Plant Gardens 101

One surefire method for having a Koi pond that fails is to spend all your hard earned money on installing a beautiful pond and then trying to save money on your filter. The filter is the heart of your Koi pond and Koi pond filtration is the single mostimportant function performed in your pond! It is what keeps the water clear and healthy for your fish. One surefire method for having a Koi pond that fails is to spend all your hard earned money on installing a beautiful pond and then trying to save money on your filter. A Koi pond filter serves two purposes. First, it serves as a mechanical filter that removes the organic waste produced by your fish along with anything else in the pond that would cloud the water. Secondly, it serves as a biological filter by converting the ammonia produced by the fish into nitrites and eventually into nitrates which are less harmful to your Koi. Some filters are very high maintenance and require constant attention while others are quite easy to maintain. The first thing you need to know when it comes to Koi pond filtration is that you can never have too big a filter. When selecting a filter, choosing one that is slightly large for your pond can turn out to be a very wise investment! (more…)

Watch Out For These Koi Water Quality Hazards! There are many Koi water quality hazards. The biggies are ammonia and nitrites and, to a lesser extent, nitrates. Some others that are important to have knowledge about are chlorine, chloramines, pH balance and random contaminants. Both chlorine and chloramines can harm fish and can burn or kill pond plants. They will also kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria in your Koi pond. Chlorine, which is a volatile gas, breaks down with water circulation and exposure to air within 24-48 hours. Chloramines, on the other hand, take much longer to dissipate. Municipal water supplies have begun adding ammonia along with the chlorine which results in the longer-lasting chloramines. If you add water to your pond from a municipal supply make sure to spray it in with a hose to add aeration that will help break down and move out the gases. Another good option would be to let the water sit for a day or two before adding it to your pond to make sure it doesn’t constitute a Koi water quality hazard! Sodium Thiosulfate removes chlorine from water and will also pull chlorine from the chloramines. (more…)