Koi Clay

[Koidaddy]

I found this thread elsewhere... what are your thoughts?

(I just started using clay last week - hope I'm doing the right thing).

KD
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Question:
Okay, before i used koi clay my water was clear and I had nice green algae on the liner and it looked fine, had a small amount of string algae but nothing bad. I wanted to use the clay for the benefit of the fish's color and health.\

I put the clay in a month ago and only did one dose and the results suck!

all the nice green algae on the liner turned brown and my water turned brown too (not murky from the clay but tea colored like tanin from all the dead algae)

I have done a huge water change but the water turns brown again and the liner is a hideous brown color.

Should I scrub off the dead brown algae on the liner?

Is this the normal effect of clay?

Reply:
I don't know if it is the normal effect, but it is the exact effect that I had last year. My water was clear, just had a greenish tint to it. I bought the koi clay and used it. My water became a big mess. The algae on the sides and bottom turned brown. I used it according to the directions, trying to get things cleared up, and it just got progressively worse every time I used it. I was told that it was not the koi clay. I finally stopped using it, but the algae on the sides never greened back up. It stayed a nasty brown color. This spring I had the most horrible mushy mess in my pond (on the sides, bottom, on all the lily pots) that I had to drain my pond, scrub it, and refill it. The only thing that I did differently last year was to add koi clay. I know I will get bashed for saying this, but I will never use it again.


Reply:
I dont know if I will either, I may have to drain and scrub the brown crap off, what a pain. I thought it would help. I have heard that with hard water you have enough minerals as it is?

[Jackie Ramo]

I personally doubt it was the clay but there are a lot of different algaes out there and not all of them are nice. I've had 4 different ones this year alone 10 cold water alges, dies off at temps around 50F but looks like string algae, grows in the ice) 2) slime algae, just like th ename implies, very nasty and very bright green 3) brown algae, this is not dead as it grows but its brown incolour, lucky id was consumed by 4)string algae which is currently taking over the pond at an alarming rate and is so attached to the liner and rocks that the shop vac doesn't budge it. Fish like to eat this one.

A regular dosing of koi clay has had no impact on any of these but did help clear the green water but maybe not, may have been the onset of string algae that has made the water chrystal clear again.