water trouble

Question
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Followup To
Question -
I have 2 large Kio inside for the winter. This is their 3rd season inside but my first trouble of this nature. They are appx. 12 inches long and healthy until my problem started. I noticed the water getting cloudy and the fish not eating . I changed the water appx 30% and cleaned the filter, as I had done in the past. The ammonia reading was very high, 6-7 ppm. I tried adding ammonia lock but this didn't seem to help. I did a 60% water change a few days later and the ammonia dropped some. But it always goes back up. My fish are only feed when hungry which is usually 10 to 15 med. size pellets twice a day.(They would eat more if I let them) I have repeated the water change 3 times now, replaced the biological filters with carbon ones and still the level goes up. I am at a loss as to what to to next. There are in a 55 gallon preformed pond liner that is in my living room. They are very much a part of the family and will soon be going out in the spring into their out door pond. Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks Michelle
Answer -
Well, Michelle, I need a little more info. First what part of the country do you live in ? How big is your outside pond? How deep is it? TRust me this has a bearing on it.

Actually my outside pond is about the same as the indoor one. It is hard to tell excactly because in has a regular liner in it that I put in myself. I live in Northeast PA. I use a biological filter outside as well as in and if the rain is scarce during the summer months I add extra with the hose. We have well water. I add pond salt to the water as needed and I try for plants but the fish just rip them up. Thanks again for any help. I appreciate your time!



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         Leigh

Answer
Well Michelle I had a similar problem and I live in Southern Ontario Canada. We have basically the same climate.
The only way I could cure it was to have the outside pond at least 32 inches deep, use pond peat in the biological filter and the problem disappeared. The only down side is that you have to have the pump in the outside pond running all winter. The stream onlt has to break the surface of the water. No matter how cold it is the water will not freeze solid. I tried keeping them inside and it was a disaster.
 I thinkk once the fish are raised outdoors they need to stay out there. The key is pond peat , should be available at your local pond store.

         If this doesn't help keep in touch we should be able to work through a solution


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         Leigh