Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards!
Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards! There are many Koi water quality hazards. The biggies are ammonia and nitrites and, to a lesser extent, nitrates. Some others that are important to have knowledge about are chlorine, chloramines, pH balance and random contaminants. Both chlorine and chloramines can harm fish and can burn or kill pond plants. They will also kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria in your Koi pond. Chlorine, which is a volatile gas, breaks down with water circulation and exposure to air within 24-48 hours. Chloramines, on the other hand, take much longer to dissipate. Municipal water supplies have begun adding ammonia along with the chlorine which results in the longer-lasting chloramines. If you add water to your pond from a municipal supply make sure to spray it in with a hose to add aeration that will help break down and move out the gases. Another good option would be to let the water sit for a day or two before adding it to your pond to make sure it doesn’t constitute a Koi water quality hazard! Sodium Thiosulfate removes chlorine from water and will also pull chlorine from the chloramines. (more…)