Just to get the new year going!

1. Are people usung the clay, and if so, how often? The only thing I add to my water is the Sodium Thiosulphate as a dechlorinator.

2. If you are using it, any place to get it cheaply, as some of the koi shops sell it for ridiculous prices.

I quote from dr Roddy Conrad:

The clay is preferably added on top of an air stone or into a waterfall for good mixing. It will cloud the water for at least a few hours, the length of time of cloudy water from dispersed clay will vary with addition method, amount of the clay dose, type of clay, mechanical filter details, and water turnover rates. A higher dose, better mixing, less filtration all work for longer cloudiness, the cloudier the water gets the more opportunity the clay has to do its good work. Obviously you do NOT want to dose clay right before showing off your koi to your friends, dose several days before showing off the fish so the water has time to clear.

The clay does a number of things depending on the situation:

1. DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon compounds) and toxins are physically absorbed on the clay particles and removed from the water. This improves water clarity (after the clay is filtered out) and should remove foam potential, as well as improving water quality.
2. Some of the minerals in the clay are dissolved into the water to provide more trace minerals for the fish coloration and health, that is the usual main objective in adding the clay.
3. Many hobbyists find ways to combine clay into food for the koi to eat the clay, since getting the clay to eat the clay cleans out the inside of the fish the same way it cleans the water, by physically absorbing toxins. By the way, many of us (meaning my wife and I for example) slurry some clay in good drinking water and drink the clay to clean out OUR insides, too, please be aware health food stores sell slurries of bentonite clay for very high prices for that purpose, meaning as an aid to human health.
4. If the water is calcium poor, the dissolved calcium from the clay WILL help stabilize pH, by the way. However, for ponds with GH values at or above 80 ppm, this is not going to be noticeable, but for very low GH water, the clay WILL help avoid high pH spikes by providing soluble calcium, which DOES help stabilize pH from spiking high.

Hi,
Have a look under "What Should I Bear in Mind" - Bentonite clay for info on clay.

Look for calcium bentonite not sodium bentonite. The one has been activated with calcium the other with soda ash. Both will work. The pH of Sodium bentonite is a little high for my personal liking. Sodium bentonite clumps far more strongly than calcium bentonite which is why I avoid using it.

It is very safe to use and I use about 1kg in my pond of 40,500 litres. I use it every now and again and always after treating with and chemicals for parasites etc.

I dump it into the stream / water fall a few meters away from the pond so it can dissolve into the water before getting into the pond.

It clears the water really well when there is a slight haze to the water. It also binds a lot of stuff in the water - such as residual chemicals etc.

Regards,
Chris

Thanks Chris

I have used it in the past, but have stopped for no particular reason ?cost. Do you buy yours at your local koi dealer, or can one order it from somewhere wholesale?

Just an example, my chemist ordered me a box (500g) of Sodium Thiopentate for only R14,00!

Regards
Albie

Hi,

Its actually one of the things that is very good for your koi and system. Must disolve it in the water to prevent clumping in the bottom drains if you use a lot of it.

How big is your pond?

Send me a private email please.

Regards,
Chris