Not on the main topic of how to clean a koi pond but something that is highly important especially for beginners to understand is the koi herpes virus.
Just like the human herpes virus this is something that is actually contagious and can be spread to your other fish. If you don't want this to happen then are various precautions that you are going to have to take in place to make sure that it doesn't spread. The main thing you will want to do is quarantine any new fish that you get.
Quarantining your fish
When you buy a new fish you will want to separate them from your others to make sure that if they have the virus it doesn't spread.
The recommended time to wait is about 15 days as this can show whether any symptoms are arising but also note even if there are no symptoms your fish can still be a carrier!
In these 15 days you will want to keep them away from your other fish and this means strictly separate! At no point should anything you use on a quarantined fish come into contact with your other koi.
Separate water, food, cleaning tools are going to have to be used for this and you will also want to thoroughly wash your hands if you are handling the both of them. This will minimise the contact and chances of spreading around the virus.
After the 15 days are over you can go onto mixing the two of them.
The koi herpes virus is something to look for to make sure that you don't go onto harming your other fish.
Wednesday 21 August 2013
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Koi Fish Pond - When Purchasing Koi
So how do you know what koi to purchase for your koi fish pond?
There are various fish out there with different colours due to breeding, there are thousands of varieties of colours and patterns out there so it it going to be hard to decide what koi you want to have.
There are various pet shops that you can use to get your koi from but there is also the chance that if they don't have any you can order the fish online. This gives you the chance to pick from the variety of colours but this also means that you won't actually get to see your purchase before it.
You should have your pond built before this and the size of your pond should be based on how many fish you want. If you haven't built the pond yet then look into how many fish that you want and build around this. If you buy more than you planned on this can lead to overstocking and this could lead to the death of some of your koi.
If you are looking to partner up your koi with goldfish or other types of fish then this is something that you can actually do. Koi have no teeth and are non-aggressive which means they will gladly share a pond without harming other fish.
The only problem that you're going to have to consider to this is the fact that your koi are larger and will eat more food than your smaller ones so you may need to add some extra food to ensure they are all well fed.
Koi are omnivorous fish, which means they will eat both meat and plants. This means that their diets are very versatile. Koi will eat pretty much anything that you put in the pond with them, no matter if it is good for them or not. Since Koi do not have a sense of what is bad and good for them, as their owner you must control their diet.
Koi are also known to live for about 30 years on average however there are records of those which have lived for over 100 which shows that they are friends for life and something you are going to want to take pride in when choosing for your koi fish pond.
There are various fish out there with different colours due to breeding, there are thousands of varieties of colours and patterns out there so it it going to be hard to decide what koi you want to have.
There are various pet shops that you can use to get your koi from but there is also the chance that if they don't have any you can order the fish online. This gives you the chance to pick from the variety of colours but this also means that you won't actually get to see your purchase before it.
You should have your pond built before this and the size of your pond should be based on how many fish you want. If you haven't built the pond yet then look into how many fish that you want and build around this. If you buy more than you planned on this can lead to overstocking and this could lead to the death of some of your koi.
If you are looking to partner up your koi with goldfish or other types of fish then this is something that you can actually do. Koi have no teeth and are non-aggressive which means they will gladly share a pond without harming other fish.
The only problem that you're going to have to consider to this is the fact that your koi are larger and will eat more food than your smaller ones so you may need to add some extra food to ensure they are all well fed.
Koi are omnivorous fish, which means they will eat both meat and plants. This means that their diets are very versatile. Koi will eat pretty much anything that you put in the pond with them, no matter if it is good for them or not. Since Koi do not have a sense of what is bad and good for them, as their owner you must control their diet.
Koi are also known to live for about 30 years on average however there are records of those which have lived for over 100 which shows that they are friends for life and something you are going to want to take pride in when choosing for your koi fish pond.
Wednesday 7 August 2013
How To Build A Koi Pond - Choosing The Plants
Once you have managed to build a koi fish pond the next thing that you're going to have to do is choose what plants that you want to decorate it with.
Your pond is going to the pride and joy so you want to decorate it and the best thing is some plants can be beneficial by keeping algae at bay or providing more oxygen into the water or biological life (biological life helps maintain your pool by doing what they would do in nature).
The only problem with these plants is that they can;t thrive in the winter, so if you are in an area where the temperature drops below 65 Fahrenheit. The best way to keep them alive during winter months if the weather dips below this you will need to put them somewhere like a greenhouse or indoors if that is the other option.
These are simple and don't require soil or planting, all you need to do is spend a few seconds to anchor them down into the water so they don't float around too much but apart from that all you have to do is throw them in.
The downside to these is that if allowed to grow they can spread a lot all over the pond and not only that but if your pond is near the fence they can grow up and over as well which is why you're going to have to control them.
However, the benefits of these plants is that they will help fight off the algae that you will find in pond.
These are two of the various plants that you're going to have to use when you build a koi fish pond but these are just an example of two.
Your pond is going to the pride and joy so you want to decorate it and the best thing is some plants can be beneficial by keeping algae at bay or providing more oxygen into the water or biological life (biological life helps maintain your pool by doing what they would do in nature).
- Lotus Plants
The only problem with these plants is that they can;t thrive in the winter, so if you are in an area where the temperature drops below 65 Fahrenheit. The best way to keep them alive during winter months if the weather dips below this you will need to put them somewhere like a greenhouse or indoors if that is the other option.
- Water Hyacinths
These are simple and don't require soil or planting, all you need to do is spend a few seconds to anchor them down into the water so they don't float around too much but apart from that all you have to do is throw them in.
The downside to these is that if allowed to grow they can spread a lot all over the pond and not only that but if your pond is near the fence they can grow up and over as well which is why you're going to have to control them.
However, the benefits of these plants is that they will help fight off the algae that you will find in pond.
These are two of the various plants that you're going to have to use when you build a koi fish pond but these are just an example of two.
Wednesday 31 July 2013
How To Clean A Koi Pond - Maintaining The Condition Of Your Pond
One of the main things you want to know with how to clean a koi pond is how you can maintain the condition it's in. There are many things you can do to maintain the condition to reduce the amount of time that you're going to have to spend cleaning it all out.
One of the things that you want to do is get a pump/filtration system to keep the water clean.
Filtration Systems
There are two different types of filtration systems; mechanical and biological, these are the ones that you will want in your pond to get rid of any dirt or bacteria and algae which you may find growing in there.
Without filtration systems you are allowing your fish to be under harm and your pond will end up getting very dirty and very quickly which can make it more work than normal to do.
Pumps
You will need to keep the water moving to get oxygen around the pond and to also to move the water around for the filters. There are filters that have pumps included and there are some people who use fountains and waterfalls as they not only look good but do the same job as well.
These are some of the things that will make it easier to clean a koi pond by maintaining it as long as possible.
One of the things that you want to do is get a pump/filtration system to keep the water clean.
Filtration Systems
There are two different types of filtration systems; mechanical and biological, these are the ones that you will want in your pond to get rid of any dirt or bacteria and algae which you may find growing in there.
- The mechanical system is the one that will remove the solids from your pond; waste, algae, bits that may have fallen from out the pond, insects etc.
- The biological system on the other hand is the one that will remove liquids; waste more importantly which if not removed can cause harm to your fish.
Without filtration systems you are allowing your fish to be under harm and your pond will end up getting very dirty and very quickly which can make it more work than normal to do.
Pumps
You will need to keep the water moving to get oxygen around the pond and to also to move the water around for the filters. There are filters that have pumps included and there are some people who use fountains and waterfalls as they not only look good but do the same job as well.
These are some of the things that will make it easier to clean a koi pond by maintaining it as long as possible.
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Koi Fish Ponds - The Do and Don'ts
The first major thing that you have to consider when you are going to build a koi pond is that if you have no idea how to do landscaping or if you don't know how to construct the pond then chances are you should hire a professional in.
Many people think that doing it themselves can save them money which in cases it can but there is also the chance that by doing this you can also end up spending money with things you don't know how to do, not only this but you might end up getting annoyed and frustrated and this could lead to a half finished pond that you put time and effort into.
The best thing about professionals is that they actually know what they are doing and can help you with the size and shape and location of your pond and the best thing is they can build this to your specification so they will be able to build a koi pond that is up to your satisfaction.
Many people think that doing it themselves can save them money which in cases it can but there is also the chance that by doing this you can also end up spending money with things you don't know how to do, not only this but you might end up getting annoyed and frustrated and this could lead to a half finished pond that you put time and effort into.
The best thing about professionals is that they actually know what they are doing and can help you with the size and shape and location of your pond and the best thing is they can build this to your specification so they will be able to build a koi pond that is up to your satisfaction.
Monday 22 July 2013
How To Clean a Koi Pond - Avoiding Overfeeding
One of the things you need to know is to how to clean a koi pond. Just lie a fish tank it can get really messy so you will need to know how to get it clean and how you can maintain this as well.
Something that many people do is overfeed the fish. There have been stories of people feeding their fish pounds of food over the duration of a week which really isn't necessary to do.
Overfeeding may seem harmless but not only does it mean you have to spend more money on food however you are going to end up with a lot of waste being produced from what the fish are able to digest which can be very problematic. The filter devices that deal with waste can end up getting clogged with this problem so you should check these regularly.
Overfeeding can also lead to uneaten food ended up sinking to the bottom of the pond and causing a build up can make the water dirty requiring you to clean the water regularly.
You'll need to keep these in mind if you want to know how to clean a koi pond and this is important to do.
Something that many people do is overfeed the fish. There have been stories of people feeding their fish pounds of food over the duration of a week which really isn't necessary to do.
Overfeeding may seem harmless but not only does it mean you have to spend more money on food however you are going to end up with a lot of waste being produced from what the fish are able to digest which can be very problematic. The filter devices that deal with waste can end up getting clogged with this problem so you should check these regularly.
Overfeeding can also lead to uneaten food ended up sinking to the bottom of the pond and causing a build up can make the water dirty requiring you to clean the water regularly.
You'll need to keep these in mind if you want to know how to clean a koi pond and this is important to do.
How To Build A Koi Fish Pond - Things To Consider When Building a Pond
Before you consider buying any fish you're going to have to build a koi fish pond. This can take a while to accomplish however the satisfaction you receive after it will be worth it.
One of the things you need to think of first of all is the location and the size of the pool, planning is vital and these two things are the most important because you won't be able to do much changes once installed as the pond is permanent. For this reason plan the area and size that you want the pond, keep in mind that koi fish grow quickly and can get up to 3 feet in size so you want to make sure that you get the most space out of it.
Other things you need to consider when building the pond would be the filtration devices. These are important as they will help keep it clean for you. There are two types that you need to make sure that you get biological and mechanical. The biological will help get rid of dissolved waste (which can become ammonia if allowed), where as the mechanical filter will deal with solids such as waste and algae. These are vital so make sure that you get them in your pond.
Plants are a great benefit when it comes down to your pond as they can add a visual scene and they can also be an added benefit to your fish as well. Some plants have been known to give extra oxygen and keep algae out of the pond so look into plants like these.
These are just a few things when to consider when you are looking on how to build a koi fish pond. There are plenty more things to look out for as well so make sure you look into it.
One of the things you need to think of first of all is the location and the size of the pool, planning is vital and these two things are the most important because you won't be able to do much changes once installed as the pond is permanent. For this reason plan the area and size that you want the pond, keep in mind that koi fish grow quickly and can get up to 3 feet in size so you want to make sure that you get the most space out of it.
Other things you need to consider when building the pond would be the filtration devices. These are important as they will help keep it clean for you. There are two types that you need to make sure that you get biological and mechanical. The biological will help get rid of dissolved waste (which can become ammonia if allowed), where as the mechanical filter will deal with solids such as waste and algae. These are vital so make sure that you get them in your pond.
Plants are a great benefit when it comes down to your pond as they can add a visual scene and they can also be an added benefit to your fish as well. Some plants have been known to give extra oxygen and keep algae out of the pond so look into plants like these.
These are just a few things when to consider when you are looking on how to build a koi fish pond. There are plenty more things to look out for as well so make sure you look into it.
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