Koi Pond Heater Or Koi Pond
De Icer…Which Should You Use?

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

Mainly used for decorative purposes in water gardens and outdoor ponds, Koi, or Japanese carp are ornamental domestic varieties of the common carp. Although they are quite beautiful and hardy these fish are prone to Koi bacterial infection.

This occurs most often when they come in contact with Aeromonas or Pseudomonas bacteria. These naturally occurring bacteria are found mainly in the water of ponds and lakes. They do not exist in tap water because of the chlorine it contains.

However, if you fill your pond or water garden with tap water you will discover that the bacteria can eventually be found in this water too. Once the chlorine evaporates Aeromonas and Pseudomonas are quick to move in. Unfortunately they then have the ability to cause Koi bacterial infection.

The good thing about these bacteria is that they don’t cause much harm when found in low quantities in a clean and healthy pond.

Also, the outer coating or epidermis of the fish protects them from infection. However, harmful bacteria can infect your Koi when its epidermal layer is broken because then the bacteria can penetrate it’s outer cover.

Not only does it harm the fish already present in water, but can spread very rapidly too.

Commonly, when the Koi’s dermis layer is exposed to bacteria, infection can start to spread rather rapidly. This process takes place when flukes use their haptens, resembling small fishhooks, to attach themselves, thus attracting harmful bacteria onto the surface of the fish.

Another thing that can break the Koi’s slime coat is a puncture or scratch from a sharp object, such as a rock, that exposes it to bacteria.

The Koi can also be exposed to bacteria due to poor water quality or stress caused through overcrowding or moving the fish from one pond to another.

So how can these infections be treated? If you are interested in trying some home remedies you can follow the procedures below.

Koi bacterial infection can be present in wounds either smaller or larger in size. Therefore separate procedures are followed to treat them.

When treating small sores use a paper towel to dry off the wound. Next, soak the sore in a solution of hydrogen peroxide on a cotton swab for 30 seconds before you place the Koi back in the water. You need to repeat this procedure for 3 consecutive days.

The treatment for larger sores is similar. The only difference being, after following the same procedure and drying off the wound again, you need to apply a Debride Medicated Treatment on the sores. This procedure also needs to be followed for 3 consecutive days.

However, if this treatment doesn’t work effectively, you may need to seek the advice of your veterinarian. You can also feed medicated food to help heal your fish faster. This method may not always work, especially in fish very small in size.

This advice is for informational purposes and is not intended to replace proper medical treatment by a licensed veterinarian when treating stubborn or severe cases of Koi bacterial infection.

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com