One of the most popular features in an outdoor space is a pond. Homeowners who spend time outdoors particularly love fishponds. But cleaning koi fish ponds is a task that should be done regularly.

Many people who buy the beautiful, ornamental koi don't realize that keeping their environment clean is necessary for healthy fish and a clean pond. There are steps for cleaning koi fish ponds that require you to put a something in place then leave it, while other cleaning steps require some regularly scheduled work.

The first key is to keep your pond water aerated. The water in a pond need to have lots of oxygen in it if first are going to live and be healthy, and aerators add oxygen to the water. Additionally, the koi prefer water that is slightly cool, and aerators drop the temperatures of the water by several degrees. Aerators also keep plants healthy and help prevent unwanted plant growth.

There are a number of different aerators you can purchase with different features and varying quality. For cleaning koi fish ponds, you'll want an aerator that is effective all the way through your pond. This will vary depending on the depth of your pond.

The second important item is a pond filter. There are several types of filters for ponds including mechanical filters that are needed to remove physical debris. This is important to keep sediment from building up on the bottom of the pool. Every pool needs to have a mechanical filter to keep it clean.

The next type of filter is a biological filter. These filters use different types of bacteria, which help to decompose and eliminate the toxic waste chemicals that can build up in the pool, like ammonia.

UV filters kill algae and other bacterial growth, and can be very effective at limiting the amount of cleaning koi fish ponds require.

An external filter is by far the most popular style of filter for a pond, since it requires less cleaning and maintenance than other types of filters.

If you have a standing pond, then it is important to change the water approximately every two weeks. Put the fish in a bucket or tub along with some of the old water, then drain and refill the pond, removing any sediment from the bottom.  Dead leaves are particularly draining on the health of the fish, so removing them is key.

After cleaning out the pond, refill it. As you fill the pond with water, add one cup of rock salt for every hundred gallons of water. This should be standard, non-iodized rock salt such as the type used in a water softener or on sidewalks in the winter.

This makes cleaning koi fish ponds easier because it softens the water, besides keeping the fish healthy and increasing their electrolytes.  Softer water means no calcium or mineral rings around the water line of your pool, and no scrubbing for hours to remove those mineral deposits when you are cleaning koi fish ponds.

Photo Credit: thebigdurian

Originally posted 2009-06-03 11:53:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Choose the Best Pressure Washer for Your Needs The best pressure washer for you needs is the one that's affordable and does everything you need it to do. Pressure washers come in two types--those designed for residential use, and commercial models. Unless you plan to run a pressure washing business, you don't need a commercial model. And in......
• Removing Mold If you begin to notice black stains, white stains and green stains on your walls, or your floor or any other surface, especially if there is a musty odor in play, then you could have the tell tale signs that there is mold in your home. There are a number......
• How to Stain Concrete Concrete normally comes in one color – grey – and after awhile, it can get pretty boring looking at the same old thing. If you want to increase the curb appeal of your home, or you just want something new to look at, staining concrete is one of the easiest......
• Build a Backyard DIY Pond A backyard DIY pond is a beautiful addition to your home that doesn't have to cost a fortune. Having a pond installed can be pricey, but worth it if you don't want to tackle the job yourself. To save on labor costs, look at the steps and you'll probably realize......
• Guide to Landscaping Tools No matter what type of home maintenance or repair job you’re doing, it pays to have the right tools, and landscaping is no different. While some elements of a good landscaping job don’t actually require any tools, having some available makes those tasks quite a bit easier. Other parts of......

Related Websites

• Secrets To A Clean Koi Pond: Using All Natural Products Owning a koi pond requires regular maintenance in order to keep the nutrients in balance. A healthy and clean pond insures that it will sustain life without the aggravation of fungi and other unwanted diseases. A healthy koi pond is beautiful. One way to achieve this is to clean......
• Asking PUR About Recycling Filters; Switching To Brita Instead? Maybe you guys can help me with a little dilemma I have about my water filter. At my house, we obviously don't buy bottled water as I think it is a waste of money and bad for the environment, but we do have a water filter on our kitchen faucet......
• New Dove Lease Listing Charlie at the Picosa Ranch has recently listed his dove lease on our free listing service. THANK YOU, Charlie. Our goal at DD&S is to build a free site where hunters can view available listings and read reviews from hunters who have hunted these leases. So Charlie, get some of......
• Teaching Kids to Fish For many families, fishing is a hobby that is meant to be shared through generations. In fact, many of us develop our love of the water early on, as a result of the fishing trips we went on as kids. Whether or not we enjoyed it at the time, the......
• Koi Fish Guide Koi Fish Guide. Whilst the potential color variations are never ending, breeders have identified and named a number of particular categories. The most trendy group at the moment is Gosanke, which is made up of the Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, and Showa Sanshoku varieties.The common carp is a tough little......

Online Stores

• Pool Filters Pool Parts Maintenance Pools Spas Yard, Garden Outdoor Living
• Fish Animals Collectibles
• Water Filters Kitchen Plumbing Fixtures Home Improvement
• Clean Romance Books
• Water Filters Small Kitchen Appliances Kitchen, Dining & Bar Home Store

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Clean, Handy Man, Outside

Tags:

aerator, algae, ammonia, bacterial growth, biological filter, different types of bacteria, external filter, koi fish ponds, mechanical filter, mechanical filters, outdoor space, plant growth, pond filter, pond water, sediment, standing pond, toxic waste, types of bacteria, uv filters, waste chemicals