Koi Fish Ponds

Koi lovers know that you cannot simply place a few Koi in a small pond in your garden just because you think it will look cool, but that you need to have at least one thousand liters of water for every Koi you plan to keep, and that they require a pond with a minimum depth of one meter.

It is quite common to hear suggestions, by people who consider themselves to be experts, that Koi fish ponds can be as simple as a hole in the garden with a plastic sheet covering it and some plants to provide a “natural” atmosphere for the Koi. This is, of course, total nonsense, and can result in unhappy fish that will have growth defects and suffer starvation and suffocation under certain climactic conditions. Koi fish ponds should always have a pump and a filter to ensure happy, healthy and thriving Koi.

The filtration used in Koi fish ponds should consist of mechanical and biological filtration methods. This will ensure that all the solid pollution is extracted from the pond by your mechanical filter, while the biological processes ensure that the ammonia (released by the fish) and algae levels are kept to the required minimum. A UV filter can also be used to kill off any algae that have taken to the surface of the water, even though it will not get rid of the algae stuck to the pond walls, which are generally consumed by the fish.

Certain underwater plants, such as Water Crowfoot, can be used in Koi fish ponds. Although not really visible this plant, amongst other underwater plants, will provide the Koi with food and oxygen as well as ridding the pond of algae. Do not take this as a means by which to feed the fish, though, as this will most probably result in starved Koi that will not grow and will eventually become unhealthy.