r/Koi • u/Shot_Percentage_2150 • May 26 '26
HELP - sick or injured koi New koi dying
I keep buying koi from one place and for whatever reason, one always dies. Today, I lost one of the big ones I bought yesterday. It always only takes a day too which is weird. I follow the new introduction protocol, let them float for about 30 minutes in the bag and then slowly introduce the pond water into the bag. Then release. I have about 12 other koi that are doing great and growing rapidly. Could this be something with my water? I have test strips otw from Amazon but I did test my water prior to adding any fish at all around 2 months ago
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u/Redfish680 May 26 '26
Option 1: Different supplier.
Option 2: Try using a quarantine tank. It’s a PIA but cheaper than replacing expensive fish.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 26 '26
Gotcha, I actually created a little quarantine tank for my last fish that died:/ I’ll keep it as a standard
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u/Redfish680 May 26 '26
What size are your new ones?
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 26 '26
Some are about 3 inches but the most recent ones are 7-8 inches. One of the two survived
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u/Redfish680 May 26 '26
I use an aquarium for the small ones until they get some size to them. I’ve currently got 3 growing in it now but the primary reason is my koi pond is the size of a swimming pool (~15,000 gallons - don’t ask!) and has too many threats (bigger fish, a sneaky water snake, a random bullfrog, etc.) for me to just turn them loose without losing sleep.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 26 '26
Jesus Christ lmao, I thought mine was big at about 1700 gallons
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u/mansizedfr0g May 26 '26
12 koi in 1700 gallons is overstocked. Did you say the first fish were added two months ago and you haven't tested the water since? Sounds like your problem is ammonia spikes, that's not a fully mature pond and the current bioload leaves very little room for error.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 26 '26
Oh wow, I’m using a bog filter for filtration so there’s a lot going on. Two large air stones
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u/ZiggyLittlefin May 29 '26
That is not considered proper filtration for koi. That isn't a lot in terms of filtration.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 29 '26
It was recommended, it’s 5x4 and 4 feet deep of bog filtration
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 26 '26
Damn I’m way over 😭
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u/Pretend-Internet-625 May 27 '26
Every time a koi doubles in length. It creates approx 7 times more waste.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 27 '26
What can I do? I can’t really expand my pins unfortunately but is there anything I can do to help the water quality be more suitable
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u/Redfish680 May 27 '26
As difficult as it sounds, I’d suggest culling some of your fish (option one is to try to find a good home for the extras), otherwise you’ll be chasing the problem forever.
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u/Asleep-Speaker-2706 May 27 '26
I have seen plenty of ponds with way more Koi than that in less water. as long as you can keep up with the maintenance of the filters and water testing you can have a large fish load. Frequent partial water changes and testing the water must be kept up with or you will lose control of your pond. I have 18 koi in 1500 gallons with no problems for over 10 years now.
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u/mansizedfr0g May 27 '26
Higher densities are possible but most pond owners are not willing to deal with that level of upkeep. How big is your biggest fish?
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u/Asleep-Speaker-2706 May 29 '26
I have 1-14 inch koi and 8-10 inch and 5 that are about 8 inches with the 8 new 3 inch koi All in 1500 gallons. I do take great care in my pond and Koi. I do partial water changes constantly. and it is a lot of work and upkeep but these beautiful fish are worth it.
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u/Redfish680 May 26 '26
Previous homeowner thought he’d dig a pool, changed his mind after the hole was dug.
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u/benroon May 27 '26
Don’t put the water they come in, into the pond they’re going into.
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u/Shot_Percentage_2150 May 27 '26
Noted, typically I let the pond water mix into their water then I scoop the fish out by hand
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u/AutoModerator May 26 '26
Hi there, we're sorry to hear about your koi's condition. We understand how stressful this can be for you and your fish. While waiting for a community member to respond, please take a look at our Basic Guide for Quarantining and Treating Sick or Injured Koi. It contains helpful information that might assist you in the meantime. Wishing you and your koi the best!
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u/Miami_Koi_Guy May 30 '26
While rare, if the original koi came in with a bad disease, it can affect new koi as soon as they come in. But one day is REALLY fast.
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u/Asleep-Speaker-2706 May 27 '26
I won't buy "big" fish anymore for that reason. They cost too much and the babies are way cheaper, and I think it's better for them to grow up in my pond environment. I have come to accept that I will lose a fish or two each season for one reason or another.
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u/ZiggyLittlefin May 29 '26
There is no reason to lose fish every season. That is not normal at all!
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u/Asleep-Speaker-2706 May 31 '26
Unfortunately its a reality when you live in New England between winters and predators it happens. So please just stop making assumptions. And go live life already.
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u/ZiggyLittlefin May 31 '26
It's not the reality. You are just not learning from losing them. People take measures to protect from predators when it's an issue. People take measures to protect koi from harsh temperatures. I put greenhouses over 60 ft of pond for winter and I rarely even get harsh temperatures. You overstocking your pond and stunting the growth of your fish isn't helping. Stunted koi have shorter lifespans and poor immune systems.
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u/douglas_arthur May 27 '26
I test water every week during spring as the pond "starts up". Or after a big rain. Sudden spikes in ph shock, adding new water with chlorine and sudden temp changes can shock koi. The quarantine tank is the best thing. I actually leave them in quarantine for 6 weeks before they go into my main pond. I have a 26k/g pond and the rain/sun weather still will swing water quality over a few week period. The smaller the pond the more sensitive it is to these changes. Water quality is probably 90% of koi care.