First of all, take a look at the short video I just made showing some of the beautiful koi colors!

It is hard to believe that all of the dazzling colors that we see in koi today started with the common carp!

The history of koi; from their humble beginnings through years of selective breeding by the Japanese is fascinating and has turned them into the btilliantly colored, ornamental fish that we see decorating many ponds today!

If you would like to know more about koi colors,  koi care and how to build and take care of your very own beautiful, tranquil koi pond, the ebook “Koi Care Basics” is full of useful and interesting information for the beginning koi hobbyist as well as those with established ponds.

Grab your copy today to get it at the discount price and lock in the valuable free bonuses too!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

There are a wide variety of commercially available koi pond filters to choose from. Some of them are very basic and only provide one means of filtration.

Others combine more than one or even all three. These are the ideal koi pond filter.

The three types of filtration are mechanical, biological and chemical.

Mechanical filters remove debris and organic waste particles from your pond. The water passes through a sponge or floss type medium which filters out the particles and then passes back into the pond.

Biological filters are the most important of the three and consist of a colony of beneficial bacteria grown on a medium, since it must live on a surface.

Materials that are porous, like sponge or lava rock contain lots of surface area, making them an ideal medium for maximizing the size of your beneficial bacteria colony.

These beneficial bacteria work by breaking down some of the toxic organic waste into less harmful substances.

A chemical filter won’t remove all the pollutants in your koi pond and should always be used in conjunction with another method of filtration.

Carbon is frequently used, and sometimes so are resins. They can remove some of the specific pollutants like phosphate or ammonia.

You want a filter that can keep up with the large amount of waste that koi produce. Additionally, the filter should be easy enough to maintain that you will be willing to do it on a regular basis.

Choosing the right system for your pond can be a difficult decision, especially if you’re on a limited budget.

Just remember that this is the single most important purchase you’re likely to make when building your pond. Any mistake could be quite costly in the long run.

Be sure to research possible koi pond filters thoroughly before deciding which system is best for you!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

Fiberglass koi pond liners are both versatile and strong. You can join them together to make a variety of shapes and sizes.

The preformed parts are made of durable fiberglass that has a UV resistant gel coating on the interior finish. This is the same material used to construct boats and other marine items. It is waterproof, sturdy and has a life expectancy of 30 years plus!

Fiberglass pond shells are easy to install. Just excavate, level the shell on 2″-3″ of sand base, install any plumbing you are going to need and then backfill around the pond.

Complete assembly and installation instructions are provided for you if you purchase a koi pond kit.
Fiberglass pond liners have several advantages over ponds with flexible liners, and even cement koi ponds, which are often considered to be the most permanent.

First, fiberglass lined ponds are not prone to cracking due to minor ground movements and settling like cement ponds are. They can also be safer for your koi since they are chemically inert and don’t cause changes to water chemistry and pH.

Unlike flexible liners, fiberglass is not subject to rim erosion and punctures, making it much sounder structurally. Thus it is a more permanent and durable solution.

It also resists root damage and sabotage from burrowing animals. These sometimes cause extensive damage to other pond lining materials.

In addition to this, fiberglass is much easier to repair in the event that it is damaged.

Although cement is the choice of many, and flexible liners are the least expensive, I personally favor fiberglass koi pond liners!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

What should you do when the weather gets colder? Use a koi pond heater or a koi pond de icer? The answer is “it depends”.

As long as your pond is deep enough you can keep your koi outdoors through the winter.

Their metabolism will slow down and you’ll need to switch them to a lower protein food in the fall and then stop feeding them altogether once the temperatures drop below 50 degrees fahrenheit.

At that time they will become very sluggish and hang around at the bottom of tthe pond where the water is warmer.

The reason some people like using a
koi pond heater is because they like to feed their koi through the winter. When the fish are not taking in nutrients and are sluggish their immune systems slow down as well.

Then in the spring when they “come back to life”, other things, like bacteria are coming back to life as well. With their suppressed immune systems your koi are more susceptible to bacterial infections.

Many people prefer being able to feed through the winter to having to treat their fish for a bacterial infection.

If your pond freezes over in winter you will need to make sure to keep an opening in the ice for gases to escape. If gases get trapped beneath the ice you will end up with a pond full of dead koi in the spring!

A de icer will keep a small area open on the surface of your pond, allowing it to “breathe”. You should NEVER open a hole in the ice by breaking it with a hammer or other implement as this will send shock waves through the water that can kill your fish.

If you live in a colder climate you need to decide if you prefer to use a koi pond de icer or a koi pond heater.

Alan Deacon

KoiCareBasics.com

I just put up a new Squidoo lens about the koi pond filter. It provides information on the basics of koi filters, how they work and what they do.

Different aspects of filtering are reviewed and you will find out where you can go to save money on all your koi pond filtration needs!

Don’t neglect to learn all you can about the koi filter that you may already have, or that you will purchase in the future. Your filter determines, to a degree (along with the size of your pond), how many koi your koi fish pond will be able to sustain, how quickly and large your koi will grow and how healthy they will be.

If you want to learn more about the basics of koi and koi pond care head over to my website and grab a copy of the ebook or audio version of Koi Care Basics

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

What Type Of Koi Fish Food Should You Use?

Have you ever wondered what type of koi fish food you should use? If you’re like most people you probably wonder which brand or type of food will provide the optimum nutritional value at the best possible price.

There are many different types of foods you can feed your koi. I like to use a pelleted food as my mainstay because it is easy to keep track of how much your fish eat.

Plus, it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pond and decompose. You can see how much they eat and make adjustments accordingly so that you don’t waste food (and therefore money!) and foul your pond water.

I’ve published a new Squidoo Lens comparing several of the more popular brands of koi food.

I lean towards Hikari koi for several reasons.

You can select a high quality, well balanced koi fish food from their Economy, Staple & Gold varieties through their Saki-Hikari varieties, with their special growth formula and color enhancing formula, developed especially for breeders and show koi.

I also love that they have a Saki-Hikari Multi-Season Food so that you don’t have to worry about the temperature…it is specially developed to be fed through all the seasons …except, of course, when temps fall below 50 degrees fahrenheit.

So head on over to my Squidoo Lens and check out the information on some of the industries top brands of koi fish food!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

In the fall when water temperatures fall to 50-60 degrees, you should change your feeding schedule to once every 1-2 days.

A low protein food should be fed. Many companies make special foods for spring and fall, when you are switching from feeding to not feeding.

When the temperatures drop to below 50 degrees you need to stop feeding the fish altogether.

In the colder temperatures the metabolism of your fish slows down and food cannot be properly digested. It can take up to 3-4 days for your koi to fully digest their food.

Don’t be fooled on warm days when your fish may become active and “beg” for food. Stay strong and do not feed!

If your koi really do need a little food, they will find enough growing in the pond. The algae that is still coating the pond liner more than enough. You don’t want to literally kill your koi with kindness!

Koi fish food definitely needs to be fed according to temperature. In many parts of the country, temperature coincides with the season, which is why you hear that koi need to be fed according to season!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

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!

In my next post I will discuss some different types of filters and the pros and cons of each. Filter selection is one of the most important choices you will make when designing your Koi pond so make sure to do your research before you purchase!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

ALMOST NEEDS:

Skimmer: Your skimmer draws in surface debris. It is possible to do this manually with a net and by using a pond vacuum to get any debris that makes it’s way to the bottom of your pond. If you can afford to get one it greatly cuts down on your labor!

UV Light: A UV light is especially helpful in newer ponds until beneficial bacteria is established as your pond matures. This piece of Koi pond equipment kills algal blooms that float about suspended in your pond water. Two things to note; you need the proper size for your pond or it won’t be effective and UV lights don’t kill string algae as it’s attached and doesn’t float about in your pond.

Jets: People that have jets in their ponds say that they would never want to do without them. While not a necessity they do provide exercises for your Koi who are river fish and enjoy swimming in a current. If you install them in the right places you can move water out of “dead” areas of your pond and direct it towards the skimmer where debris can be collected. Also if they are installed so the water breaks the surface they can help to oxygenate your pond! As you can see they provide many benefits.

Auto-fills: While far from being a necessity an auto-fill makes maintaining your pond easier. As it’s name implies it always keeps your water at a pre-determined level. As water evaporates it is automatically replaced. This reduces the risk of forgetting to turn off the hose and inadvertently killing your fish by chlorination.

WANTS:

I consider pre-filters, underwater lights and automatic feeders to be in the “wants” category. They may be nice to have but definitely not necessities.

These are the basics, although there are definitely more details to consider when you choose specific pieces of Koi pond equipment.

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

There are also some types of equipment that, while not necessities, make caring for your pond so much easier that you should acquire them if you are able to.

Remember also that you will need to make decisions on some of these things during the initial stages of your Koi pond design and construction. If you leave out the necessities at the beginning it will cost you many times over to add them later.

NEEDS:

Pond Filter:   This piece of equipment is the “heart” of your Koi pond.  It keeps the water clean and healthy for your fish. The filter plays two very important roles. First, it mechanically removes fish waste and anything else that causes cloudiness in your pond.  Second, biological filtering changes the ammonia in your pond into nitrites and then to nitrates which renders them less toxic to your fish.

Bottom Drain:   Bottom drains are of the utmost importance in order to have a successful Koi pond.  Some ponds even need several bottom drains. Without a bottom drain your filter can’t do it’s job correctly.

Pump:   The last piece of necessary Koi pond equipment is your pump. You will want a large enough pump to send all your pond water through your filter every two to three hours. There are several factors to consider when choosing a pump. Make sure you choose an efficient pump designed specifically for Koi ponds.

These are the things you cannot do without to maintain a happy and healthy environment for your Koi. Make sure to invest in quality models of these pieces of Koi pond equipment!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com