Koi Care Basics Blog

Water Koi, otherwise known as Koi or Nishikigoi, require proper care. Sometimes these vibrant fish become more lethargic and less playful than they usually are. This is when they need extra care.

Water Koi are known as one of the oldest species of fish and they can live to over a hundred years old but they are also considered among most delicate species of fish. These brightly colored creatures need special care. But if you do not know how to care for Koi don’t worry! It is not very difficult. To take proper care of them, you must pay attention to their maintenance.

Also known as Cyprinus Carpio, these ornamental varieties of Common Carp are known as symbols of love and friendship. These native Japanese fish are available in multiple colors including white, black, red, yellow, blue, cream and silver. Koi are slightly bigger than Goldfish and to take care of them, you need to be just as cautious as you are when taking care of Goldfish.

The preliminary steps of caring for your Water Koi include proper cleaning of your pond. In order to know how to properly care for your fish you need to be knowledgeable about Koi pond maintenance.

Your pond should be filled with water at all times and it should be both aerated and filtered.

Any sudden changes in temperature can cause problems for your Koi, thus you should monit\or your water temperature closely. These temperature changes stress your fish and cause suppression of their immune systems.

Debris in your pond must also be removed on a regular basis. You should keep the water as clear as possible. To maintain this clarity the filter should be cleaned daily.

You need to get special pellets to feed your Koi fish. These pellets contain all the essential ingredients that are important to keep the fish healthy, happy and active. They should usually be fed twice a day. (although this depends on temperature/season).

Other measures of  Water Koi care include gentle handling of your fish. These fish are very delicate so you need to be quite attentive and handle them very carefully.

Koi are covered with a protective slime. This slime should not be stripped. It helps protect them from fungus and bacterial diseases.

You must keep your other pets away from the pond, as the bright colors of Koi fish attract dogs and cats. These pets can easily make a meal of your prized Koi. Racoons and herons are also common pond predators that will enjoy making a tasty snack out of your fish!

Nets, motion detectors and even decoys can help to protect your Koi and having pond plants helps by giving them a place to hide.

You must remember that as your Koi grow they need more oxygen. They can get to be quite large so don’t be tempted to fill your pond with too many fish if you purchase them when they are smaller. Overcrowding creates a variety of problems in your pond.

Even though there is much more to learn these are some of the most effective measures of Water Koi care.

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

The Koi pond liner is one of the most important pieces of equipment will get for your pond. It’s main purpose is to prevent the pond water from leaking into the surrounding soil.

There are numerous types of liners available. Concrete, fiberglass, rigid plastic and flexible liners are the most common and every pond liner has positive as well as negative features.

Knowledge of the positives and negatives of each will help you determine the best Koi pond liner for your pond.

* Concrete pond liners used to be considered the longest lasting liners. People who were building a permanent Koi pond used concrete to line their ponds. Some of the drawbacks that have been discovered with concrete include the leakage of toxins from the concrete into the pond and the higher price of purchase and installation.

* The fiberglass Koi pond liner is considered one of the best pond liners available. The average lifespan of this type of liner is approximately 50 years. They can be installed easily and they expand for ice without cracking. Their only disadvantage is an unnatural look and the extra care needing to be taken with the landscaping to disguise it.

* Rigid pond liners are considered the cheapest in the category and they have a natural look. They are considered good resistors of sharp roots as well as rocks but their drawback is installation problems. These pond liners can not be installed easily. It is very difficult to dig the right size hole to lay the liner in. But it is a great choice for Koi enthusiasts in warm areas. They are rated highly in terms of controlling leakage.

* Flexible pond liners have a minimum lifespan of 20 years and are believed to have a firm resistance against weathering and cold cracking. They are completely non-toxic and you can get them for a fraction of the cost of concrete pond liners. These pond liners are best for almost every climate. Due to their wonderful flexibility you can install them with great ease. This particular type of Koi pond liner is probably the most often purchased.

Prior to installing a Koi pond liner you must decide upon the location where you want to place the pond. The procedure is to outline the shape and size with chalk and colored string. Following this is excavation of the soil from the marked area.

If the hole is deeper than three feet you will probably require a permit from the municipal department in your town or city.

Finally you will fill the bottom of the hole with sand and salt to bring the bottom level. Now the excavated area is ready to accomodate your carefully chosen Koi pond liner!