Koi Carp And Refilling Tank

[Tobes]

Hi Guys,

Loveley forum you have here, looks busy

Im looking after my mums while she is away, they have had a lot of trouble with their business lately and it seems they have let a few things slip while they are under a lot of pressure, one of the things that they seem to have not focused on is their Koi Carp, I know, Im not that impressed either, but I understand how much stress they have been going through, so it really is a case of very bad timing.

Now Im here looking after the house I want to get the Koi Carp back on track, they are healthy and fed daily, but they are in a big 150l water tank outside, they have heating etc, but the water level is very low.

Please can some one advise me on refiling, I wasnt sure if I need to remove the carp maybe into a bucket so I can get their tank full and the water stabilised, obviously the last thing I want to do is stress the fish, and I dont want to poison them either with fresh/cold water from the tap.

Please can some one advise.

Ive attached a picture of the tank, picture taken today.

Thanks so much for helping me

Tobes

edit my girlfriend has taken my bag with her to work, and the camera is in it to describe the tank, its a big 150l water tank you would normally see in the attic, please dont fear the carp are young so not much bigger than small gold fish, the tank has a pump, a heater and a small water fall which is making a fair bit of bubbles, there is also some greenery in the tank, and a bit of algie which Im sure is normal, the problem is the water level is about a foot high where the tank is nearly 3 foot, so I could fill it up a lot, its not empty which is why Im sure they have felt the fish are ok, but if I can help while Im here I mas aswell

Thanks

 

[KittyKat]

That is a very small space for the koi! I was hoping the first mention was a typo and it was actually a 150 gallon tank..

So, here is how to refill.. get some dechlorinator/dechloraminator (removes chlorine and chloramine). Mix with tap water in a bucket as per instructions. Add to the tank.

Alternatively, dose the tank with enough dechlorinator to treat the whole thing, switch off the filter, use a hose to add water and switch the filter back on.

Either way, watch the temperature, it is usually best to NOT let it drop by more than 2-3C.

 

[Tobes]

Hi Kitty Kat,

Yes it is a small tank, I think they hope to move some where soon with a bigger garden but at the moment it is a rented house.

If the fish are in the tank is it ok to add the dechlorinator? I will keep an eye on the temps, and will go and get some dechlorinator if there isnt any here already, and I will read the bottle very carefully.

Thanks for your help

Tobes

 

[waterdrop]

Since the fish are young, this may not be a concern (but from your description it's still a bit hard to get a handle on)... If freshwater tanks are neglected in the sense of not having a regular weekly or biweekly water change and this continues for many months to several years, there is a danger of what we call "old tank syndrome" which simply means that the fish have been allowed to become acclimated to artificially high levels of heavy metals and various minerals (elevated hardness being the crucial aspect but other substances including organics even playing a role.) It's the difference between the tank and tap water that becomes a problem as when the water finally get's changed, they fish are shocked by the change in mineral content (which is a type of change they cannot tolerate well.)

Probably this is not your case but I felt we should state it as a warning so you could try to rule it out as a concern. Do you have any idea when the tank was filled, when the young carp were added and the possible frequency of water changes and whether topping up rather than water changes may have been done prior? These are the factors of course.

And I agree with KK of course re the ultimate destination of the fish - these are huge pond fish which should not stay long in a tank but I think you know that.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tobes]

Hi Waterdrop,

Thanks so much for dropping in, Im a bit worried the water hasnt been topped up since they were added to the tank, and hence its probably a good thing I try and learn how these fishes need looking after, rectify the problem while my mother is away, and try to educate them better to the fishes environment, I think the tank has been outside for about 4 months, so I am assuming there hasnt been much if any water added, there is without a doubt what looks like a rather proficient pump in there, when I get my bag bak later I will take some shots.

I havent found any dechlorinator in the house so I will purchase some in the next 24 hours, in a way Im not in a rush as I think its good I talk with people here to try and understand what the fish need before I go and make any drastic mistakes.

Also, sorry to have given misinformation, Ive just had a closer look at the tank and noticed level lines inside it, and the tank when full is more like 227 litres / 50 gallons.

Thanks for helping me out, I will point my mum to this forum when they return and get them more involved, its not fair to have pets and not be giving them what then need, I realise its been a real bad time for my mum and her partner as they have had some business problems, but its time I get them to focus on these fish properly, or ask them to give them to some one who will.

Pics to follow.

Tobes

 

[Tobes]

ok, im a bit embarrassed to post these, but at least im trying to get this resolved, like I said they are t my fishes, but I will do everything I can now to get this all back on track.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

oh, is there an issue with posting images here? they arent showing for me!

 

[forby3]

paste the link into the image box failing that paste the link on here and i will get your pic up

 

[Tobes]

I pasted the image link into the code but it didnt work.

Maybe you can help me out.

[code]

http://www.itstooloud.com/images/fishtank1.jpg

http://www.itstooloud.com/images/fishtank2.jpg

[/code]

Thanks

 

[forby3]

 

[KittyKat]

Does that even have a filter?

The way that heater is set up right now, it might be trying to boil the fish, what is the water temperature? Also koi are coldwater, so the heater should be set to the lowest setting.

 

[Tobes]

Does that even have a filter?

The way that heater is set up right now, it might be trying to boil the fish, what is the water temperature? Also koi are coldwater, so the heater should be set to the lowest setting.

Ive checked it is definitely on the lowest setting but there is no temperature gage for me to give an exact reading, it does feel pretty cold so I think it should be ok, maybe around the 10c mark but that is a guestimate so dont quote me on it.

There is without a doubt a filter but its so caked up I imagine thats going to need a really good clean too.

So, back to my main question, what can I do to help these fishes and not shock their systems and upset them.

My mother will be back tomorrow so today is the day to do this, hope to hear from you soon so I can go to the shop and sort this out.

 

[waterdrop]

A separate cheap floating spirit thermometer is something that would be helpful and easy to get. Don't overdo the filter cleaning: the media is squeezed gently and swished around in a bucket of tank water that has been removed from the box the fish are in. Ideally this is water in an overflow bucket from a process where you siphon from all over the bottom of the tank, thus removing a lot of the debris and waste that was on the bottom (not sure if there is any substrate in there.) In a normal tank, that process is called gravel-clean-water-change and you are able to watch through the glass from the side and see the large diameter cylinder on the business end of the siphon lifting and mixing up the subtrate (usually gravel) and thus cleaning it. It is this process done on a weekly basis that constitutes one of the largest aspects of "what the fish need" (of course ponds are different!) As for filter cleanings (which are also important) we usually start people off doing once a month and have them make it either more or less frequent depending on what happens to the tested nitrate(NO3) levels, which inform us about the balance of filtration to bioload to cleanliness. (Many of us use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit for feedback about the core water parameters.)

Good luck with your activities today and with your family discussions. Taking good care of fish can be a great stress reliever in your life!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tobes]

Hi Waterdrop

Thanks for the kind words

Ive been down to the pet shop and purchased a thermometer its the long glass tube type which sticks to the side of a tank with a rubber suckon thing, anyway I noticed it floats pretty good so left it floating as its a lot easier to read.

Ive also bought "Pond Agua Safe" and when Im ready to add water I will apply as directed.

What have I done so far:

I removed the pond filter/waterfall thingy and I gave it a thorough clean in the kitchen, I pulled it to pieces and cleaned every single bit, it was caked up completely, its now like new, Ive put it back in to the pond and hoorar it is working properly the waterfall at the top is now working and the poor little fish now have air, phew.

I realise I may have stressed the fishes out slightly, so before I do anything I thought it better to leave them for an hour or two.

So, my next question is this, the water temp is around 11c probably too high, should I take the heater out? let the water cool naturally before adding more water?

Also, should I refill all at once, the tank is 227 litres and I reckon its half empty, so is it safe to add the 2ml aqua safe, and then fill it to the top with the hose.

I imagine the water will be a lot colder for the fish, so how should I tackle this next part?

Many Thanks everyone

Tobes

 

[Tobes]

Hi Guys,

I could really do with some last advice as I will be leaving today, I have cleaned out the filter and thats now working properly but I havent added any new water, please advise!

Add the dechlorinator and fill to the top hope for the best, their water temp is 11c tap water Im sure will be a lot lower.

Or what should I do, Im a bit stumped as I dont want to hurt the fishes.

Thanks in advance.

Tobes

 

[KittyKat]

I am happy to mix some boiled water in with the cold, some people will even take it straight out of the hot tap.. in other words, mix hot and cold!