How to Pond and Care for Koi Fish

Many people respond to an advertisement for koi fish for sale, and choose some of the most beautiful fish you’ll ever want to add to your pond. While it is usually those new to ponding koi fish who make inadvertent mistakes that can seriously hurt their fish, even those who have been keeping koi in their ponds for a long period of time also have problems occasionally. Unless you have been caring for koi and have learned the ropes, it might be wise to read through a few basics on how to care for your beautiful, exotic koi fish. 

Keep All Changes Slow and Gradual

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to make changes in your pond too rapidly. If you observe nature, changes usually happen quite slowly and over time. Koi are very sensitive to changes in water stability and so it is imperative to make sure the temperature is adjusted extremely slowly. Remember, gradual changes are what your koi require most. They require stability in their pond environment.

Overcrowding Is a No-No!

So, you’ve fallen in love with your koi and you just have to have more. You go out and buy every koi you can get your hands on and add them to your pond. Unfortunately, something happens overnight and suddenly all those lovely koi you watched swimming around the day before are not doing so well today. In fact, you might even awaken to find one or more floating at the top of your little pond. The rule to follow when stocking your pond is no more than 3 pounds of koi per 100 gallons of water. That’s written in stone. As one koi keeper has said, anything can only die once and when they are gone, there is no bringing them back.

Moving Fish Requires Water Conditioner

If for some unknown reason you need to move your fish, water conditioner can be a literal lifesaver. While it has a freezing temperature lower than water, if it should freeze, you might as well throw it out, drain it, and get rid of it. That product will no longer be of any use to you. Most often, people use water conditioner when transferring fish to a new pond or when cleaning the pond their koi are already in. It is vital that you keep some on hand at all times. If your fish are in crisis, this may be a lifesaver. It is one of the only things that will give them even a remote chance of survival.

While being extremely lovely, they are, after all, fish. Keep your pond as stable as possible and don’t overcrowd it. Only feed your koi once a day in normal to cool weather and if it’s hot they can eat more, up to three times daily but be mindful of cloudy water because it is an almost sure sign that bacteria are lurking about. Heed these tips and you should be able to enjoy your koi for many years to come.

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