About Robyn Rhudy Expertise I can answer questions regarding goldfish, koi, orfe, minnows, frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, aquatic insects, snails, shrimp, other aquatic animals, algae, aquatic plants, winterizing, pond maintenance, pond setup, pond problems, and more. I am not as good on the actual construction of ponds and with pond equipment such as pumps and filters but know the basics.
Experience I have eight ponds and four aquariums. My largest 1800 gallon pond was built in 1997. Since then, I set up a web site on my animals, fish, and ponds. My pond web site (fishpondinfo.com) is huge, award-winning, and has spawned a free pond e-newsletter and a book on ponds. I am well known and respected in the on-line pond community.
Organizations Mid-Atlantic Koi Club
Publications I am quoted in an article in Aquarium Fish (May 2003). I published my own book on ponds in 2001. I wrote an article for the Jan/Feb 2004 issue of Organic Gardening on tub ponds.
Education/Credentials Masters degree in analytical chemistry; many people consider me a pond expert
Expert: Robyn Rhudy Date: 4/15/2008 Subject: koi fish
Question i recently bought a small pond from Lowes and installed it in front of my house. I set up the filter/pump in the pond which spays the water up in the air in the center of the pond which has a filter at the bottom of the pump. i am really sorry for sounding stupid about this but this is my first time setting up a pond and i don't know everything about them. i also have installed a pressurized biological pond filter and a water clarifier. I set it up and the next day i bought 2 butterfly koi and 4 assorted koi to put in it for the kids. well one of the assorted koi died within a couple of hours and today when my wife came home from work all the others were dead. i don't know why but is it because we turned the power off to the filter? i also tested the water and everything tested fine before i put the fish in. i also left the fish in the bag they came in and sat them in the pond to let the water adjust they they wouldn't be in shock going straight into cold water. Right now the water is still pretty cold and i have heard about pond heaters but the lady at petsmart said that we wouldn't have to worry about one of those yet since it is coming on summer but we will need to get one before winter rolls around. if you could answer my questions i would really appreciate it because i would love to be able to keep fish alive in my pond. Also, since the fish died do i need to replace the water?
Answer You are lucky. You are my last All Experts post. I am quitting due to lack of time. You won't be able to do a follow up through All Experts but you can e-mail me at help at fishpondinfo dot com
Congrats on your new pond. You are so lucky to have a pond and be happy with the new and exciting world you've entered. It makes me so sad that I will not get to experience that newness with anything again.
I'm so sorry about your koi. Was the filter off? How big is your new pond? How big were the koi? Koi need 1000 gallons for the first koi and 100 gallons for each additional. Somehow, I don't think your pond was big enough for the long haul, 1400+ gallons. But, that's a moot point because they were tiny and didn't make it. Did you add dechlorinator to the water if you have city water? If not, then the chlorine or chloramine would have been the cause of death. What did you test in the water? What were the results? What all was/is in the pond? It's possible the fish were sick when you got them or any number of things were wrong with the water.
What is the pond temperature? If it's under 60 degrees F, then the shock certainly could have killed them even if you let them sit in the bag for a while. Ponds normally aren't heated but use de-icers in the winter to keep a hole in the ice.
I would be sure to add the dechlorinator if you didn't. Aerate and filter the water well. Test the pH, hardness, ammonia, and nitrite levels. Don't add any more fish for at least a week and then go with smaller fish (no koi) such as rosy red minnows or goldfish.
My web site at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/pond.htm has tons of information. My job used to have a lot of free time which is how I created my site in the first place. Now, work has been out of control for over a year. I've had to give up what I love. Now, I'm giving up helping others off of this site. Doing so makes me feel like I'm not totally worthless. I hope I've helped you and others in some little way. I hope your pond brings you joy and not just something you have to schedule into your busy life like me. I wish I could just sit and watch the pond. I wish I could help animals for a living but that doesn't pay. So good bye and good luck!
