort of netting to prevent junk from falling into the filter and clogging the outflow pipe.
Thanks for letting me vent! Thanks for all the suggestions on how to handle the possible Ich problem. Any suggestion on how I can help my poor fish that are left would be appreciated...
