Deadly Koi Pond pH Crash
Koi Pond pH Crash
PH is only a measurement of the free Hydrogen ions in your pond water and is very, very dynamic. Your koi pond pH can change overnight...In particular, your pond pH is prone to fall, and "crashes" are quick, and fatal. Interestingly, many people say they checked their pond pH last week, and are surprised to find that the pH can change overnight.In simple terms, the pH in your pond water is supported in range by the carbonate activity of the water (measured in Total Alkalinity) and when the carbonates are exhausted, or overloaded, pond pH plummets to 5.5 and kills filter bacteria and and your koi. In other situations, your pond pH can glide downward very slowly over months and thus your resident koi can survive a low pond pH but the new koi you keep buying perish quickly as they enter pond water with a very acid pH.
Check your pond pH regularly, and also, to get a grip on your 'safety net', measure the water's "Carbonate Hardness" (KH) activity often.