Acclimating from high ammo, ph and nitrite!! Help!

[Ghostriderphoto]

Ickes up some koi from my neighbors place. His ph crashed and I am trying to drip acclimate two 8" koi. My ph is 8.2 his is currently about 6.4. My water parameters are good, but the water from my neighbors is ammo 4ppm and nitrite 5ppm nitrate 80. How do I get these koi acclimated out of the toxic water to the higher ph faster???

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

I also put my active sponge filter in the 20 gallon bucket with them hopin it will help get rid of the ammo and nitrite!

 

[jlk]

Drip acclimate them the best you are able to manage. Going from high toxin levels to no toxins isnt as critical as the ph swing will be. The ph difference is big so take your time adjusting them to the new ph as well as the lower nitrate levels. Do you have a place to keep them other than a bucket once they are acclimated to your water?

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

Drip acclimate them the best you are able to manage. Going from high toxin levels to no toxins isnt as critical as the ph swing will be. The ph difference is big so take your time adjusting them to the new ph as well as the lower nitrate levels. Do you have a place to keep them other than a bucket once they are acclimated to your water?

They will go into a newly cycled 55 for a week until my friend across town can get them next Wednesday for her pond. I told her to give them a few days so they aren't getting moved too soon since this is such a big ph swing. I do have a water trough I can put them in with the 4" sponge filter... They have been trying to jump out of the 20 g bucket....

 

[jlk]

I am glad you have a place to keep them until they can go to a good home! Do your best to acclimate them to your water & be careful when they go into the 55- they may try to jump out of this as well. Take your time acclimating- the ph difference is enough to make them try & jump out of the water, too. Good luck!

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

I am glad you have a place to keep them until they can go to a good home! Do your best to acclimate them to your water & be careful when they go into the 55- they may try to jump out of this as well. Take your time acclimating- the ph difference is enough to make them try & jump out of the water, too. Good luck!

Nice... Maybe I should drain some of the water out of the 55. I keep hearing them jump into the "lid" I have over the bucket. Already had to pick one up off the floor!

I just moved my Oscar from the 10g qt to the 50g. He didn't like the move too much and stressed. No I see white spots on his fins that looks like ich. I raised the temp to 86 and need to get some salt this afternoon. Guess the stress from the move? I've had him 2 weeks.

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Wouldn't the high temp stress the koi?
Why not directly to your friends pond instead of having them acclimate twice?

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

How high can the koi jump? If I use the water trough vs the 55 will that keep them in there? Will the sponge filter be able to keep up with them?

 

[jlk]

They are quite capable jumpers. I am not sure what you mean by a trough- do you mean a 100-200g water trough such as those used for horses or cattle? A sponge filter wont do a whole lot for something this size.

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

They are quite capable jumpers. I am not sure what you mean by a trough- do you mean a 100-200g water trough such as those used for horses or cattle? A sponge filter wont do a whole lot for something this size.

75-100g horse water trough. I may have a problem on my hands then with the jumping.... Hmmm. Wonder if they will tolerate large daily water changes. If so, then the water trough might work with the sponge filter?

 

[jlk]

Keep their water healthy & they will be fine until next week. I would cover it with a old window screen or mesh & weigh it down with something to keep them in case they decide to make a break for it.

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

Keep their water healthy & they will be fine until next week. I would cover it with a old window screen or mesh & weigh it down with something to keep them in case they decide to make a break for it.

Lol... I may have to cover it with a refrigerator to keep them in! Thanks for the insight... I had no idea that Koi were such accomplished jumpers, but from the sounds of them hitting the lid... I must have Olympic athletes in the bucket. Scary...

 

[Ghostriderphoto]

The koi are settled in to their new temporary home and checking things out. I was cleaning the bucket they were in and found they had a little friend with them... A blue tilapia fry. He almost got tossed with the dirty water! Definitely didn't see that one coming...

The bigger one has a perfect W near his tail... Can you see it!?!