| In this article I will introduce you to the basic supplies | | | | dead fish, that is. Ammonia becomes a more critical |
| and equipment you will need to keep your pond | | | | problem when the pH is higher and water |
| beautiful and your Koi healthy. It isn't hard to maintain | | | | temperature is lower. |
| a healthy population in a great pond, but some things | | | | Nitrite levels are another area where you have to |
| must be done and cannot be skimped. | | | | have zero tolerance. Even trace amounts can be |
| Food | | | | toxic to smaller fish. Test frequently and take action |
| Use a good commercial Koi food. Every koi keeper | | | | as soon as any problems are detected. |
| has their own preference, developed over time. For | | | | One thing you really must do is find a reliable |
| general purposes it doesn't really make a difference. | | | | acquarium outlet with knowledgeable staff on hand. |
| The commercial food can be supplemented with | | | | These people, along with other enthusiasts you get |
| vegetables. This is not strictly necessary. The basic | | | | to know are your number one source of information |
| food you are feeding will keep your fish healthy by | | | | and advice. Get to know them. Also get to know |
| itself. However, Koi are omnivorous and love to get | | | | people just starting out who know even less than |
| vegetable matter. Lettuce leaves, carrots etc. Try | | | | you do and give them the benefit of whatever |
| different things and see what they like. Secret tip: Koi | | | | experience you have gained. It all comes back to you |
| love garlic! Who would have thought it? | | | | and will really pay off. |
| Koi like plant matter so much, in fact, that it can be | | | | Equipment |
| hard keeping any water plants in their pond. If you | | | | The most important pieces of equipment are the |
| put pots with aquatic vegetation in they will often | | | | pump and the filtration system. The filter you set up |
| eat the plants or dig up the roots. The solution is to | | | | has to be large enough to handle the volume of |
| have pedestals in the pond for the pots, or have a | | | | water you will be pumping through it, and it has to be |
| shallow section of the pond for the plants. Either | | | | cleaned and maintained to continue functioning as it |
| way, the rim of the container needs to be at or just | | | | should. |
| above the surface of the water. | | | | Filtration is the number one weapon in your fight |
| Another way of adding vegetation is to put in | | | | against harmful chemical conditions. Keep in mind that |
| floating plants. Water hyacinth is one that Koi love. | | | | pH, ammonia and nitrites all interact with each other. |
| That's a good thing too, because water hyacinth | | | | Together with water temperature they ultimately |
| multiplies so rapidly that it can completely choke a | | | | determine the oxygen carrying capacity of the |
| pond in short order. Even with fish in the pond you | | | | water, the single most important factor in the |
| will probably find yourself skimming excess plants out | | | | well-being of aquatic organisms. |
| and discarding them. | | | | The pump you install must be able to pump the |
| Chemicals | | | | entire contents of the pond through the filter at least |
| You need to assess the water quality in your pond | | | | once a day. Consult with your resource people and |
| periodically. This can be done by taking a sample in to | | | | follow their recommendations. This is one area where |
| an aquarium store for testing or owning a test kit | | | | you can't go cheap! |
| yourself. Either way, its necessary to watch out for | | | | Pond design also plays a role in filtration. Poor design |
| spikes in the presence of bad elements in your water | | | | with a lot of bays can lead to dead zones wher the |
| and take measures to restore balance quickly. | | | | water isn't circulated properly. Deep spots in the pond |
| The three factors you want to stay on top of are: | | | | can also be a source of problems unless one of the |
| - pH - the level of acidity | | | | intakes for the pump in the deep spot. |
| - ammonia levels | | | | Final Thoughts |
| - nitrite levels | | | | Koi are really not that hard to take care of, but |
| Put simply, pH should be between 7 and 8.5. Although | | | | there is definitely a learning curve. Build a library of |
| Koi can survive with levels as low as 6 and as high as | | | | books on the subject. Get to know your resource |
| 9 you should strive to keep the acidity between 7 | | | | people. Above all, stay on top of what you need to |
| and 8.5. Acidity is one of the easiest things to adjust. | | | | do to maintain pond health. The tasks aren't difficult, |
| The key factor is being aware of the pH before it | | | | but they are ongoing and can't be skipped. |
| becomes a problem. | | | | A beautiful Koi pond is definitely worth the effort and |
| Ammonia comes mainly from the fish themselves | | | | returns any investment you make many times over. |
| through their excretions. The target here is zero, and | | | | Start small. Grow in small steps. Soon you can be the |
| you have to test because there is no outward | | | | valuable resource person other Koi lovers turn to. |
| indication when ammonia levels start to climb. Except | | | | |