Simply Koi and More Koi

Hi all,

Have read alot of information regarding these on here with much interest. So i have finally decided to get one so before i do just wanted to confirm i have understood the main principles correctly before i get all the equipment etc... These being heat, high turnover and good filtration.

The tank is not going to hold alot of fish perhaps 2-4 tosai per year with the addition of new purchases or sick fish etc... for quarantine

So i am planning on getting a 400 gallon tank with drain which will be kept in a green house to be purchased also. Was thinking of an Aquamax 8,000 which thought would give the 20-30min turnover. Am thinking to start with to pump directly to shower made with the stacking boxes that i have seen photos of on here. Possibly in the future to add ideally a pod before or possibly just a vortex.

1)So my question is considering stocking: is this pump size, set up right, and how large a shower(s) do i need Ex: one set of three stacking boxes. And depending on the answer i would like to know how much BHM i need to buy to put in it??

2)Have read mankys clever thing about how to slow flow for sick fish with the two T's. Assuming you need the high flow to assure water quality would one remove the growing fish into the main pond when sick fish are introduced, slow flow then swap back when fish is recovered, and return flow to full?

3)Finally how much water should be changed per week and how should this be done ex 20% split over four days, as was thinking would be better than all in one go for the filter?

Thanks,


Ben

Hi Ben,

Sounds spot on to me and to be honest a bit like my system

When i started i couldn't get the staking boxes so used a bin.....yes a bin which i filled with BHM i am not 100% sure how much i had in it but i think it was over a box and it worked a treat for years until i put a mini shower on the tank

Water needs to be changed depending on the amount of food you feed and at first you need to test to see how it goes,i trickle in the water normally and would imagine i do a bit more than 20%

Hi

Thanks very much for that so i will get on with setting it all up now. I will bear the bin idea in mind should i too be unable to find the boxes. So using the bin did you just fill it or did you put shelfs in so that it is teared like a normal shower??

Ben

Here are a couple of picture to give you an idea how it worked.

i pumped directly from the bottom drain up to the bin where a spray bar from an Aqamax 8000 and the bin just had some large holes in the bottom so there was no restriction.

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... G_1656.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... G_1657.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... G_2148.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.koipix.com/gallery/albums/userpi ... G_2767.JPG[/img]

Hi

I completely understand now. Think i will just copy the way u have done that.

thanks for the advice

Ben

You can get reasonable sized stacka boxes at under £3 each from Tesco.

Hi Ben

Think that it is easier to sell the idea of a new tank to the other half if it has several functions!! but l I am not sure how well it would work in practice.

If you are going to use as a combined growing on /quarantine/hospital you will be putting the resident growing on fish through the stress of temperature ramps potential treatment etc every time you add new stock or have a fish with a problem, after you have mixed them with new or sick fish you will then not be able to move them until the health issues have been resolved.

Think that a growing on / quarantine tank would work given a disciplined approach; but don't think that you could easily combine the hospital facility.

One thing to remember is that if you are heating the growing on and it is inside and you are not heating the main pond there are limited time slots when you can move fish out into the main pond; so you have to plan ahead in September for the projected size of the fish the following April or May...

Regards

Dave

Thanks all very much for the advice. It has been very helpful.

Ben