Koi Pond Cleaning
Keeping your koi pond clean as well as in good condition should be your number
one priority. Once your pond starts developing problems, you will find that it
will take more time and money then if you were attempting to prevent these
problems from happening in the first place.
Water Quality
You filtration system is extremely important. There are 2 types of
filtration, mechanical and biological. Mechanical filtration relieves the pond
of solids such as dead algae, insects, and Koi wastes. It is important to have
enough filtration to sustain the size of the pond, and the amount and size of
your Koi. Biological filtration causes a nitrogen cycle, which is what removes
dissolved wastes from your pond. Without biological filtration, built up waste
will turn into ammonia and kill your Koi within just a few days.
Keeping
you Koi pond clean should be one of your number one priorities. A clean pond
could mean the difference between you Koi living a beautiful stress free life,
and potentially suffering until they ultimately die. The water in which your Koi
live is not only where they eat, sleep, and feed, but it is also where they use
the bathroom in it as well. If you do not properly clean your pond, it is almost
as if your Koi are living in the bathroom toilet.
The water in your pond
should almost be completely clear. Your pond should contain no floating or
suspended debris, and the Koi should appear to be floating in air. If you are
unable to see the bottom of your pond, then chances are your pond is not clean
enough.
Keep Supplies On Hand
As a new Koi pond
owner, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of supplies needed to properly
maintain your Koi pond. While the important of the majority of these items
cannot be denied, the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount needed should
be disregarded. Simply knowing the function of each item can help you understand
why they are needed.
There are certain items that you need to have on
hand at all times. Because you pond is outdoors, emergency situations do occur.
Nature is simply unpredictable at times, and you do not want to be caught in a
situation where an item is needed, but they is no way to obtain it.
Do Not Overfeed
Overfeeding can ultimately cause water
quality issues.. In nature, Koi would not nearly the amount of food that they do
in controlled ponds. It is not unheard of for pond owners to feed many pounds of
food to their Koi per week. This produces a larger amount of waste, whether it
comes from the digestion process on the Koi�s part, or the amount of uneaten
food that has settled to the bottom and spoiled. It is important to vacuum the
bottom out as much as possible, and make sure all types of drainage systems are
clear and in working order.
Prevent Common Illnesses
When purchasing new fish, it is a good idea to quarantine the new fish
separately from your current population for no less then 15 days. Knowing that
the Koi Herpes Virus is activated at exactly 74 degrees Fahrenheit allows you to
expose your fish to the right conditions for the disease to show itself. Koi
that live in the conditions for this amount of time and do not develop any
symptoms will have a substantially less chance of having the virus.
It is
important to remember that when you quarantine your new Koi, they should remain
under total isolation. This means that you should not allow anything to come
into contact with the quarantined Koi, especially items that also come into
contact with your current population. Separate tools, food, and water should be
used, and never under any circumstances, should the tools used for your
quarantined fish leave the area in which they are used. Another important thing
to remember is proper hand washing procedures when handling both Koi and Koi
items within the same time period.
Quarantining will not guarantee that
you will not expose your fish to viruses, but it will greatly reduce the chance
that you are.