Improve your fishing skills


Koi Pond: Fish or No Fish?

If a pond has a waterfall to aerate thenitrogen cycle is what makes a koi pond low
water, fish will produce waste that is brokenin maintenance and nearly self-sufficient. As
down by nitrifying bacteria into nitratelong as you only stock the koi pond with
nitrogen, and water plants will use thesmall fish such as guppies and mosquito fish,
nitrogen and thrive. In turn, the fish eatthey will never need to be fed. They can
the algae and small water insects that liveexist solely on food that the pond provides
on the rocks and plant roots. And those bugsnaturally. A chlorinated pond, on the other
eat other smaller bugs that eat microscopichand, requires continuous maintenance. The
bugs that eat bad bacteria bugs. This ischlorine dissipates from the water as it
called the nitrogen cycle. A properlyflows over the falls and turns into chlorine
balanced pond like this will pretty much takegas. This means that fresh chlorine needs to
care of itself...be added regularly and your backyard will
What is a koi pond without koi? A pond! Nowsmell like a swimming pool all the time. The
that  is  boring...chlorine also causes many minerals and
suspended particles to precipitate and build
Many clients who want a waterfall and koiup on the rocks, causing unsightly white
pond do not want koi fish to take care of.stains in the water's path. When chlorine is
Actually, a pond will require less attentionnot added regularly, leaves and other
with fish than without. If a koi pond has adecaying debris in the pond will cause algae
waterfall to aerate the water, koi fish willto grow, turning the pond green. So after
produce waste that is broken down byconvincing the client to give my suggestion a
nitrifying bacteria into nitrate nitrogen,try, I returned a few weeks later to find
and water plants will use the nitrogen andthat they have not only purchased some large
thrive. In turn, the koi fish eat the algaekoi fish, but have given them all cute names,
and small water insects that live on thelike  Charlie  and  Doug.
rocks and plant roots. And those bugs eat
other smaller bugs that eat microscopic bugsIf the client wishes to have larger fish such
that eat bad bacteria bugs. This is calledas koi, the nitrogen cycle will need a little
the nitrogen cycle. A properly balanced koiextra help from a biological filter and an
pond like this will pretty much take care ofultraviolet light. The larger the number and
itself.size of the koi fish, the greater the waste
material produced. This means that some of it
Koi fish food can get lodged in the plants,must be removed from the water. Increased
rocks and vegetation around the perimeter ofquantities of nitrates and nitrites increase
the koi pond. If the koi fish cannot find thethe amount of ammonia and other by-products
food, it simply decays, adding unnecessarysuch as pea soup algae, the type that turns
nitrates to the water and resulting in morethe water green. A biological filter will aid
food for algae to grow. To eliminate thisin the breakdown of toxic nitrites into less
problem I fashioned what I term as a Koi Fishharmful nitrates, and an ultraviolet light
Food Corral made from a 4 to 5 foot piece ofwill kill algae spores and disease-causing
1-1/2 inch flexible PVC pipe and fastenedpathogens as they pass through the UV light
together with a single 1-1/2 inch coupling,on the way to the filter. So, what else can I
creating  a  circular  corral.say to convince you to get fish? They are fun
to watch? They are cute? They come in handy
This corral keeps the koi food in one place,during times of famine? Got fish? Got
and prevents it from floating off into rockturtles? Got tadpoles? No? Then, get some!
crevices, plants or the skimmer. Plus itYour pond will be much more appealing and
allows for the proper portioning of koi food.exciting. It is like having the Learning
It is easy to tell if you've given the koiChannel or Discovery Channel in your back
fish too much. If food is still there after ayard.
couple of minutes and the koi fish seem to
have had enough, they have, and you shouldEvery day brings a new discovery: baby fish
remove the leftovers. Lay it in the sun tohatching; a dragonfly struggling from its
dry and feed it to them later. It is easy tococoon; a tadpole slowly, very slowly,
collect the extra food that the koi fishturning into a frog; two crayfish, doing what
don't eat by using a small net. It is betterthey do to make baby crayfish... now that is
to feed them too little than too much. In aa discovery! A turtle, shedding its shell...
case  like  this,  more  is  not  better.now that is a miracle. If you have kids or
grandkids, or neighbor kids, grab some or all
Sometimes my clients originally expressed aof them and make it an adventure. Pile them
concern that koi fish would be a burden or ainto the car or bus and go to the local pond
hassle. They would worry about having to feedstore and gather up a passel of predacious
them daily, or what they would do when goingand peculiar pond creatures. Better yet --
on vacation. I would explain that the koibuild a koi pond first and then do it. Happy
fish are extremely important with regard tokoi, peace and joy.
their contribution to the nitrogen cycle. The



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