Keeping Koi Ponds Clean
Once created, your koi pond is a delicate ecosystem that needs regular maintenance for the good health of fish and plants that live in it. Over time, food deposits collect at the bottom of the pond, and as this material decays, it releases chemicals that are toxic to your koi. Adequate filtration will help manage this problem, but there are some other things you can do to keep your pond in good condition.
When you feed your koi, it is best to allow them around five minutes to feed, and then use a net or other tool to skim the remaining food off the surface. This will prevent the build-up of unhealthy chemicals. In addition, by not allowing your koi to overfeed on commercial fish food, they will be more motivated to feed on algae in your pond, which will help keep algae levels down. The most efficient tool for removing excess food is simply the same type of net that is used for skimming leaves out of swimming pools.
Just like cleaning a fish tank, periodically draining around ten percent of the water, and replacing it with fresh water, will also reduce the build-up of unhealthy material. Water you remove from the pool is a rich source of nutrients – it makes great fertilizer for both house plants and garden plants.
Your koi pond will need special care in the winter months. As the weather becomes colder, many plants will begin to die back, and you must make sure that as much dead foliage as possible is removed from the pond. This is particularly important if you are going to shut down your filtration system over the winter, as rotting foliage left in the water can release gases which are toxic to your fish. Over the winter you may find an increase in algal growth in your koi pond, and in the spring as it gets warmer, there will be a lot of cleaning up to do. If you have a pond skimmer installed, you may need to clean this once or twice a day, depending on the size of your pond. This is another instance where a long-handled swimming pool skimmer comes in handy, as you can use this to skim the bottom of the pond to remove debris.