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Ammonia is produced naturally by the koi in the form of waste. 70% is from their gills and the other 30% is produced through their kidneys. You can't see ammonia in a pond, but if this ammonia is not removed from the pond the koi will literally die in their own waste. The most effective way to remove ammonia from the pond is with a "biological filter." In a good biological filter, the bacteria that is formed will remove the ammonia by turning it into nitrites. When installing a new filter it will take approximately 2 weeks, after fish are added to the pond, for enough of this beneficial bacteria to develop to keep the ammonia levels down. If when you test the water, you find the ammonia level to be high, the easiest way to lower it is by performing a 30% water change every other day until it reaches a safe level. Whenever you do a water change, make sure to add some dechlorinator before refilling the pond to remove any chlorine in the new water if you have city water. Also, stop or at least severely reduce feeding the koi until the ammonia level is under control because the more food you give them the more ammonia they will produce. Also, raising the salt level in the pond to .1% when the ammonia levels are high will help to reduce the toxicity of the ammonia to the koi. Nitrites are produced by the bacteria in your biological filter as it removes the ammonia. Like ammonia, nitrites are also toxic to your koi. The best way to remove nitrites from your pond is also with a good biological filter. After the ammonia bacteria build up in the filter another bacteria begins to form that will change the nitrites into nitrates which are relatively harmless. This bacteria is more fragile than the ammonia bacteria and takes longer to get established. When installing a new filter, it will usually take up to 6 weeks after the fish are added to the pond for the beneficial bacteria, which controls nitrites, to develop to the point where it will keep the nitrite levels under control. Again, the easiest way to lower the nitrite levels during this start up period is to perform a series of 30% water changes when needed. Nitrates are the last chemical produced during the nitrification cycle that takes place in the biological filter. Nitrates are not nearly as toxic as ammonia and nitrites. Nitrates serve as food for plants and algae in the pond. Usually if a healthy layer of algae is allowed to form on the inside walls of the pond, it will be sufficient to keep the nitrate levels under control. |
