Koi ponds are popular with many people. Their beautiful display of aquatic nature appeals to nearly everyone. To keep your pond in top condition and the inhabitants at their healthiest, you’ll need to stay on top of a koi pond maintenance schedule.
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Routine Maintenance
A koi pond demands constant care. Cleaning, adding water, backwashing the filter, and control of algae are chores that will help ensure your koi pond remains in pristine condition.
Change the Water Weekly
Once a week, remove no less than 10 to 15 percent of the water in the pond. Refill with fresh, dechlorinated water to the pond’s optimal water level. Remember that water from your tap is likely chlorinated. Chlorine is deadly to fish so pretreat your water with a dechlorinating agent before you refill the pond.
Backwash the Filter Twice Monthly
Backwashing is the method of thoroughly cleaning the pool’s filter system. You just reverse the water flow which flushes the water’s contaminants. The process allows you to clean your system without having to manually scrub the filter and takes just a minute or two.
If you are using a biological filter, backwash the filter every other week. If the filter’s pressure gauge is reading higher than usual, you may need to backwash the filter more often. If there is more water coming from the outlet into the pond, that is also a good indication that you should backwash the filter.
Have an Algae Control Program
The filtration system in your pond changes ammonia into nitrate which is harmless to your koi. Algae, however, thrive in a nitrate-rich environment. There are two methods to keep algae at a minimum. The first is an algaecide. Before using an algaecide, read the directions on the package carefully. The second and more natural method is to use ultraviolet light from a UV lamp. The light is part of the filtration system and kills the algae long before they can grow then reproduce.
Seasonal Maintenance
In addition to your normal maintenance routine, changes of the season bring their own specific chores. They may only occur twice a year, but these routines are crucial to your pond’s health.
Fall and Winter
When the weather turns cooler, your aquatic plants may change color just like the leaves in the trees in your yard. Aquatic plants drop their leaves as well. To keep your filtration system working well, cut off all the dying or dead leaves before they can fall into the water.
During the Winter, your pond’s surface may freeze over. You can use a product known as a floating deicer in one section of the pond. With a deicer, the water will continue to be aerated throughout even the harshest winter.
Spring and Summer
When Spring arrives, it’s time to clean your pond thoroughly. Put the koi in clean buckets filled with fresh water. Remove all the water in the pond so that you can take all the vegetation away and scrub down its walls. Rinse thoroughly then fill the pond with clean, dechlorinated water. If the outside temperature is high, add an extra air pump.
Your Koi Pond Maintenance Experts
For help with maintaining your koi pond in the Orange County, California region, OC Pond & Fountain Care can get your koi pond in top shape. Just give us a call.
