Essential Supplies For Taking Care Of Your Koi Pond

Many people find the sound of running water tranquil and relaxing, and so they choose to have koi ponds in their yard to enhance the landscape and find some enjoyment in listening to the sounds and watching the koi.


However, maintaining a koi pond is not as easy as many think. You will need to do several things to make sure the koi are kept healthy and the pond keeps running correctly. The supplies mentioned below are vital to have on hand when maintaining your koi pond.


Consider adding a fountain or waterfall to your pond. It will add to the pond's beauty and also keep the fish healthy by aerating and circulating the water, thereby providing oxygen for the koi. A filter is another item that is absolutely vital to the health of the fish and the maintenance of the pond. This removes pollutants from the water, providing your koi with clean water to keep them safe and healthy.


Since koi ponds are large, you will also need a water pump to circulate the water and allow the filter to clean it. Fountains and waterfalls will not circulate the water enough to allow the filter to clean out all of it, and so a pump is vital to ensuring the cleanliness of the water.


Use a larger filter and pump for a larger pond to make sure there isn’t too much strain on the equipment.


To keep your koi fish healthy, make sure your water is of the highest quality possible. You can ensure this high quality by using a dechlorinator, which will remove harmful chemicals from the water you add from the hose to top up the pond once water levels fall.


Also have a water testing kit on hand to monitor the pH and nitrate levels of the water. This testing kit is available at most pet supply stores. If pH and nitrate levels are irregular, you can use baking soda or pond salt to bring them back to normal.


Many koi owners will choose to build their koi pond under a tree to protect their koi from excess sunlight, birds or other predators. Although a tree can protect the koi well, it also litters the pond with debris, twigs and dead leaves.


Use a pond skimmer to clean the surface of the water regularly, allowing enough sunlight to reach the koi and providing them with clean water.


If you choose to have a waterfall in your pond, use waterfall foam to fill cracks and spaces in the rocks. This dark foam expands and seals the spaces, allowing your waterfall to flow smoothly and beautifully. You may also have to deal with a different kind of foam: the dirty kind that forms on top of water in your pond because of aeration and debris.


Use a foam remover to get rid of this and make your pond look great again. Make sure the remover you use is safe for koi fish and don’t use too much of it – it is usually very concentrated and a small amount is enough for a large koi pond.


Travis Taylor is a Koi fish keeper and breeding enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing his knowledge about Building koi ponds.

His newest book,"Koi Care Secrets," teaches Koi Fish owners everything they need to know about caring for their pets. http://www.koicareguide.com