Koi Pond Filtration in India -Sunlight Nitrification and Denitrification

Well the one thing that I would be careful about for Koi pond filters , especially the trickle tower outside in the sun ,is the sun itself .

Like in all tropics we receive a lot of sunlight and yes it get hot .But the heat would not be an enemy , the evaporating water would still maintain the temperature and any koi keeper worth his salt would provide enough shade for his Koi .

Enough morning sunlight just does wonders for the colors .......

But filters are a different story .

Most of the time filters are standing out in the full sun .They get hit by sunlight full on entire day from all the angles , and we do have a long daylight (we never go into day light saving ,right !)

Now the problem is that the Nitrifying Bactria does not thrive well in sunlight : so what to we do -

Simple build some kind of a canopy over the filter ,or move the filter under a large tree ,

If your filter does not have deep trays and sunlight hits the biomedia from the sides we you can use some kind of a plastic sheet  ,any colour as long as its black (well any color which is dark and opaque should do ) on the sides , I  have seen people using wood also .

This not only helps with blocking the sunlight but also with the splatter too  .

Also "Nitrification" in nature is a two-step oxidation process of ammonium (NH₄⁺) or ammonia (NH₃) to nitrate (NO₃^-) catalyzed by two ubiquitous bacterial groups. The first reaction is oxidation of ammonium to nitrite by ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) represented by the Nitrosomonas species. The second reaction is oxidation of nitrite (NO₂^-) to nitrate (NO₃^- )by nitrate-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), represented by the Nitrobacter species.
Courtesy : Wikipedia 

What  do we do with nitrate (NO₃^- ) ?

Well most of us do a Water change -But is it sufficient ?

Straight answer unless and until we do a constant water change or have a huge mud pond .

Nitrate (NO₃^- ) is the greatest growth inhibitor and cause other problems . (You do  want to Grow Japanese Jumbo Koi in India )
Denitrify 

Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process of nitrate reduction (performed by a large group of heterotrophic facultative anaerobic bacteria) that may ultimately produce molecular nitrogen (N₂) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products. 

 In general, it occurs where oxygen, a more energetically favourable electron acceptor, is depleted, and bacteria respire nitrate as a substitute terminal electron acceptor. Due to the high concentration of oxygen in our atmosphere denitrification only takes place in anoxic environments where oxygen consumption exceeds the oxygen supply and where sufficient quantities of nitrate are present. These environments may include certain soils and groundwater, wetlands, oil reservoirs, poorly ventilated corners of the ocean, and in seafloor sediments.(So also on the base of mudponds a couple of inches deep .)

The easiest way for us to achieve this is good quality ceramic  Filter media , ones with deep pores so that the anaerobic bacteria can live in - This is not an easy process and will take a long time to happen .or (using coils is not practical in large ponds at all ,unless somebody wants to build a large enough coil)

So do invest in some high quality filter media and this will automatically take care of some of the problem but -till then water change is the only option .

Koi Pond in India -Water quality by Titration & by Test Kits

We all know that we have to maintain water quality in the Koi Pods - You have filters doing the Job.

We still need to occasionally check it

Water Quality Parameters 

Image http://www.kockneykoi.co.uk

Ammonia : Ideally 0
Nitrate: Ideally at < 80 ppm. Limit to max 200 ppm. 
Nitrite: Ideally at 0 ppm. Limit to max3 ppm. 
Hardness: about 100 ppm. Limit at 50 ppm min./150 ppm max. 
pH: Ideally at 7.2-7.6 Limit at 6.5 min./8.2 max. 

Well by zero don't think its not there - it will be below the reading capability of the particular test that's all.

What is the special relevance to the Koi Hobby in India ?

Just look at the average cost of test kit in India 

Ammonia : Rs 400
Nitrate: Rs  750
Nitrite: Rs  500
Hardness: Rs 500 
pH: Rs 450

Total :2600 Rs 

Now if you want to save all this money and are ready to do some extra  work, you can relearn something that you have forgotten . Titration 

image link http://genchem.rutgers.edu

Yes do you remember the word "molarilty" and what it meant  - good for you, you can do it !

all you need is the burette ,the pipette ,the beaker and of course the stand .(and you get to buy a new shiny one , i have never seen a shiny one in my whole life )

and the acid the base and the Ph indicator .

Yes every Indian who is reading this - even the state syllabus guys have done this  

(Fore the uninitiated , In india we have many syllabus state and central being the main classifications. we have done titration in basic education - i.e before we are 14 years old )

so if you are adventurous enough you can read up , research on google - ask you kids who are still in school -or chase up your old chemistry teacher .(That's something i will never do , she was a sweet lady but I don't want to go near the lab again ,thanks to the "bhayaa" in the lab a.k.a the attender I passed the lab somehow )

I recommend this only for the most adventurous .... and swear by the test kits( i use only Sera) - but one thing still hurts ,

the pH test is too costly , just buy litmus paper from a school lab store this is 50 times cheaper .

pls do feel free to comment and share .

Koi Fish Digestive System & Changes in India - Growing Jumbo Koi and Colour(Color)

Koi have a monstrous appetite and an amazing sense of sight and smell to aid it . Remember how easily they swim up to you ,the moment you are there especially with food  and who can help but smile at the feeding frenzy . They should grow into Jumbo, just  by the volume they eat !
The Koi Digestive System (Metabolism)

As is obvious from the shape of the mouth, they are voracious bottom feeders- They quickly adapt to floating feed too, as we are all too familiar - But obviously struggle a bit more with floating than sinking feed; if you have noticed .
Now its might look strange that a Koi, which you have heard as being a omnivore, is actually a carnivore when its a fry - and a cannibal too .

Yes Kois do practice cannibalism when they are young !!!!

Well this has to do a lot with Darwinian laws- "survival of the fittest" and of course their digestive system - The digestive system of the Koi is also developing as the Koi is growing and they finally become omnivores - (just imagine you favorite fish being a cannibal or in most cases a possible victim -)( Its usually the Ogons that are cannibals as they grow faster as fry )

They actually never grow a stomach - So no acidity too - Lucky Koi ...Instead they have a long intestine .

As fry their intestines are only as long as the body i.e. food goes into the mouth and out it comes through the "A- Hole"..

So, minimal time for digestion. Hence they tend only process animal protein which is actually the best easily available and digestible source and not plants which take more time to process - simple  - So if your Koi manage to gobble up some of its smaller sibling whom it can manage to swallow- the faster it gets fatter ...

Now as it matures their intestines tend to get longer and typically twice their body length (sometimes reported as thrice) so they can majorly eat the plant matter too and any high protein than comes along the way .

Once the food enters the mouth, its crushed between the pharyngeal teeth at the back of the throat (on the bottom)  against a hard cartilaginous pad (on top) at the base of the skull.  

The food needs to be ground so that the digestive juices mix and can be absorbed by the fish -.You might have noticed during feeding that once they fill their mouth they tend to submerge and then re-emerge for more . Actually they are grinding it down ( their equivalent of chewing and swallowing) The pharyngeal "teeth" are continuously replaced as they wear out - New ones grow in the place of old one throughout their lifetime.

Now the ground food travels through the oesophagus , which is lined with cilia and goblet cells to easily allow the food to pass through the anterior intestines whole mucus-secreting cells that help lubricate the food and protect the intestinal wall ( which is lined with tiny finger-like projections that increase the surface area for greater absorption of the nutrients) from the harshness  of some of the material ingested .Still there is abrasion, the cells linings are replaced every few days because of damage by the food passing through.

Now the controversial point Peristalsis ,  a kind of a wave motion in the intestine  -which when stretched  Triggered by receptors at the entrance of the intestine to move the material along. This is debated whether it happens or does  the new food pushes the old food out - most people go by the "old replaces new" approach.Well we do know that they poop in about 5-6 Hrs especially if they have just eaten.

  Enzymes which are digestive juices are produced primarily by the pancreas, which is located as cellular islands within the liver and introduced into the gut thru a duct.  Other enzymes are produced in the lining of the intestine.  Also naturally occurring flora of bacteria in the gut help to digest and absorb the nutrients from the food. thats why prebiotics  and probiotics work better for Nishikigoi , Than for us humans. Some koi growers use probiotic yogurt (even though Milk protien  is not so great for koi )- they just mix it with the food pellets that they feed and this is highly beneficial especially when you see bad Koi poop floating around .


Now you can understand the possible negative impact of antibiotics in the feed on Koi. You can even use normal pro and prebiotic combination capsules - Open them up and mix with Koi feed - try to ensure that its hand fed (don't trow the pellets into the water )- Especially like from a feeding bottle -this ensures the probitic and prebiotic powder does not get dissolved in the water but instead enters the gut ...

This tells us why Indian Koi Carp (Well All varieties of carp) are gazers and are in constant search for food and are especially active in night - (I still don't know when they sleep ) so their metabolism is active for small quantities but constant sources of food makes them more happy and busy especially if they are searching in the roots - (We feed them periodic rich food generally,so i guess most of the time they are bored  and just poop out without digesting most of the nutrients )

Koi Carp (Nishikigoi) Digestive system and changes in India  

Now lets come to Nishkigoi in India- there starts the problem - Winter - We have no great winter time of 2 months especially in the South India - (North India does have Winters especially the Himalayan region of course )

In the so called winter months the temperature seldom drops below 15-Degrees Celsius  - especially in the coastal belt .So their metabolism never slows down - there begins the question . 

Now shouldn't they grow bigger -to monstrous size instead of Jumbo -- 

Well they just don't! ,nobody knows why but actually in nature, in the tropics like in India & Thailand fish do grow to huge sizes - eg: the Mahseer ,the Giant Siamese Carp & the Mekong Giant Cat fish - Indian Jumbo Koi Carp Just look like the colorful babies in front of these giants .So it might be that they just don't have the genetics .

But Koi Carp in India or any other Tropical region is kind of disadvantaged, because of no winter - Why - Simply the colour  - The subtle colour difference between an inflated and deflated balloon ( Deflated less bright - less pigment over  a large surface area )

The explanation is thus - when the metabolic rate reduces in winter fish uses the accumulated fat - it still has to continue with its other bodily functions doesn't it (Eg. breath , stay submerged- Maintain salt levels in the body  etc. ).So it shrinks in size a little and the colors intensify, and really latch on (deflated balloon) -once it starts feeding again in spring on more color enhancers and protein - the effect is much more visible .

More research is on the way for color enhancement in India but we are yet to produce a Champion - 

Well lets wait and see what time and peoples efforts have to offer  .

Please do leave you valuable comments and views 

Growing Jumbo Koi In India Practically - Constant Water Change

Want to grow Jumbo Koi in india 

Well here are the 3 steps which should yield results .

Step One - Select Jumbo Potential Koi Fry or Tosai (One year Old) or Higher)-Lots of Information is available on Google on this .But Just trust you dealer because only he can assure that the Koi is from Jumbo sized parents .

If we get this step wrong we are in trouble - Whatever you do the Koi won't grow above its genetic limit  .

Don't have a trustworthy Dealer/Breeder in India ? were you can purchase Japanese Koi in India   -Just contact me We will try to find one in the city that you live ..

Step-Two - Water Changes - All have heard about maintaining water parameters Ammonia - Nitrate -Nitrite Kh ,pH So people end up in investing in huge filters -- and other methodology .

so you end up using lot of power and costly equipment -

Why don't you just do a constant water change - Change water everyday- now before you guys start doubting my sanity - and start crying how wasteful I am sounding .. hear out what I have to say.

The water from the Pond need not be wasted - Not even a drop -  Do you know that its one of the worlds best fertilizers - So either build you own aqua-phonic system -if you cant ,use it for plants - Use a cheap drip irrigation system water drips into the pond and same way the overflow drips out to the plants in the garden

Inflow and outflow rates will be the same and you have constantly fresh water for the fish - Chlorinated water ?, Just make sure that you first let the water drip into a pan with an airstone and then drip  into the pond - If the pan is in the sun - Better  chlorine removal .

Don't even have  plants - Just the overflow go to your Toilet Flushing system -Do you know your Flushing systems waste the most of your freshwater ..
and the beneficial bacteria in the water will in turn ensure you septic tank is cleaner and less maintenance - Well simply because of less chlorine- Chlorine kill all bacteria - Good as well as bad ..

Now if you  live in a high rainfall area, in say the east or the west cost -Life is simpler connect you storm drains to your ponds and overflow back to the drain .....greatest filter from the mother nature ,called monsoon will take of your KOI in India at least for a couple of months.

Now the only risk here is a pH crash - ie if the rain water is at a lower pH than what is already in pond then you are in great trouble .  pH crash could result in sudden death ....
But this is easily remedied - sea shells - get a bag f sea shells - just scavenge n the sea shore of you have time - broken bits and pieces would do too - put them in a net bag and  ensure that the rain water runs through the bag of shells before it hits the pond -- so even if the rain is a bit acidic then the calcium carbonate will just react with the acid and neutralise it ...Just check the bag periodically to ensure that you have enough left ..

Now another main use of a constant water change is a very low TDS (total dissolved solids) - The lower the TDS the better the growth - simply because - lower TDS points to better water quality  -- Try and maintain a TDS of less than 150 and it does work wonders



Step Three

Constant feeding and exercise - Want do Koi Do in the Wild in Japan -Let your Koi  in India do the same . Feed a little amount of sinking food every hour even in the night  - the Koi will graze constantly find the food - there by Food and  Constant Exercise - and because of your constant water changes you neither have to worry about the uneaten food and  the constant poop .

To add some more current into the water you can use one of those large underwater fans used in marine aquariums and just ensure that it is not fixed with the back on to the wall like you see in marine aquariums but so that the water, can enter and exit freely -Just fix it in the longest side wall of the pond with the fan in the water ,like a boat propeller .
This should create just enough current for the Koi . The areas near the fan (Propeller) will be high current areas while the distant areas will have low current , So the Koi can choose were they want to be .

Or you can just have a waterfall ....

Do all these steps, and in three to four years the Japanese Koi purchased in India or Japanese Koi bred in India  should have become Jumbo Koi in India -Feeding on high quality Koi food in India .

i.e. Desi Jumbo Koi .

Pls do leave our comments or contact me for any clarifications .

Buying Koi in India

Buying Koi fish in India was always difficult - Well it took me two years Just to find a good dealer who was actually importing Japanese Koi .

As an individual importing Japanese koi to India is a nightmare - Do i need to specify why ?better , I can give you a thousand reasons not to do it.

Today the scenario has changed ....


There are many importers that Import Japanese Koi to India and hold the stock for sale , You can do a buying trip to their facilities and be amazed at their Nishikigoi collection .they not only Stock the Gosanke in India but also  the lesser available Usturi's Asagasigs ,Ogons and the rest .

Aslo there are specific Koi farms in India who breed Nishikigoi ,they have mud-ponds almost as good as the Japanese and are breeding from very high quality Japanese stock .

This new development is great relaxation for the Indian pocket and you can buy Indian Koi in Indian prices .

and you can always get the Japanese Kois in India imported for the more discerning .

Please do contact me for more information .reply to this post or mail me at koiclubindia@gmail.com

You can also visit the place holder page of the Koi Club India .
http://theteck.wix.com/koi-club-india