How to Maintain the Water Quality of Your Koi Pond
The one thing that you should always remember when you are raising Koi fish is that the pond environment you have them in has proper filtration.
The other thing about Koi fish is that they are sensitive when it comes to the water’s quality compared to other fish.
This is why Koi fish need consideration when it comes to things like filters.
The filter in the pond helps manage the system’s biological balance.
For those that do not know the importance of the pond filter, its job is to make sure that all the waste that the fish produce is removed and controlled.
This is not the case where the Koi fish swim in the wild.
The waste the fish produce is removed by the water volume in the area.
The current in the water also removes the waste fish produce.
That is why Koi fish that live in a contained environment need this kind of natural function to help them remove the waste, and this is done by using a biological and mechanical function.
The filter’s mechanical function gets rid of all particles from the pond water.
The water flow and gravity work together by dragging solid waste out the water.
This is where you have to do some pond maintenance, because particles and waste end up in the filter and you are required to clean this out.
You will be able to work out a specific time of week when you will be maintaining the pond for these reasons.
The pond filter’s biological filtration depends on certain bacteria to actually break down the toxic waste.
These bacteria are known as pH or ammonia, and they break down the wastes into substances called nitrates, which are considered less harmful.
Remember that nitrates can only become harmful to your Koi fish if they are in large amounts.
There is nothing wrong with having low levels of pH continuously, but if the levels are high and it is left untreated it can prove harmful.
It doesn’t matter how good the pond filter is, it will not work properly without a pump, because it is not forcing water through it.
It is important to have a pump in the pond, because the filter cannot circulate the water by itself.
A pump is needed to push the water and circulate it.
As a pond owner, you should consider adding a waterfall or a fountain or another type of water device.
This way you can be sure that there is always constant oxygen supplied to the Koi in the water.
Waterfalls and fountains stir the water and this allows oxygen in the air to fold into the pond water.
You might also want to test the water weekly.
You can either take a sample of the water to your local pet store or you can purchase a testing kit and do the testing yourself.
You want to test the water’s chemical make-up, and your aim is to keep the chemical mixture healthy and normal for your Koi fish.