Winter is on the way, and if you have just built your Koi fishpond this will be the first time that your Koi have had to make it through those extended winter months. Think of Winter as a down period for your pond, as less events happen during Winter than any other time. If you wish to ensure that your pond and your fish survive through the winter, you are going to need to take some special precautions though.
Clean Up- Normally it takes about an entire weekend to entirely go over a fishpond. Clean up any unwanted bulk material in and around your fishpond.Try to make sure that there aren't any leaves or silt built up on the bottom of the fishpond. Also, remove any plants or flowers that will not make it through the winter. Cleaned up all of the garbage that is around your pond which could end up blowing into it, as this is most likely going to be looked over during the winter months and won't be noticed again until spring. By taking this time and removing this garbage, you're helping to remove the possibility of potential bacteria and parasites damage from happening.
Stop Feeding- Do not feed your Koi during the winter months. When fall begins and the temperatures hover around fifty five to 60 degrees, only feed once a day. Once the temperatures drop below 50 degree for the first time, stop feeding fully. You might think that it's okay to give food to your fish when the temperature rises above fifty° again, but don't. Koi in general, take about four days to fully digest their food at temperatures above 50° mark. If you go ahead and give food to your fish anyway, the food will not digest in the stomach properly and will rot and kill the fish. You also need to realize that when a Koi is opening its mouth to you it doesn't necessarily mean that it is hungry. This is something that they do out of a learned reflex and not hunger. Don't be troubled about not giving your fish eating food, as if your pond has any type of plant life and it, you are not their only source of sustenance. Your Koi will fill up on this other stuff if they get hungry and you're not feeding them.
Check Up- Doing a seasonal check up on your pond equipment is vital.This includes everything from your filtration system to your store of preventable medications. Sometimes I can be difficult in the winter to find the supplies as most ponds go dormant so shelves aren't often kept stocked. Make sure your crisis kit is ready and up to date, which should include medications, bags, nets, and your water testing kits.
Be Prepared for the Cold Weather- Try to make provision for the cold winter months by getting everything you need during the summer months. Quite can withstand temperatures that are constant at 39°, and perhaps even a little bit lower for short time periods. If the area that you living gets extremely cold, it is going to be required for you to buy a pond heater. If you do not your fishpond can freeze over which will potentially trap dangerous amounts of gas inside the water. If the area that you have drops into the extremely low temperatures, you might really want to think about having an crisis tank available inside your home.
Turn Off All Water Sources- In colder temperatures, your heater will be working hard to maintain a water temperature suitable enough to keep your fish alive. If you have things like a waterfall or a stream that move through your pond, you need to make sure that you turn these off during those cold winter months. Having these things turned on will just distribute all of the extremely cold water through the pond that you are trying to keep warm. With these switched off, the only water that your heater will be responsible for is the standing water in your pond.
With this information now on hand, I hope that you can understand how vital it is that you make preparations for your garden pond now before winter hits. Many species of Koi are extremely expensive, and it is very appropriate and wise for you to want to protect them. You can learn a lot more information about taking care of a Koi fish pond, and other garden pond tips by visiting gardenpondtips.com.