Fertiliser for Water Lilies

My water lilies have stopped flowering in during the rainy monsoon season from October to January. Now the weather is turning warmer, with more days of sunny skies. These are ideal conditions for my water lilies to bloom as water lilies needs many hours of direct sunlight to thrive. In fact, one pot is starting to flower almost daily again.

Now is the time to feed the plants with fertiliser and help in growing new leaves and also for them to flower more. I am using the fertilisers in tablet form and exported from Thailand, where plentiful of lotus and water lilies grows. These tablets are used for planting Lotus (according to the packaging) but can be used for water lilies as well.

I push them into the soil, about 2 inches finger deep, using my finger. One to two tablets per pot should suffice. Repeat this every month, until the monsoon seasons starts again and the plant stops flowering due to less sunlight.

I used to buy the fertiliser tablets from a plant nursery near my house but for some strange reason, the owner refuse  to sell them when I tried to buy them last year. “They are now not for sale,  for my own use only”, so he says. I was looking around for other sources locally.  I finally manage to get someone I know, who is a landscape designer  and a Thai national, to buy them direct from Thailand.  

Koi Pond Pump Selection Tips

The submersible pumps are the heart of the Koi pond.

Key specifications or rating for the pumps:

• Voltage = Voltage required in Volts (V).
• Current Drawn = Amount of current drawn, rated in Amperes (A)
• Power consumption = amount of power consumed rated in Watts (W)
• Flow Rate or maximum capacity = volume of water moved over time. Typically in cubic meters per min (m3/min) or litre per min.
• Maximum Head = maximum height of water that the pump can push water through. For example, the vertical height between the outlet of pump (e.g. top of waterfall) to the inlet to the pump (e.g. at the bottom of the pond or filter. The flow rate is inversely proportion to the head of water to be pushed.

The flow rate and number of pumps needed depends on many factors. There are many articles written on this subject and the rule of thumb is this: “Half the pond’s capacity (volume) needs to flow through the biological filter every hour”. So, do the calculations to determine the number of pumps and ratings of the pumps needed based on the capacity of the pond.

Depending on size of the pond, try to have a few small pumps than a single large one for redundancy in case one pump fail.  In addition, having a number of smaller pumps allows you to adjust the flow rate up or down by turning one or more pumps on or off. Connect them to separate power sources (with circuit breakers for safety) to create higher availability and redundancy.  As the electrical power cable for the pumps is usually about a few meters in length only, locate the power supply points as closed to the pump chamber of your filter as possible.

Have a spare pump in your house, especially if buying one requires a lead time longer than a few hours.

Other features to consider would be the auto cut-off when there is no water (useful for drain chamber).

For me, the pumps must be long lasting and be power efficient.   I am currently using 2 units of Tsurumi pumps (Model 40PU2.15S). They has been running almost non-stop for over 2 years now and consume a relatively low power of 150W each. In addition, I have another pump with auto-cutoff feature in my drain chamber; the drain pump is only used during pond maintenance.

When installing the pumps, devise a way for them to be removed without having to drain the pond or filter. Have a pipe coupling that allows the pump and attached outlet pipe to be decoupled at the top of the pond or filter. The whole pump, with the attached outlet pipe can then be lifted out for replacement.

Submersible Pumps for Koi ponds

The pump is a key component in any Koi pond. In my first pond, I was using the following pumps, with the following ratings and specifications.

Nova 600, 800 W, 220V, 3.4 A, 16 cubic m/hr. Power consumption per month = 584 KWH

Nova 200, 350 W, 220V, 1.5 A, 12 cubic m/hr. Power consumption per month = 250 KWH.

Although my filter was fitted with 2 pumps, one with return to the waterfall and the other returning through the venturi pumps, I typically only turned on only one pump as it was enough to maintain a good circulation and provided enough aeration for my 7 cubic meter pond. Another Nova 200 serves as a drain pump.

For my second pond, I continued to use the Nova pumps but only using the Nova 200 as it was more efficient. Most of the time, two pumps are in operation for my 13 cubic meter pond. Another Nova 200, with an automatic cut-off feature, serves as a drain pump.  The automatic cut-off feature stops the pump once the chamber is empty of water.

The Nova pumps typically lasted about between 2 to 3 years, with almost non-stop operation. When the pump fails, my circuit breaker will trip.  Hence I suspect the failure is caused by a breach of the seal or gasket with moisture getting into the electrical motor and/or there is earth leakage current.

In my current pond, I am using the Tsurumi pumps with the following ratings and specifications. 

Tsurumi Model 40PUS1.5S, 150W, 220V, 1.6A, 11.4 cubic m/hr.

These Tsurumi pumps give better energy efficiency. Two pumps are running non-stop with one return through 3 venturi pipes and one return to a water feature and one venturi pipe. A third pump with auto cut-off feature serves as a drain pump for the waste chamber .  They are now about 2 years old, running since Jan 2008. I also have a spare pump in my house for rapid replacement should any of the above fails.

Using Salt as a medication in Koi pond

I learnt about using salt to combat against parasites in my Koi pond from the books I bought when I first started by hobby (Koi Kichi by Peter Waddington and Koi Health and Diseases by Dr Erik Johnson). Salt is effective against some parasites so I use it as my “first line of defence” when I suspect there are parasites affecting my Koi. Symptoms are Koi flashing or rubbing themselves on the bottom of the pond or in some cases, visible white spots caused by the Ich parasite). 

I have also used salt as a disinfectant to treat my Koi that was suffering from ulcers and external injuries suffered from knocks against the sides of pond or overhanging rocks. 

Advantage of using salt is that it is relatively cheap, does not kill the bacteria in the filter and somehow helps the Koi to recover faster. There are, however, side effects on some of the water plants. The leaves would turn yellow on prolonged exposure to the salt in the water.

The recommended concentration level is 0.3% salinity. 3 kg of salt for every 1000 kg of water. 1000 kg of water is the weight of 1 cubic metre of water. The Koi Kichi book actually suggests 0.5% for used in a special Koi treatment pond.

For my first and second ponds, which hold 7 tons and 13 tons of water respectively, I need about 21 kg and 39 kg of salt for each treatment. The books recommend to use special salt that are formulated for the pond and aquarium, but I just buy the coarse cooking salt (not the refined table salt) that comes in 3 kg bags from the neighbourhood grocery store. Cheap and good. There are occasions where I have to buy from a few stores as I would practically clear out their entire stock for the week or month, to the store owners’ amazement. They must be wondering what I am doing with all that salt!

I add the salt to my pond over a period of 3 days, starting with 1/3 of the salt on the first day, another 1/3 on the second day and the rest of the salt on the third day. I would normally pour the bags of salt into the first chamber of my filter, and allow the return pump in the last chamber to distribute them into the pond.  By doing so, I hope that the higher initial salt concentration in the filter would kill any parasites or larvae that are lurking in the filter media. Salt does not kill the useful bacteria in the filter, hence the advantage of using salt over other kinds of medication.

I would leave the salt in the pond for about a week or until the ulcers or wounds are healed or symptoms of parasites have disappeared.

How to remove salt? The only way is to remove salt from the pond water is by partial water changes. Unfortunately, this is a slow and gradual process carried out over a period of a few weeks as I would not change more than 20% of my water each time.

Note: Salt may not be able to treat all Koi ailments. For information on other Koi medications and pond treatments and/or to buy online, click here.

Water Quality Testing in Koi or Fish Pond

Water quality testing is important, especially when you are starting a new fish pond or filter. This is the time when the bacteria in the biological filter is trying to grow and establish itself and ammonia, nitrite will be present in the initial stage of nitrogen cycle. During this time, risk of fish fatality is high and pond keepers will not risk putting in expensive, show grade Koi until there is no ammonia or nitrite present, as determined by the water quality testing. Instead, most pond keepers will put in small feeder fish or low grade Koi to produce the needed fish waste to feed and cultivate the bacteria in the filter. It normally takes a few weeks for the biological filter to establish itself. 

Other times when water testing should be done is when you have recently added more fish to your pond. This is the time when the water parameters will deviate from the norm as the filter adjust to the new load of waste matters coming from the increased population.

I am using the Tetrapond Laborett test kit. It tests pH, carbonate and general hardness, nitrite, ammonia and carbon dioxide. I also use the individual test kits for oxygen level and nitrate.

pH is a measure of the acidic or basic (alkaline) nature of a solution. Normal tap water or fresh water should have pH level of 7. Water with a lower pH level is deemed acidic while alkaline water would have higher pH. Chalk, limestone, coral or seashells dissolved in water will produce higher pH. pH level is usually determined by your water supply. Koi requires a pH slightly above 7. The best way to control pH is to include crushed coral ships or seashells as one of your filter media. The carbonate in them will acts as a buffer against sudden, sharp drop in pH level which kills fish swiftly.

Oxygen level testing is important to determine if you have enough aeration in your pond to support the fish and plant population in your pond. I do this at the onset of a new pond or when I add more fish to my pond. Once you have the right level of aeration, the oxygen level seldom fluctuates a lot unless you have a broken pump. I actually notice small bubbles forming at the sides of my pond when sunlight is shining on the algae that grows on the side. I think this is a good sign of oxygen level saturation and my aeration level is sufficient.

Nitrate is an output of your biological filter. Nitrate is harmless to fish in small quantities but as mentioned in my earlier post on the need for regular partial water change, nitrate level should be kept low. When the nitrate level goes beyond the level indicated in the test kit, it means it is time for partial water change. I actually stop doing my nitrate level testing and just do my regular partial water change as a routine. Other symptoms of excessive nitrates will be excessive algae growth (greenish water) or brownish tint in the water.

In the beginning of my Koi hobby, I used to test regularly and log down the readings in my excel spreadsheet. As I get more experience in pond and koi keeping, I actually stop performing water quality testing although I still have my water testing kit on standby. Maybe this is not a good trait of a good koi keeper but then, that’s me. I stick to my regular partial water change routine, regular filter maintenance and I know that my pond and filter is well designed to produce good water quality. I observe my Koi’s behaviour daily during feeding. My water test kits will be used immediately when I notice my Koi behaviour changes. So far, so good!

Trying New Feed for My Koi

I normally feed my Koi with Hikari Staple (easy on my wallet) and supplement with Hikari Spirulina for the Koi with Red markings. Spirulina is an algae and research has been found to have a high content of the carotenoid colour pigment, which is very effective on the colour of Koi when added to their diet. That is, food mixing to balance cost and benefits. Hikari actually recommends a mix that includes a color enhancing diet comprising no less than 35% of the total quantity being fed.

I am now trying Saki-Hikari Growth Diet for my Koi since most of my new Koi are about 2 years old and still in their growing stage.

According to the label, this diet is able to “Promotes unbelievable growth and championship form!”. The protein content is at least 40%, compared to 35% for the Hikari Staple. According to the test results published on the packaging, this food is supposed to help grow a Koi 1.6 times better compared to the Hikari Staple diet. I am giving this a try although the relative cost of this food is about 2 times compared to the Staple food but if you want your Koi to grow big to its fullest potential, the first few years are the most important. Besides, this new feed also includes a probiotic, Hikari Germ which has many benefits, according to the manufacturer.

“This unique, beneficial bacteria overpowers bad bacteria within the intestine reducing it's propagation and ability to lethally infect your fish. Additionally, the proprietary Hikari Germ accelerates the digestive process thereby improving absorption and thereby reducing waste output.”

“Expect improved water quality and reduced filter maintenance when used as a daily diet.”

“Expect improved luster, reduced fatalities and fat-deposit-free growth as a result of the perfect ingredient balance.”

Let’s see in a few months’ time whether my Koi achieves what is claimed about the growth rate. I will not be too scientific about this, e.g. doing a controlled experiment and feed two batches or Koi with different feeds). Instead, I will just based on gut-feel since 1.6x vs 1x should be noticeable.

Right now, the only thing I noticed about this Koi food are:

* the Koi seems to feed with a greater frenzy with this new diet. Maybe they like a change of diet sometimes, like humans.

* the food pellets leaves a slight trace of oil on the water surface compared to the Hikari Staple.

I am doing a little survey on the actual Koi feeding frequency in this website. I would appreciate your participation; even if you don’t own a Koi or keep a pond.

BTW, I feed my Koi twice a day. Sometimes more.

Recommended Book for Koi keepers – Koi Kichi

 

When I was starting on my Koi hobby and planning to build my first pond back in 1995, I did research on the internet and read/browse through many Koi books in the bookstores and library.

I came across this book by Peter Waddington, who is a Koi “Crazy” hobbyist with 20 years of experience, and lives in the UK. Although it was pricey, I decided to buy this book for keeps as the content within was exactly what a budding Koi hobbyist would need and this book was far better than the various cheaper Koi books at the local bookstores.

The book has 8 “sub-books” within, called Book One to Book Eight.

Book One provides background information of origin of Koi and their development.

Book Two provides good information on what are Koi’s environmental needs and what is involved in the Koi hobby.

Book Three is all about how to build a ‘proper’ Koi pond system. It describes various filtration systems, and also pond maintenance. The many photos of Koi ponds and drawings of filtration systems in the book are very interesting as it gives me ideas of what I should or should not include in the layout and design for my own Koi pond.

Book Four is all about the Koi appreciation and Koi hobby in general. Drawings to describe Koi varieties, patterns and classifications are included.  Photographs of show-grade Koi to illustrate traits of a good quality Koi are useful when you are ready to buy your first Koi.

Book Five describes Koi caring, feeding, diseases and medications.

Book Six describes how Koi breeders in Japan breed Koi and an amusing story of Peter’s attempts to breed Koi at home.

Book Seven and Eight provides some background of famous Koi breeders in Japan and how they conduct their business. Koi hobbyist would find this interesting later when they become serious in their hobby and are interested in keeping show-grade Koi, understanding their bloodlines and planning to visit Japan on a Koi shopping spree.

This excellent book was first published in 1995 and it was not available on the local bookstore then (and now as well!) so I bought mine through mail order. My copy came with a hardcover.

Koi Kichi (Paperback Edition) is available through Amazon.com now.