| Water Quality |
| KH is Carbonate Hardness…the K comes from the German word for it, Kalkwasser, no idea why we use it. Carbonate Hardness (Total Alkalinity or TA is the same thing) is a measurement of the waters ability to neutralize an acid... to buffer against it. The alkalinity in the water is mainly composed of bicarbonate ions and carbonate ions. This is why you'll hear of the use of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda…sodium bicarbonate to get the KH levels up. Oyster shells and crushed coral work also, but not quite as well. Everything that happens within the pond creates an acid, from the fish to the plants to the bacteria and if there is not enough bicarbonate and carbonate in the water to buffer against it then, the pH will crash. KH stabilizes the pH of the water. The bacteria in our filters use carbonates and flourish better with high KH levels. Plants will use carbonates also when CO2 levels are down during the day. In my own systems I maintain a level of about 80ppm KH, while others that I know, with heavily stock ponds, keep theirs at the 350ppm level. Whichever level you use it should be above 80ppm to be on the safe side. Graham Hawkins 2/5/2001 revised Dec/06 |
| The 1st post is from the KoiTech board on the possible effects of salt on fish, by Jim Rielly. I think it explains quite well, the possible results of using salt.The 2nd post is from the Nishikigoi International board on how salt works by Tom Lansing.The information contained in the 2 posts should give you a good understanding of the pros and cons of using of salt. If salt has to be used for a treatment then it should be added to the pond at a rate of 3lb / 100 gallons. This will give you a little less than a 0.3% concentration.You should figure out the total amount that you need and then divide this amount in 3 equal doses and add it over a 2 day period. To protect fish from high Nitrite levels during cycling, salt can be use at a rate of 1 lb / 100gallons. Use only salt that has no additives or YPS anti-caking agent. The salt should be dissolved in water first or added into an area that the fish can't come in direct contact with it. Burns to the skin can result from direct contact. |
| Salt |
| KH |
| I have come across an article on low maintenance ponding which seems to go against the general experiance of most other posted opinions. The article says in part 'salt has no business being in your pond. Koi don't have salt in thier ponds in nature and they do just fine. Supposedly, salt is benificial in that it removes parasites... In reality, it does this by causing the fish to slough their slime coat which takes the parasites with it. But a fish w/o a slime coat is suscepitible to diseases, fungi and parasites so you have to add more salt to kill those.' With so many experts using salt, is there any test which show the effect of salt on a Kois slime coat? Does the short term (up to 3 weeks) in salt damage the slime coat which then is regenerated after water changes? Wayne --- Hi Wayne, the views on salt vary a lot.People see it as a tonic,a safe go-to med and a wonder drug.For such a simple compound it sure has a lot of different effects on koi.Salt is: 1) an astingent- it can shrink and slough off the slime coat as you suggest.But the slime coat is a renewable resource(within reason)and will constantly replenish itself .It has the ability to regenerate new cells at the base of the epidermis.The thichess of the coat will vary in different age groups,ph ranges,temperatures etc.The astringent effect is lost over a period of time 2) it is an irratant- the astringent effect on the cuticle layer will prompt excess slime coat secretion.Special mucous cells located above the basement membrane of the epidermis secrete excess mucous once the astringent effect removes/disrupts the cuticle layer and causes the balance of fluids and salts to shift within the epidermis. This reaction will be lost with constant exposure and it is therefore recommended that salt be used as a therapy only when needed in order to obtain maximum results. There exists a cross over confusion with the goldfish keepers who should keep salt in their fishtanks at all times due to the higher salt levels in a goldfish's blood. 3) tonic- it can assist in reducing osmotic stress during general adaptive syndrome or in the presence of open ulcers were valuable body fluid is being lost to the environment. 4)antifugal/antiparasite inhibitor- the life cycle and osmotic regulation of parasites can be disrupted with salt.It's ability to eraticate all types of parasites has been greatly exaggerated over the last few years but it still is helpful when used in conjunction with other antiparasitic compounds. So salt has it's place in every koi keepers medicine cabinet but,as your author suggests,should not be in the water at all times. JR |
| ...While we're discussing salt, let me address some other erroneous information a few 'message board experts' pontificate. Most fish have an internal salt concentration of 0.9% or, 9 parts-per-thousand (ppt) which is higher than their water environment. Osmosis causes water to transfer from the lower salinity of the pond water into the tissues of the fish - a good thing. Addition of salt will lower the osmosis pressure and is beneficial especially during a bacteria infection. This reduces the effort of the fish in eliminating the excess water and the saved energy is then available for use by the fishes own immune system to fight diseases. Now, if increasing the salinity reduces the excess fluids, would it not make sense that when you approach the internal salt concentration of fish (0.9%) and or exceed this level, it will have the opposite effect????? Of course it does - as the salinity level of the water approaches and exceeds the level of the internal tissues of the fish, the osmotic pressure will reverse and cause the fish to dehydrate. This certainly causes undue stress and can lead to death. Ever seen a human who's become dehydrated? They usually live but it's still a very stressful event. Have you ever wondered how salt actually kills SOME, single celled parasites??? Salt concentrations between 0.3% and 0.5% (3ppt to 5ppt) upset the osmotic balance of these parasites, causing the cells to dehydrate and die. Note, the key word 'dehydrate' is the event that kills the parasite. Now, someone will cite the fact 'they' practice and advise salinity levels of 1.2% to 3.0% which are good for the fish and nitrifying bacteria but of course, 'they' can cite no scientific data to support the claim other than 'they do it.' Tom Lansing |
| PH |
| In simple terms pH, potential Hydrogen, is a way of indicating whether water it acid, basic or neutral. It's a measure of the hydrogen (acid) ions in the water. If there are more hydrogen ions than hydroxyl ions then the water is acidic and vise versa. If there are equal numbers then the water is neutral. All this is shown on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. The rise or fall of pH is logarithmic, that is an increase from 7 to 8, will be an increase of ten fold…an increase from 7 to 9 will be 100 fold increase. Small movements will not effect the fish greatly but whole point or larger increases or decreases will. Large swings in pH can be controlled by making sure that the KH (see below)/(Total Alkalinity) is kept in the 80ppm > range. The natural processes within the pond and filter generate acids; these acids will gradually use up the water's buffering ability, resulting in a slow drop in pH. This gradual drop generally doesn’t affect the fish, until it's extremely low, but the addition of someone new into low pH water could be costly. Without enough buffering ability the pH can ''crash'' quickly…a large drop into the acid range, resulting in fish losses. Crashes are common with ''green water''. The algae generates carbon dioxide at night, which is turned into carbonic acid, which uses up the buffering ability, resulting in a crash.Unless the pH is extremely high, it should not be driven down using vinegar or any other acid, it will come down on it's own given time. Koi can withstand a wide range of pH's, 6.5 to 9.0, with the high 7's generally being a good range for optimum colour. Many koi keepers, , maintain their pH in the 8.4 range, due to high stocking levels and their KH in the 150ppm range, with no ill effects on the fish. This avoids a possible crash in the pH. I monitor my water quite closely and try to maintain a pH of 7.5 and a KH around the 80 mark. Nitrifying bacteria also do better with a higher pH and KH. PH and KH should be monitored several times a week and adjusted accordingly. Graham Hawkins 10/02/01 revised Dec /06 |
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