I really like them. Hopefully in the future I will be able to put in a bigger pond and I can try again with the Golden Orfes and do it right by getting about 5 or 6. For now I am going to pass on them as I see the advice the guy in the pond store told me that one was good, was wrong. Meantime I rewarded myself by going back to the pond store and buying two new fish. I got a stunner of a butterfly koi in a strange metalic almost mustard old gold color. I know that might not sound attractive but the fish is lovely. Also a most beautiful deep almost red "goldfish" with the most long, long, long tail and fins.

Thank you all for your input. I do appreciate it. Lets just say adding salt is the last thing I would do for a plant problem. I do like my Sarasa comets (Don't want any Koi) only six in a 7000 gallon pond so they are probably not adding enough poo to feed the plants. Plan on adding Golden Orfe in the next two weeks after quarantine.To aid the plants I plan on adding Flourish Iron. Don't know if it will help the lilies but it should help the others. I know I need the plants to out compete the algae especialy with the high phosphates I have now. I have Bitterlings ready to come out of quarantine and the PH is 7.5 in that tank. If I add these to the pond with a PH of 8.5 - 9.0 is it going to hurt them? What is the best way to add them since the PH is so differect? Thanks Again

My first pond was about 3000 gallons and was too shallow. My pond now is 5000 gallons and almost 5 ft. deep and I now feel it is just right. I would still add the Tench if I ever found any. But right now I am content with what I have. An abundance of bullfrogs, toads, tree frogs and beautiful fish. I have a pond full of fry, that I will have to remove at least by next summer when more are spawned. My white comet "Albie" is still chasing the females relentlessly, so I may still have more this year. I am still trying to eliminate the bluegills I put in this summer. Thought I was down to one, but I saw at least 3 a few nights ago. I fished 2 of them out. I wouldn't mind having 1 or 2, but a lot of the fry are...you guessed it.. bluegills. Glenda

Tonya I think you are right about the fish being injured prior to it going into your pond. I would very much agree with bonniein about KHV and other koi diseases. Why I thought that I would speak up here is on what tinytwo said. Fish can be shipped and stay in a small bag for one reason only and that is the fish exhale CO2 which causes the PH in water in the bag to drop. When the PH drops low enough the Ammonia is no longer toxic so it doesn't affect the fish. When that bag is openned the CO2 is now released and the PH starts to go up and the ammonia becomes toxic. Putting small amounts of pond water in the bag to help equalize the PH can keep the fish in the high Ammonia for extended periods of time. So should be moved immediately to fresh water. The answer depends on how long the fish have been in the bag and how good the water was when the fish were put in the bag and if pure O2 was put in the bag. It also depends on how much ammonia the fish are putting in the water. If the fish are in the bag a few hours or less than equalizing the PH won't hurt but if the fish have been in the bag a long time getting them out quickly is very important. Mike