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

You can determine if the quality of your pond water is sufficient for your koi if the following criteria are met:

1) The water in your pond is free of chlorine and other chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals, organophosphates, etc.

2) There are undetectable levels of ammonia and nitrite in your pond.

3) Water hardness, pH level, and temperature are correct.

4) There are low levels of particulate organic compounds (POC) and dissolved organic compounds (DOC) in your pond and…

5) Your Koi water stays consistent in it’s stability.

If you use tap water in your pond it has probably been treated with chlorine. Chlorine can be fatal to your Koi. One way to make it safe is by “aging” chlorinated water before placing your Koi in it. How long is long enough? Make sure you wait AT LEAST 24 hours before placing your Koi in tap water.

If you use subsequent additions of tap water in your pond make sure that the amount is a small percentage of the total volume of pond water. Also be sure to test for chlorine levels after each addition.

The next deadliest contaminant in your Koi water would be ammonia. You always have to be careful of ammonia because the main source of the ammonia in your pond is your Koi themselves! Fortunately ammonia can be broken down into it’s less harmful components through the process of biological filtration.

Since certain types of beneficial bacteria break down the ammonia, the highest risk for ammonia contamination is in newer ponds. This is due to the fact that they haven’t yet developed large enough colonies to neutralize the ammonia.

Since the danger from ammonia in new ponds is so serious I recommend that you check ammonia levels every day until they stabilize and make frequent Koi water changes, even daily if necessary. Once your ammonia readings stabilize you will be able to relax a bit!

An acceptable level of ammonia in your pond is actually ZERO!

Even very low ammonia levels (<.1mg./liter) are extremely irritating to Koi fish, especially to their gills, and higher levels can lead to skin and gill hyperplasia. In gill hyperplasia the secondary gill lamellae become swollen leading to breathing difficulties. Serious gill disease and death occur when high levels of ammonia contamination are reached.

As you can see, even in the case of just these two factors of  water quality it is essential that you monitor and maintain your pond so that your fish have healthy Koi water!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

“I thought I’d send along an article I came across the other day.

Hopefully you know that you don’t want to place your Koi pond at the
bottom of a slope. That way if there is any pesticide runoff from a
garden or from your lawn it won’t be directed towards your pond.

Koi are fairly hardy but contaminating their water with pesticides
can kill even the hardiest of Koi.

In fact the three most important components of Koi care are:
1. Water Quality
2. Water Quality and
3. Water Quality

It’s that important.

I hope you find the article interesting and that it drives home the
point. You probably won’t ever run into this extreme (hopefully) but
it won’t hurt to keep this in mind.

Here’s the link to the article:
Pesticides Article
More about water quality next time!

Take Care,
Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com