Nitrate and nitrate levels very high

[Gerard]

Hi all how is the winter setting in hope not to harsh just yet

we had one of our very 1st summer rains this weekend we had round about 100mm on friday evening which my garden loved but not my pond

My Nitrate and nitrite levels have shot up round about 75 and 2.5 respectivly

i have attempted a 20% water change but it just keeps raining please some help
what should i do

Thank you Gerard :mad:

[Werner]

Gerard---

The first rains of summer contain a mass of pollutants that are washed out of the sky and manage to land in your pond. The large amount of rain may also have washed fertilizer into your pond. Rainwater is also soft and Acidic and large amounts can cause a change of water chemistry if your tap water is hard and alkaline. Check your PH in pond and tap water and post it please

Although you did not give us much information, even small levels of ammonia and/or nitrates are harmful to your Koi. Adding 1 1/2 pounds of salt per 100 gallons will prevent brown blood disease. Continue doing water changes 25% every 4 days until your bio filter recovers and converts the nitrites to it's non-harmful cousin nitrates.

[Jackie Ramo]

Excellent advice from Werner. I'd not worry over much about the NitrAtes as they will lower with the water changes provided the source water is lower. If there are plants in the pond they will take some of it up.

But do salt the pond as Werner suggests. NitrItes are something to worry about.

[Ian]

It's a good rule when water quality changes even in the slightest to stop feeding. Find out the source...When you feel things are back to normal slowly start again. Is this a new pond? Add more fish? Nitrites needs to be delt with fast and a new system would need salt as it could take a few weeks to get under control. An established pond could have it gone by morning with a clean bottom,filters and such. Make sure the pond is not dealing with an organic load(dead fish,dead frog,leaves). More info like Werner suggests could run us down a number of paths to the source of the NitrItes ( with an "I")which you want zero always! Salt basically protects the gills from taking in NitrItes, brown blood disease meaning gills not taking in oxygen due to nitrites . NitrAtes (with the "A") is less to worry about but zero is prefered and strived for! Water changes with a source of zero(Werner's request for tap water readings!!) will help keep the value of NitAtes down low.
You go into summer we go into winter....small world.. :roll: ....

[Gerard]

Thank all i will go and do all the neccessary tests this evening and report back,
Quick question once i have got the nitrite and nitrate levels back to normal. will i have to go through this every time it rains.

Thanks again Gerard

[Jackie Ramo]

I'd also check the rain water to see what levels it is at. sometimes it can be pretty bad. But I'd look for run off into the pond as well. Easier to fix that type of problem.