How To Look After Your Koi
When you buy a koi from us you must provide a suitable environment for them to live in. Here are some of our basic requirements for keeping koi.
A Koi pond should be at least 1000mm deep
Your koi pond must be of a certain depth and it must have adequate filtration to cope with the number of koi you want in your collection. Because the growth rate of koi can be fast, it is always best to over filter your koi pond. In the long term this helps keep your water quality at a good level.
Only use dechlorinated water in your koi pond
You must only ever use dechlorinated water to change water and clean filter sponges. You can add a dichlorination unit or simply use NT Labs Dechlorinator to remove those nasty chemicals.
Ensure weekly filter maintenance
It is a necessity to clean your pond filter. The more regularly you clean the sponges or other various types of media, the better. It is equally as important in the winter, so try and get into a weekly routine of filter cleaning.
Regular water changes
We recommend a minimum of a 10% water change each week to help keep the pond fresh and healthy.
Remove debris from the bottom of the pond
Removing debris from the bottom of the pond is also another vital cleaning aspect. Removing any unwanted fish waste of perhaps decade plant matter will help to prevent any water quality fluctuations. using a pond vacuum is the easiest way to do this.
Feed your fish high quality koi food
Feeding your koi high quality koi food is recommended all year round, and you should also feed them if they are hungry. If there is uneaten food left floating on the surface of the water, remove it and reduce the amount of koi food you are feeding them.
Perform regular water testing
Get yourself the NT labs Complete test kit, and perform weekly water testing to ensure the water in the pond is healthy for your koi.
Purchase a microscope and koi health book
Learn how to use it! A basic microscope is fine as you can see everything you need to at 100 times magnification. Then refer to your koi book to help identify parasites.
Observe your koi daily
Observe the koi to learn what is normal behavior for each individual. Anything out of the ordinary is then easy to spot.
Never use a treatment unless you know what you are treating for
It is strongly advised to not just treat the pond regularly with Koi treatments. Doing this can actually make the fish weaker and some parasites can build immunity against the chemicals.
Always quarantine new Koi if you can
When you add new fish to your pond, quarantine them first if possible. This will reduce the risk of introducing diseases to your pond with your new fish.
Never add new fish to your pond if you have an existing issue
Don’t add new Koi to a pond unless the current population is fit and healthy.
We are always happy to offer advice – Get in contact for anything queries you have and our experts will be more that willing to assist.