Simply Koi and More Koi

Hi All
Sorry I have not been on this forum for a while and glad to see I still have access.
Due to prohibitive costs, other commitments and needing a new boiler in January,after 16 years I thought about packing the hobby in. I then decided to conserve heat by turning off venturies, low returns, trickle tower & bubble bead, which I thought was for good.
The temp of the pond dropped below 10 deg for over 3 months with a minimum temp of 6 degs in febuary. I also turned off the RO system so the TDS gradually increased from 35 ppm to 81ppm ( tap water 70ppm). I am still trickling in 24/7 with purifiers only.
At the end of april I removed the covers and what a joy to behold after not even looking at the koi ( not feeding ) for so long. I just did not have the heart to give it all up. So after giving everything a good clean, back flushing and ensuring nothing immediately went back into the pond, I started everything up again.
I have since bought a 3 kw titanium heater which I have just dropped in the vortex and is switched on a couple of hours a night which has gradually brought the temperature up to 14 degs.C. ( I remember the days when this was the minimum the koi were ever subjected to.)
I know these practices are a bit controversial and I am not out of the woods yet, but I thought you guys might be interested to see how I am getting on as none of these koi have ever had a winter and some of them are 16 years old. They are currently very active and as yet no problems have developed. Just as an after though, as yet there is not one shred of blanketweed , whereas previously when heated I would have treated the pond usually at the beginning of may. I know this is probably due to the seasons being somewhat delayed temperature wise but I am still finding all this stuff interesting all the same, Hope you guys do too.
Best Regards Dave

hi Dave
glad you never packed it in, it does get in the blood

i did the same this winter but not with the same effects having lost a large %age of my fish to aeromonas in still battling it but i think im finally getti ng down to beating it but its been hard work

dunc

Hi Duncan
Thanks for the early reply. Glad to hear your remaining koi are on the mend. I had a similar problems a couple of years ago when trying to save money and allowed temps to stay at 9 deg for a few months Although not to the extent you have had, unfortunately once temps got above 14 deg the problems started. This is what concerns me at the moment.as the temp of the pond as only just reached 14 deg at the beginning of June. This next month will prove one way or another.
The possibility of bacteria and blanketweed spores dying off rather than laying dormant at 6 degs C. springs to mind, although I understand this not to be the case.
I would also like to say that, the turning off and turning on again 3 months later of equipment was carried out below 10 degs and the media concerned was soaked in pp for 24 hours prior to starting. The BB was started up and back flushed on a weekly basis not allowing the contents into the pond.
. The main reason I turned off my RO was to stop cooling the pond further by adding cold water. However perhaps increasing the TDS slightly to 80 may of helped the situation although I have no evidence to prove this . Your thoughts and any other peoples thoughts on these theories is much appreciated
Best Regards Dave