Fish Pond Maintenance

Many people today are trying to maintain a clean Koi pond as a part of their water feature in their back yard.  Koi ponds can be a beautiful addition to a garden – or it can become a time and money consuming water hole!  I have a few fish pond maintenance tips to help you care for your Koi and enjoy a clean garden pond.

The first fish pond maintenance tip is to make sure that you provide a pump and filter system that is adequate for the size of your Koi pond.  This is critical in removing fish waste and organic matter from the pond with the filter.  This will aid in keeping your pond healthy.

However, this in and of itself is not adequate in keeping your fish pond clean.

The next fish pond maintenance tip would be to add bacterial spores and enzymes to the pond.  These elements will aid in the proper digestion of the fish waste and organic matter within the pond.  Natural Pond Cleaner is an excellent form of these friendly bacteria that will help your filter system function to the best of its ability.  The bacteria form colonies in the filter and on the bottom of the pond and aid in breaking down the sludge and waste found in the pond.

Of course, there are other considerations that need to be assessed.  The growth of algae is one of these.  Because of the sensitivity of Koi to copper sulfate and all of its derivatives, one must be very careful if employing a copper product to eliminate algae within the pond.  There are other products available, such as hydrogen peroxide (Green Clean, Green Clear) if you need to treat algae.  However, in the case of algae control within a Koi pond, it would probably be more prudent to simply remove the algae mats as they appear.  This can be done on a weekly basis with a net or rake.  Another way to control algae growth would be to add aquatic plants to aid in consuming nutrients and sunlight before algae can get started.  Keep in mind that some algae are a good sign and should not alarm you.

Another consideration is to make sure to keep your fish population under control; too many fish will stress the entire system and lead to serious algal growth, low oxygen levels and excessive odor.  Keep the fish population at the level to which it is the maximum (at most) during the warmest water conditions, as this is the point of lowest oxygen levels in the water.

Finally, spread out the timing and amount of fish food that you provide your Koi.  Koi enjoy grazing, so feeding smaller amounts of food several times a day will benefit your fish.  Also, never over feed your fish; they should consume all of the food within five minutes of the food being added.  This will eliminate food becoming sludge at the bottom of the pond.

These tips will aid in keeping your Koi pond at peak performance and will provide you with a spring, summer and fall water garden that you and your friends can enjoy.

For more helpful tips on keeping you fish pond clean contact our helpful staff.