Koi fish are an ornamental variety of domesticated Common Carp or Cyprinus Carpio. Also known as Japanese Carp, these pretty fish are known as symbols of love and friendship. You can find Koi in a multitude of colors, including white, black, red, yellow, blue, cream and silver.

An attractive small Koi pond

In addition to increasing the serenity in your garden, these small ponds add to your reasons for spending time relaxing in and enjoying your garden.

Another bonus of a small Koi pond is that building one is not an overly tough task. You can build it in hours without spending huge amounts of money. To make your job even easier follow these simple guidelines…

First, decide on location, where to place the pond in your garden? Selection of a shady is always a wise decision as shade will help moderate water temperatures and provide some cover for your Koi.  You must also select a place where you can easily keep your pond clean and free from garden wastes. You don’t want chemicals or fertilizers to run into the pond since this would be likely to kill your fish.

You should also make sure that the place you have chosen for your pond has easy access to electricity. Electricity will be required for running your filter and water pump.

Size is another important factor, particularly if you are the one who is going to dig the hole. The size of a pond also varies in accordance with the number of fish, and depending on where you live you will also need to make sure your pond is of adequate depth. If winters get below freezing you will need to make sure that a good portion of your pond is a minimum of three feet deep.

To build the small Koi pond in your garden you will need a liner or preformed tub. After digging the hole, you can put the tub in  and fill the dirt around it. This is the easiest way to prepare a Koi pond. But, if  you are using a liner  you must be cautious. Some rubber liners can be dangerous for fish.

The last, but most important component of your pond is your fish! You can have just Koi fish, or even a mix of gold fish and Koi. It is very enjoyable deciding on which colors and types to select and in just a short time they will become beloved pets!

Now your striking Koi pond is ready. If you would like to make it even more beautiful you could place a small wooden bridge over it. This will offer an arresting look to your garden. You will surely be enchanted by the beauty and tranquility of your small Koi pond!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

Keep the chemical balance correct in the water by checking it on a weekly basis. Buying your own testing kit is the easiest way to make sure this gets done regularly. Kits can be purchased at almost any pet store. If you don’t feel confident about doing it properly yourself you can always take some of the water into the pet store and have them do the analysis for you.

Koi fish need a quality filtration system in their pond as they are more sensitive to water quality than many other fish. I recommend you buy the best pump and filter that you can find.

A waterfall or fountain can help oxygenate your Koi pond.

A pond filter will keep the environment in the water well balanced. In their natural environment waste produced by the Koi fish is removed in many ways. The volume of water plus the water’s current both make a contribution to the waste removal process in nature.

Your Koi pond filter needs to serve a dual role. You don’t want the ammonia, or Ph, to build up as it is very harmful to Koi fish. The biological function of the filtration system will break the ammonia down to less harmful substances such as nitrates.

You want to keep Ph and nitrates at a low level in your pond or they can become harmful to your fish. The mechanical function of the filter cleans all types of particles from the water. Whoever takes care of your pond will remove these particles as part of it’s regular maintenance.

A quality pond filter will only work with the water circulating through it. This can be attained by properly installing the water pump. Don’t skimp here as this is one of the few working parts in your Koi pond. With a good pump pushing the water and circulating it through the filter your Koi fish will be happy, healthy and content.

A waterfall or fountain not only adds serenity to your Koi garden, it will improve the health of your fish. A constant oxygen supply will be enhanced by these items. They will churn up the water and fold air into it. This process is called aeration.

To keep your Koi fish healthy and give them brilliant color they need a good, clean pond. This objective can be obtained by investing in a quality Koi filter.

To learn more about Koi filters and general Koi care visit KoiCareBasics.com

Alan Deacon