Is It Difficult to Maintain a Koi Pond?

Koi ponds are a beautiful addition to a home’s yard. As gorgeous of an addition as a koi pond may be, there are a few things to keep in mind before choosing to have one built on your property. Upkeep for a koi pond is absolutely important to maintain the radiance of its natural appearance and protect the health of the fish that dwell within it, which you can do by purchasing the necessary koi pond supplies and keeping the following maintenance considerations in mind.

Keeping Koi Fish Fed

The fish are one of the top priorities of maintaining a koi pond. Without living fish, you would have only a regular pond and would need to remove the “koi” part of that title. Many people who have koi tend to overfeed their fish more than underfeed them. There’s no need to feed your koi more than once per day unless the water temperature is above 75 degrees. Even then, you still need to watch the amount being fed. Anything beyond that could create an excess of food piling up in your pond, which can harm the fish as well as the quality of the pond’s water. Koi tend to have inefficient digestive systems and pass waste at a very quick pace. They won’t be able to eat and digest a lot of food every day, so err on the side of caution and make sure to feed them only one time each day, and only what they can eat within five minutes.

Cleaning the Pond Regularly

Another vital part of keeping a well maintained koi fish pond is to clean it out regularly. Check the pond once per day to make sure there’s no debris floating around and that the water is clear at all times. Sticks, leaves, dead bugs, and trash can be found occasionally floating on the surface of a koi pond. Especially in the fall, you may need to clean leaves out of the pond daily. Nets can be fastened to the pond to prevent debris from getting in.

Regulating the Temperature

Part of maintaining a healthy living environment for koi fish will be to ensure they’re living at just the right temperature at all times. A temperature gauge can be used to monitor the temperature of the pond. Taking this step provides a good way to keep track of the oxygen levels present in the water of the pond. If the water exceeds 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the oxygen levels will likely drop. Place some nice shrubbery, plant a shade tree, or install an awning around the pond to provide ample cooling shade for the fish.

Controlling the Population

Fish tend to overpopulate themselves if left unchecked. Make sure to keep track of how many fish are in the pond so you don’t end up with double within only a few months’ time. Spawning in a pond brings in a massive amount of proteins, so make sure to do a water change as soon as possible when you see this going on, and add pond bacteria and extra aeration as well. If your pond becomes overpopulated, it will severely affect the health of the fish. The same goes for the plants. If plants grow too out of control, it could end up obscuring the view of the fish and affect the oxygen levels of the water.

One of the keys to keeping your pond and its inhabitants healthy is having the right pond equipment on hand. Aquatic Warehouse has everything you need. Call one of our aquatic experts today at 858-467-9297.