# 7x3x3 Koi Tank! Natural Cleaner?



## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

I have a 7x3x3 fish tank that i am hoping to stock with some young koi untill my pond is built this summer. Now what i would like to know is what natural products can i use to keep my water as clean as possible, i was thinking along the lines of snails, bottom feeding fish..... Ohh and i do have a filter by the way just looking for something extra.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

No fish actively "clean" a tank. Some may eat algae or anything that falls from the bottom, but these then produce their own waste. Adding something to clean the tank actually makes it dirtier.

Use a gravel cleaner and regular water changes and it'll all be fine. :no1:


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

Esfa said:


> No fish actively "clean" a tank. Some may eat algae or anything that falls from the bottom, but these then produce their own waste. Adding something to clean the tank actually makes it dirtier.
> 
> Use a gravel cleaner and regular water changes and it'll all be fine. :no1:


 
Thank you for your advice, im actually trying to minamalize the water changes though.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## darkmoon (Dec 18, 2008)

hi

a couple of years back i grew some koi on indoors in a large tank.

be warned they are extremly messy fish,you will need to do weekly water changes,even if you have good filtration.

i used to run fluval fx5 filter,roughly1500ltr hr turn over.with 25% water changes this kept the water params spot on.

check on line you should be able to pick one up for about £125,they are worth every penny imo.


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## s3xy_sheep (Jan 28, 2009)

natural - if you can find swan mussels in local pond or aquatics store (be careful think they are protected species)

otherwise a product like filter aid should help 

i keep mirror and koi in a tank they :censor: for europe lol 

loaches and plecs may help with some of the alge & waste but as was sed them inturn makes waste so its catch 22


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## darkmoon (Dec 18, 2008)

i had a couple of decent sized plecs in with the koi for a while,to keep the alge down.

trouble was the koi would hammer the plec wafers soon as i put them in 

i know they eat alge but wasnt long before they cleaned it all up,and they needed feeding.so had to move them out again.

koi are just so damn greedy fish lol


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

darkmoon said:


> hi
> 
> a couple of years back i grew some koi on indoors in a large tank.
> 
> ...


 
My filter i have got at the moment is not up to the job, £125 for a new one is a bit out of my price range, im looking to get maybe a 2nd hand one from ebay, any suggestions.

Thanks for all the comments.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## Stew (Feb 8, 2009)

The only other option is a pond filter+ pump. Fluval fx5 is top filtration and would go for that over any other external, think the guy in an earlier post said 1500 LPH but they are more like 2500 LPH and they are silent, which makes them very good.

I managed to get a blagdon pressurised filter with all media and a pond pump for less than 30 quid so look about, but i wouldnt bother with any of the aquarium externals as they will not be able to turn over the water quick enough.


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

Thank you everyone for your replys.

What type of filter should i put in the ebay search box....

Cheers.

Deano.


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## capester (Oct 18, 2007)

Defo an external unless you could secure a pond filter box above the tank and use a pond pump to circulate it? Should be easy to pick up 2nd hand for peanuts. I don't supose you are looking to get rid of the tank when the fish go outside are you? I'm after one that size!


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

Grass carp will eat the algae.

Harry


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

Cheers for all the replys, ive purchased a filter from ebay that i think will do the job, hoping to get some snails, and swann mussels to help out aswell, and maybe some grass carp.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## s3xy_sheep (Jan 28, 2009)

grass carp are pretty cool and although all carp eat veg these guys will eat all of you plants unless you have LOADS my old grassies were bout 8-9 inch and would often see them swimming round with 10 inch plants hangin out their gob and they would keep on chewing till it all gone


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

I dont think im going to have many plants in the tank, maybe a few of those oxygenation plants but thats all.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## TUBBS (Mar 16, 2009)

grass carp wont eat algae in a tank, they only eat the blanket weed type algae once they have destroyed all aquatic plants like lilies and oxygenators, the algae in tanks doesn't grow out from the glass enough for them to eat, so some adult bristle noses would do, but leave them out till the algae has built up and add one at a time every few weeks to the point that the back and sides of the tank are half clean and the front needs wipeing over with an algae magnet every few weeks or something

that way you wont need to feed, as they should then have a constant supply of algae... simple

what filter did you buy? as a normal pond filter would need to go above the tank unless it's pressurised, inwhich case when you open it it'll spill loads of water onto the floor every time unless you can drain the water out of the filter first


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

Tank is up and running now, with filter and pump, seems to be doing nicely, the tank has been running for 2 days now, how long should i leave it before i start adding some fish, im thinking of adding some pond snails/swan mussels and maybe bristlenose plecs before adding the carp?

Suggestions?

Cheers.

Deano.


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## cjd99 (Apr 8, 2009)

I know your not keen on putting plants in, but a bit of hornwort is pretty good at sucking up excess nutrients, and it should hopefully keep your algae down


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## Esfa (Apr 15, 2007)

deano1099 said:


> Tank is up and running now, with filter and pump, seems to be doing nicely, the tank has been running for 2 days now, how long should i leave it before i start adding some fish, im thinking of adding some pond snails/swan mussels and maybe bristlenose plecs before adding the carp?


Read this:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/fish-keeping/83288-inroducing-fishless-cycling.html

It'll be a good few weeks before you can add fish. : victory:


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

Ive been down to the local koi carp shop, and they gave me a product that speeds up the water cycle, there like little balls that you place in the filter and they get rid of all the nasty chemicals and make the water safe for fish, i was advised to try goldfish before koi but i dont really want goldfish lol. Ohhh one quick question, Would i be able to put a weather loach in the tank or not?


Cheers for all the advice again.

Deano.


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

deano1099 said:


> Ive been down to the local koi carp shop, and they gave me a product that speeds up the water cycle, there like little balls that you place in the filter and they get rid of all the nasty chemicals and make the water safe for fish, i was advised to try goldfish before koi but i dont really want goldfish lol. Ohhh one quick question, Would i be able to put a weather loach in the tank or not?
> 
> 
> Cheers for all the advice again.
> ...


No balls can speed up the nitrogen cycle, maybe quick start or nutrafin cycle might help, but you still need to do a fishless cycle.:2thumb:


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## deano1099 (Jun 28, 2007)

reptile_man_08 said:


> No balls can speed up the nitrogen cycle, maybe quick start or nutrafin cycle might help, but you still need to do a fishless cycle.:2thumb:


The product name is "BACTINETTES"

Details:
Eliminates Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
Removes chlorine.
Bind heavy metals.
Suitable for fresh cold and marine water.

Hope that explains a bit about the product that ive purchased.

Cheers.

Deano.


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## TUBBS (Mar 16, 2009)

bactinetts seems to work but the ones i used to see never did marine as the change from freshwater to saltwater kills 99.9% of the bacteria making it virtually useless, but no-one has properly tried and compared all of the products in a scientific manner.

it will help though, but in that volume just add a few smaller carp (hard as nails) as any waste would be diluted to nothingness


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

2 or 3 small goldfish are a good starting point before the KOI are added. Once you have confirmed the water is ok with the goldfish start adding your KOI gradually.
An external pressure filter like the Hozelock 9000 including a UV will do the filtration job nicely and you can pick them up from EBay for about £50.

Moss balls are a natural way to reduce toxins too.


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## TUBBS (Mar 16, 2009)

koi would destroy moss balls in seconds


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## reptile_man_08 (Jan 14, 2008)

deano1099 said:


> The product name is "BACTINETTES"
> 
> Details:
> Eliminates Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
> ...


So it completely stops the cycle...Why don't you just do a cycle:lol2:


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## TUBBS (Mar 16, 2009)

it dont stop the cycle, it contains bacteria, if its the fridge stuff


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