Koi Care Basics Blog

Even if you are having your pond installed professionally you need to have a grasp on some of the basics concerning Koi pond building. There are practical considerations that must be kept in mind!

Among prettiest aquatic fauna, Koi fish are member of the ornamental species of lovely Japanese fish, Carp or common Carp. This species is also known as Cyprinus Carpio. The Japanese have been taming these attractive fish for a long time and they are believed to be symbols of friendship, love and good fortune. Koi pond building can also be an artistic expression of ornamental design. There are, however, practical considerations that need to be kept in mind!

With time and advent of great technologies the tradition grew all across the world for people to tame these striking fish. This leisure pursuit was combined with a desire for beautiful backyards/gardens.

Hence, it has become the hottest gardening today. No modern garden is complete without a Koi pond. Koi ponds are believed to be a wonderful relaxation tool. After spending an exhausting or stressful day, everyone wants an opportunity to relax. Nothing is more relaxing than passing time your beautiful garden and feeding pretty Koi fish.

If you too are tempted with the idea but don’t know how to build a Koi pond … scroll down and learn some of the most important things you need to know about Koi pond building-

· The first guidelines on Koi pond building deals with a decision on some of the most important parts of the pond. This includes includes size, area, design and number of fish that you want to keep in your pond.

· You also need to understand the key to keeping your Koi healthy in the pond. Your pond will need to be be deeper than a gold fish pond or regular water garden. Normally the water garden and Gold Fish ponds are shallower than the Koi Fish pond. Koi grow very fast and become quite large. Therefore they need more room to maintain a good water quality. A standard Koi pond is always deeper and larger than other types of garden ponds. The minimum depth should be not less than 3′ and if you increase it more, it will be better for the health of your lovely pet.

· A good Koi pond is always made above the ground level, as it ensures a complete protection of the fishes that are inside the pond. On average, people keep the edge of the pond minimum 6 inches above the ground while professional Koi keepers keep the height at least 18 inches.

· The filtration need is another important part of Koi pond building. Koi fish are among the most delicate fauna on the planet and they can not cope with non-filtered water. Hence, Koi ponds should be always filled with clean water. People use many different types of biofilters to provide a clean water to their pets. These biofilters are available in different sizes and ranges. Do your studying and be sure choose the right type and size for your pond.

· Knowledge of perfect water chemistry is also considered extremely important. You need to know how to test your water daily and make adjustments to keep the water chemistry stable.

Building a Koi pond is not too much of an ordeal apart from digging the pond area. Just make sure to keep all the most important components in mind when you undertake Koi pond building!

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