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People have asked what is a good way to reduce algae in the pond. We have heard that Muriatic acid works well but it does take close measuring and monitoring. We asked on KoiVet and Doc Conrad answered the following: “Muriatic acid is much too concentrated and dangerous to use to lower pH in a fish pond, unless you are dealing with a lake of over 30,000 gallons. You are likely to either drop the pH too far, or not wait long enough for it to mix, or kill some fish when the muriatic acid is being mixed in. Instead, use the very safe pH reduction technique of using white distilled vinegar. This will not hurt you, the fish will never get hurt when you mix it in, and your bacteria in the biological filter love the acetic acid in the vinegar as food to grow on. Suggest you test a quart of vinegar per 1000 gal., then adjust according to the result—if this much vinegar lowers pH below 8, use some baking soda to bring it back up to the preferred 7.8 to 8.3 range. Having said that, I also see absolutely nothing wrong with leaving the pH of a koi pond at 8.6 if the biological filter is mature enough to keep ammonia levels very low.” Reprinted from Oasis, newsletter of the Santa Fe Pond Society and Koi Appreciation Club Sep 2000 |
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