Koi Pond and hard water?

Question

I have a koi pond and hard water... very hard water. I just found out that salinity matters. So if I add pure salt dissolved first in pond water will that make it softer. I've had my koi 3 weeks and all they do is hide under the rock I elavated in the water for them. They never come out though even for food. They eat it when we aren't around, but always hide when we are around. Is this because of the water, or because they still need more time to adjust to the pond?

I test the PH and it's fine, but the hardness (that's what it says for the test) Is like 300 PPM. The PH is in range just fine though.

Also I have a fountian and waterfall in the pond so I don't think low oxygen is it.

Answer 1

I am with the others in that hardness does not really affect their health - it may cause some black spots to appear on their scales, but that's really all hard water does. I, too, live in an area that has very hard water but we have a backyard koi pond where the fish generally do just fine (any problems we have had have usually been caused by water quality/filter crash or parasites brought in by birds who use the waterfalls as their own personal bath/shower system). Having said that, though, koi will generally benefit from having about 3% salinity in their water because it will make it inhospitable to parasites that could otherwise affect them.

By their behavior you described, though, it actually kind of sounds like the koi have been traumatized. Are you certain your pond is safe from koi predators like raccoons, herons, kingfishers, and even rats (if the koi are small...)? I've been keeping koi for the last 7-8 years and generally, when they hide like that, it's because they're scared of something. If it's not you (and spending more time by the pond will help, because they'll get used to the idea of a big thing being nearby that will not eat them), then I would try to look for signs of "other" visitors to your pond. You can use netting to keep birds out, and live traps and other mechanisms (such as motion-detector sprinklers) to keep the four-legged things away, too.

I recommend going to www.koivet.com - it is a wonderful website managed by a veterinarian who specializes in koi and goldfish. It has all kinds of good information about diseases and unusual behaviors and how to treat them.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Salt will in no way have any effect on the hardness or pH of the pond water. Generally speaking Koi are very tolerate of a wide range of hardness and pH so I would say unless it's hard enough to walk on don't sweat it. Beside, rain water will soften in some over time.

The fish still need time to adjust, it can take a while, especially in a pond.

MM

Answer 3

Pure salt doesn't do anything to ph. A high Ph shouldn't bother them too much. I would check for something else, I don't think that's it. Maybe low oxygen. Or something you have in the pond is leeching toxins into the water. Check the taps ph, if it is lower than the pond their is definatly something leeching into the water. Water does not naturally rise in ph, it falls a little between water changes. If the tap water is high ph then I would say whatever the city is putting into the tap water to make the ph high is stressing the fish. If you attempt to adjust the ph going lower fast is not a good idea at all and could kill your fish. I'd leave the ph alone and find out what the real problem is.

Answer 4

You need to lower the acidity of the water closer to neutral, (7.0).

Also, there should be some salinity in all freshwater setups in tanks and ponds alike. That could be the root of the problem.

You could also try something like Stress Zyme if they are stressed for some reason.

Answer 5

I'm not sure! But I don't think koi are saltwater fish are they?

Get some clear mountain stream water if you have some close!

They should do just fine!

Answer 6

they still need more time to adust to you. spend more time by the pond.

Answer 7

............and, salt may not alter the softness.