Taking Care of Your Koi Fish Garden

There is nothing more rewarding that building and maintaining your own koi pond, which can be transformed into a koi fish garden, that includes the koi, a pond, and a variety of plant life. The larger the koi fish garden, the better the fish will grow and flourish. The pond must be at least four feet deep so that the fish are protected from predators such as cats and birds. Moreover, with a large pond it is easy to add to your collection of koi.

A koi fish garden ought to be built in a shady area, away from direct sunlight. An ideal location would be under a tree, however, you will need to keep a net over the pond to prevent leaves from falling in. Sunlight hastens the growth of algae, which makes the water dirty much faster. In addition, you will need to make sure the area is free from chemicals and pesticides, which can harm your collection of koi tremendously. Add plenty of plants to your koi fish garden. They don't always coexist because koi are notorious for digging up plants in the pond. The easier the access koi have to the base of plants the quicker they will uproot them. It is prudent to place small pea rock at the base of the plants and then put larger rocks on top of them to keep the plants secure. Fine netting around the plants will also do the trick.

Your koi fish garden is essentially an outdoor aquarium, which needs constant monitoring and care. Your koi garden is an ecosystem of which you can be proud. Therefore, you need to get the best equipment and follow the rules for cultivating koi. The most important element of your koi fish garden is the quality of the water. Oxygen levels in stagnant or water that does not flow is less, which is why you will need to use a water pump. There are a variety of pumps available and can be used as parts of man-made waterfalls or fountains too. While being a functional piece of equipment a pump also adds an aesthetic value to your koi fish garden. A water pump ensures a constant supply of oxygen and flushes out the dirt from below, making it easier to clean.

To maintain your koi fish garden make sure you don't overfeed the fish. This will only increase fish waste, making it more difficult to keep the pond clean. According to expert breeders, kois should be fed only as much as they can finish in five minutes. Keep the food in floaters so that the koi are encouraged to come to the top without disturbing the bottom of the pond.

The best way to maintain cleanliness of the water in a koi fish garden is with a filtration system, which consists of a mechanical filter and a bio-filter. A bio-filter eliminates the chemicals while a mechanical filter removes the dirt and debris. In addition, you ought to make sure that the volume of water is sufficient and that the koi are not overcrowded. Kois grow quickly, and adding more koi to the pond may prove too small an area for them later on. Overcrowding your koi fish garden will cause stress or stunted growth of the fish.

With a little bit of effort, caring for your koi fish garden can be made easy. Undoubtedly, the rewards and benefits that you reap will far outweigh the hard work you put in.

Nelson Williams offers more info about having your own koi fish garden. Nelson has raised, studied, bred and cared for hundreds of varieties of Koi. He has become a well respected source of information for breeders and pet care professionals internationally. His twenty plus years of practical experience and research are available in his latest book, Insider's Secrets To Raising Healthy Koi.