To take proper care of a koi pond,there are a couple of things that you will need. Aside from the filters and uv sterilizer here are some basic steps that you should take.
1. Sufficient pond size - Instead of starting off small because you want to save money, why not spend the extra money and go big. Your koi will thank you for it in the end. Koi fish need plenty of room to swim and a small koi pond will only stunt their growth. They will grow bigger as time goes by and they will need the space. This brings me to my part 2 to answer: Do not overpopulate your pond with koi because they will need the space, and a overpopulated pond will result in a dirty pond because of the waste that too many koi produce. this will result in a host of other problems ranging from bacteria to diseased fish.
2.Sufficient pond depth - Most koi owners prefer that their pond be at least 4 or 5 feet deep. The reason for this is because a pond this deep will protect the fish from likely predators like raccoon and or your very own pet cat. A pond this deep also prevents the pond from overheating in the summer.
3.Keep any kind of insecticides away from your pond. The fish in your pond are very vulnerable to any kind of poison, so common house insecticides will kill them.
4.Make sure that you have a heater for your pond. This will help in those winter months when your koi are just chilling(bad pun, I know!).But this will smooth their transition into the spring and summer months. You do not want your pond to completely freeze over. Doing this will ensure that your fish grow all year round.
If you follow these and other steps outlined at this website, then your koi pond will be properly cared for and your fish will live long and happy.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
How To Tell If Your Koi Is Sick...!
There are many signs that your koi fish will show you to let you know that they are sick. The most extreme being your koi jumping out of the water, but thats waaaaayyy too extreme!!! (Believe it or not, there have been reported cases of koi jumping out of the pond.)First of all, as a koi hobbyist, you must watch your koi like a hawk, because the last thing that you want to do is to be burying fish! It sucks...trust me!
Some koi will appear to be lethargic or lazy, swimming slower than normal, coming up to the surface for air longer than normal. These are all signs that maybe you introduced the fish to the pond maybe a little too early. To combat this, I recommend a partial water change. This will dilute some of the alkali in the pond. You could also use pond ph buffers.
Sometimes your koi and the plants surrounding your pond will BOTH show signs of sickness. Your fish will become stressed and the plants surrounding your pond will discolored and wilted. There are a number of reasons for this.
Your area might have just recently experienced a heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall into a koi pond is not always good for your pond. Depending where you live, your rainwater will be very acidic due to pollution. This in turn will cause your pond to lose its buffers. And this in turn will cause your ponds PH level to fluctuate. Which will cause your fish to become stressed.
To solve the problem I recommend regular partial water changes. Including cleaning your filter and replacing those lost pond buffers with pond buffer salts.
These and other suggestions can help you to better take care of your koi. But for the best advice I recommend that you visit http://koifishcare.info. It can and will answer ALL of your questions concerning your koi fish.
Some koi will appear to be lethargic or lazy, swimming slower than normal, coming up to the surface for air longer than normal. These are all signs that maybe you introduced the fish to the pond maybe a little too early. To combat this, I recommend a partial water change. This will dilute some of the alkali in the pond. You could also use pond ph buffers.
Sometimes your koi and the plants surrounding your pond will BOTH show signs of sickness. Your fish will become stressed and the plants surrounding your pond will discolored and wilted. There are a number of reasons for this.
Your area might have just recently experienced a heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall into a koi pond is not always good for your pond. Depending where you live, your rainwater will be very acidic due to pollution. This in turn will cause your pond to lose its buffers. And this in turn will cause your ponds PH level to fluctuate. Which will cause your fish to become stressed.
To solve the problem I recommend regular partial water changes. Including cleaning your filter and replacing those lost pond buffers with pond buffer salts.
These and other suggestions can help you to better take care of your koi. But for the best advice I recommend that you visit http://koifishcare.info. It can and will answer ALL of your questions concerning your koi fish.
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