Tips and tricks for Koi ponds
Knowing the many tips and tricks associated with water gardening can make a big difference to the enjoyment you get out of your pond.
- It is a good idea to pump out about 10% of your pond water every month or
even weekly if you have lots of fish and replenish with tap water. The reason is
that nitrate levels slowly build up and can reach a level
that is too high for the pond. The easiest way to arrange this is to place a valve and "Y" or "T" piece into the pump line then all you need to do is connect a temporary pipe to the valve and lead the pipe to a spot in your garden - pond water makes for a good garden fertiliser.
- Always spray water onto the pond surface when filling with fresh tap water ... any chlorine in the tap water will then be reduced.
- Pump head is measured from the pond surface - not the bottom of the pond.
- When buying pond plants check with the retailer ... how fast they grow and how big they will become. When small, plants can be very misleading. Low cost plants tend to grow big - a very general statement of course but bear it in mind.
- Floating plants make excellent nutrient scavengers.
- Lighting in and around ponds creates a brand new dimension and attraction to
the garden. Normally for safety reasons these are low voltage. Lights can be
submerged or above the water surface to create immediate impact and variation.
You have submerged coloured lights normally pointing up to the surface of the
water. These could also be plain white light of course. Others focus the light
down onto the bottom of the pond by creating a mushroom or umbrella effect.
Still others float around the surface encased in glass globes. A very unique and
effective garden light has been newly introduced into the UK
and Europe. During the day this device is a highly realistic looking rock. At night the whole rock glows with diffused light creating a magic and enchanting effect. Japanese lanterns also create magical effects.
- If you would like to test how much water looks best for your waterfall do
the following .....
i) Place a hosepipe into the waterfall inlet
ii) Adjust the flow until you are happy with the effect
iii) Without closing the hose fill a known volume container from the hose
iv) Calculate the flow rate by dividing the volume of the container by the time taken
to fill it. This week's free calculator could come in useful here.
v) This calculator would also allow you to weigh the container as an alternative to
knowing its volume. For water use the following:
1 US gallon weighs 8.83 lbs
1 Imperial gallon weighs 10 lbs
1 litre weighs 2.2 lbs
vi) If one hose does not deliver sufficient water then use 2 hose pipes.
- If you are sick and tired of looking at debris on the bottom of your pond then consider buying an electrically operated vacuum cleaner. Just make sure that it is safe for pond use. OASE make the one that is best known.
- For people who do not like to get their hand too mucky when cleaning out a pond there are sepcially made long length gloves extending right to the shoulder. If the water is a little too cold then the fishermen amongst you could easily use those waders to enter the water if cleaning has to be done.
- If you pond is losing water then do a quick check by shutting down the pump. If the level stops falling then the leak is outside the pond itself. If the level continues to fall then obviously the leak is inside the pond itself.
Click below for more tips and tricks
What are koi ponds and koi fish...
What if a koi or gold fish develops an ulcer What are pond fish
What if A number of my koi appear to be bloated
What if A number of my koi appear to be bloated Causes of
What if my koi are gasping for air in the pond water gardens
