Frantic Koi

[Ishkabod]

Hi i just moved my three inch Koi to a 40 (EDIT it's a 15g) gallon tank from a now too small 5 gallon one. Before the move he was Sticking to the edges and corners of the tank and now even in the much larger tank he' seems to be glued to the front glass and a quarter down the two side glass edges. The only time i spotted him swimming anywhere else was when he did a quick swim around when he first got in. I'm worried that there might be something off with the water since i don't have a full test kit. The one i have tests for NH3,2 and ammonia all at once in a tube and i seem to get a reading of about 1ppm Any Idea's I'm scared somethings wrong since he is my first fish.

Thanks

L

UPDATE :thumbs:

I've named him/her Kuchi which means mouth in Japanese which i think is doubly appropriate. He's enjoying his newer 30 gallon tank and seems happy. He seems healthy and doesn't exhibit any signs of disease. Kuchi is defiately energetic. I need to save some money to buy some more decorations that will fit the size of the tank. Anyway thank soo much to everyone and their wonderfully helpfull advice :bow: . I was really worried when i first moved kuchi to the new tank but by the next day things seemed to calm down. Thanks again

L

Edited May 8, 2008 by Ishkabod

[BooUrns!]

Well for starters, a koi is a pond fish. A 40G for a 3"koi will keep him happy for a year or so but I wouldn't put anything else in the tank. Instead of asking questions as to what might be wrong with your fish, try doing some searches for ko keeping and koi health. There are a lot of things that could be wrong with your fish, and some may not be a result of anything you have done, sometimes fish just have ailments. eep an eye on him, read up on the nitrogen cycle and don't overfeed. The rest is learning that will come to you if you keep doing research.

[Ishkabod]

Well for starters, a koi is a pond fish. A 40G for a 3"koi will keep him happy for a year or so but I wouldn't put anything else in the tank. Instead of asking questions as to what might be wrong with your fish, try doing some searches for ko keeping and koi health. There are a lot of things that could be wrong with your fish, and some may not be a result of anything you have done, sometimes fish just have ailments. eep an eye on him, read up on the nitrogen cycle and don't overfeed. The rest is learning that will come to you if you keep doing research.

That's what i've been doing and i've learnt allot but i haven't found any hint of anything that might be a reason for this. I know that Koi is a Pond fish but when i bought him i was told he could happily live in my five gallon for a few months. I got him home fell in love with him and read that he'll need a bigger tank next week. I've broken my bank account and bought a 15 gallon tank for now. I plan to have the money saved for a HUGE tank and everything nessasary before he outgrows this one. Maybe after that i'll have a chance to save the money nessasary to build a pond. I really care about the health of my little Koi and so i've been thinking about getting him a friend. I know it'll mean they will outgrow the tank faster but that's why i'm not sure yet. If i can get the money for a bigger tank and accessories well before two Koi will outgrow this one then i'll go for it. Next on the list of things to buy is(after getting a full test kit) a solar panel or backup power in case of a power outage so the tank will allways have power.

Thanks so much

L

[fatpuffer]

You should not get another fish. You should not have any ammonia or nitrIte in a fully cycled tank. How did you cycle your tank? What size is the tank (40 gallon? dimension?)? What kind of filter do you have? What is the temp?

Js

[bigfishal]

Koi are very hardy fish so you don't need to get to worried about the water chemistry but it is still a good idea to

keep your eye on it as with every fish tank.

I have been keeping koi for about 12 years now and when it comes to tank size for them believe it or not you can put

more koi in a tank then most people think! As long as you have the right filtration. If you have ever seen a Koi pond in

japan where they come from. A koi pond is normally so full that you can barely see the water that they are swimming in!

My grand father has been keeping Koi for about 15 years and has kept 11 7-13inch Koi in a 130 gallon aquarium and have all lived just fine.Myself I have kept them in ponds and aquariums right now I have 10 Koi in a 180 gallon and should be adding about 2 or 3 more.

As for your 1 Koi in a 40 gallon at three inches if you are planing to get a larger tank I would get 2 or 3 more for the tank

and they should be good for about 4-6 months in it. Your Koi is very likely just stressed being alone. With experiences Koi are much more comfortable with lots of them together. He will be glued to the glass because that is the only place he will feel safe since he has been moved to such a large tank. It would also be a good idea to add a good chunk of fake vined plants to make the tank more comfortable.

[gobies et al]

That's what i've been doing and i've learnt allot but i haven't found any hint of anything that might be a reason for this. I know that Koi is a Pond fish but when i bought him i was told he could happily live in my five gallon for a few months. I got him home fell in love with him and read that he'll need a bigger tank next week. I've broken my bank account and bought a 15 gallon tank for now. I plan to have the money saved for a HUGE tank and everything nessasary before he outgrows this one. Maybe after that i'll have a chance to save the money nessasary to build a pond. I really care about the health of my little Koi and so i've been thinking about getting him a friend. I know it'll mean they will outgrow the tank faster but that's why i'm not sure yet. If i can get the money for a bigger tank and accessories well before two Koi will outgrow this one then i'll go for it. Next on the list of things to buy is(after getting a full test kit) a solar panel or backup power in case of a power outage so the tank will allways have power.

Thanks so much

L

I have successfully kept Koi for about 5 years. It sounds to me like he is stressed by the move.

Instead of buying a huge tank, consider building/constructing an indoor pond. Koi were developed to be viewed from above. Check out my picture of my indoor pond in the section on outdoor and indoor ponds.

Here is a Koi site that I found very helpful over the years - www.coloradokoi.com/

Good luck with your koi keeping!

[KoiBoi07]

Maybe he's bored...you should buy him some toys

[Ishkabod]

Wow these are wonderfull suggestions and ideas. I made a mistake on the tank size though. It's only a 15 gallon. He's calmed down overnight but still doesn't seem to move far from the front. I think for now i'll buy him a goldfish to keep him company and see if i can get some plant clippings to help. Oh and about the toys I've never heard of toys for fish is ther somewhere i can go to get them. I'm 5 minutes drive from NE aqua giant so somewhere nearby would be wonderfull. Thanks soo much for all the help it really has put my mind at ease. Now i just need to save enough for a bigger tank or an indoor pond(if my landlord will let me)

Thanks so much

L

[bigfishal]

Just be careful about the gold fish you buy! Don't get anything fancy just a plain comet will do better then a fancy

gold fish. Koi love to suck out the eyes of the fancy ones and the comets can also have very week immune systems

and usually carry a great number of parasites. If you can get another Koi that would be your better choice.

Good luck!

[fatpuffer]

15 gallon is too small for one koi. Dont add anymore.

Js

[Qattarra]

I would cover part of the tank(front and sides) to give the fish hiding space. I'll bet he'll spend most of the time bellow the curtain until he feels comfortable.

[Ishkabod]

I would cover part of the tank(front and sides) to give the fish hiding space. I'll bet he'll spend most of the time bellow the curtain until he feels comfortable.

There is plenty of cover for the Koi and the back of the tank is covered. I'm happy to report that it seems like he just loves to swiim back and forth against the glass of the front of the tank I visited Aqua giant and there was a tank of koi there that seemed to do the same thing . I Just purchaced a 40gallon tank with no accessories. I'm going to try and sell my second 15gal and get the proper filters and whatnot for the fourty gallon. I think the first thing i'll be doing though is saveing for a HUGE filter (200 gallon or more) Then the air pump, then buy the rocks and everything nessasary for when i eventually do get the huge tank.

I'll move him to the bigger tank soon but i need to know if i should buy the huge filter first or will the smaller one i have be okay for such a small fishy. All the levils are normal but i think that he needs a longer run to swim and that is why i need a bigger tank.

Thanks once again for all the advice. I certainly picked a money eating fish for a first timer on a very limited budget.

Have fun

Lisa

[bigfishal]

Just wondering where is this Aqua Giant I have never been there.

Do you know what kind of filter you are using right now also the size?

[Ishkabod]

Just wondering where is this Aqua Giant I have never been there.

Do you know what kind of filter you are using right now also the size?

It's in Edmonton just in a strip mall off 50st (50st turns into Fort Rd) Behind the Wacdonalds I don't have the addy but i'm sure you can find it easily here on the site.

I have two one is a Elite stingray looking thing for a 10 gallon and the Other is a whisper and it says on it 10-30 i I don't have the instructions or anythig for the whisper but one thing i did do on the advice of the aquagiant guy is use ceramic beads in a bag and the foamie that comes with as a filter instead of the replacement cartriges.

I just noticed that i have some alge growing on my rock and decorations. anyone have an idea what i need to get rid of/stop it growing.

Thanks

Lisa

I think i need to start a new thread??

[EowynJane]

You should not buy another fish, the tank you have is to small of an area for the fish you already have in it.

It is probably still getting used to it's new home, it's like living in a closet your whole life then suddenly having the whole house, you'd be a little timid too. You should cover at least the back even a side or two so your fish has somewhere to hide and doesn't feel suddenly so exposed. This will help to make the fish feel more secure and comfortable in it's new environment. Covering part of the tank and adding decorations (hidey holes, lots of plants etc) will help. You've plucked your fish out of an environment where it feels safe and secure and put it into a huge area where it does not, even though this is good for the fish it will take a while to adjust.

You really should return the koi and get something more suitable to a 15 gallon tank, Platies for example, look quite a bit like goldfish and you could keep around 4 or 5 of them in there. The store might let you make a trade, call them and ask.