A backyard fishpond can be a source of enjoyment on your property. Constructing the pond might be a difficult task, and keeping your Koi pond clean will also require discipline and effort. Koi ponds are popular because Koi are interesting fish. They can grow large, and they can even live past 100 years. On the other hand, not maintaining your Koi pond spic and span will cause your fish to lose their colors and patterns, and they will eventually die early.
Make sure that there is an adequate level of vegetation in your Koi pond. Koi love keeping to themselves in the dark, and away from potential predators. Adequate natural vegetation can also help give them shelter from the heat of the sun, and also aids in adequate circulation of oxygen in the pond. Vegetation can also help keep algae populations at bay, which will help maintain a balance in the pond’s ecosystem.
Use blue dye to get rid of algae. If your pond is being taken over by algae, apply some blue dye. This will help keep their numbers down. Use an amount appropriate to the dimensions of your pond. Usually, a small container of dye will be enough for a 2,000 to 5,000 gallon pond. Blue coloring will expose algae to more heat, therefore causing these to die. These are harmless to your fish, though.
Make sure that your pump works properly, and that it’s in good condition. Each pond should include a water pump, to help circulate water. A properly working pump will help filter out dirt and other impurities from the water. Make sure to use a high-powered pump, as Koi requires a big amount of oxygen to survive and grow.
Make use of barley wheat. This can also help minimize algae populations in your pond. This will also aid in dissolving any cloudiness in the water. Just drop two bags into the bottom of a 5,000 gallon pond. Then, use one more bag for each 2,500 gallons in addition.
Use a net to remove debris. You can manually remove any debris like dead leaves, insects and even other dirt that gets into your Koi pond. Koi might become ill if they ingest these unwanted materials. Some Koi pond owners install nets above their ponds to prevent dead leaves and other debris from falling into the pond. This is also an excellent deterrent against predators that might be interested in eating your fish (such as mammals and big birds).
Clean your waterfall walls. As soon as you see algae on the walls of your pond, take a paper towel and scrub it off. If you have a waterfall and you algae building upon it, shut down the pump, let the falls dry, and then sprinkle non-iodized salt heavily on the algae. This will do the trick of killing off the algae and cleaning your waterfall walls.
Cleaning your Koi pond will not require you to get the Koi fishes out of the water. Your pond is actually their own ecosystem, in which the fish live together with plants and other organisms. Cleaning your pond will involve keeping these in balance.