Koi Ponds: Winter Care For Your Fish And Pond

The winter season will be a slowdown period for your pond, since not a lot of things happen during colder months, except perhaps the gentle fall of snow flakes on the ground. However, it is not a good enough excuse for you to neglect the proper maintenance of the Koi pond. Even in winter, you will have to ensure that all living creatures�plants and animals�in your pond can live through the season.

Here are some tips you can apply for your Koi pond during winter days:

Clean Up Your Koi Pond

It may take a whole week to clean your pond. When doing so, you must be sure that all pollutants are removed. All silt, leaves, and other materials that are suspended at the bottom of the pond should be taken away. Also, uproot all plants and flowers that cannot survive the cold season. Moreover, eliminate those that can be blown into your pond from nearby. These procedures are necessary to prevent the growth of harmful parasites and bacteria in the pond.

Stop Feeding Your Fish

An average Koi takes more or less 4 days before the food it has eaten is completely digested, less so if the temperature is more than 50 degrees. During winter months, feed the Koi only once every day, especially if the temperature falls between 55 and 60 degrees. If the coldness drops further to below 50 degrees or rises up to more than that, do not feed the fish at all. Excessive feeding can eventually damage and kill your fish. Opening their mouths doesn�t necessarily mean they�re hungry�it�s actually a learned reflex. Besides, they can also take and consequently digest other substances aside from the food you�re giving them.

Perform An Annual Checkup

Perform a seasonal periodic checkup of all your accessories and equipment, starting from medications to the filtration system. The emergency kit�nets, kits for water testing, and bags�should also be accessible and constantly updated.

Get Ready for Cold Weather

You can already start gathering all the items you may need for the winter on colder days. Koi are known for being able to thrive even in temperatures below 40 degrees but for short time periods. If you�re considering purchasing a heater, it should be proportional to the amount of heat the pond requires, or else, it will not stop the formation of ice, which will then cause a high buildup of harmful gases in the water. It is also recommended to equip your pond with an emergency tank.

With a little preplanning and the proper care, your Koi pond will survive the winter undamaged. Just don�t wait until the snow starts to fall and the pond is in danger of freezing before beginning your preparations.

Lots of events to keep you moving this winter - MPNnow.com

Lots of events to keep you moving this winter MPNnow.com, NY - 4 hours ago The event this year, which begins at the Greece Department of Public Works on Long Pond Road, is dedicated to long-time Rochester runner and Greece resident ...

Yankee Notebook: A lot going on in the quiet woods - Rutland Herald

Yankee Notebook: A lot going on in the quiet woods Rutland Herald, VT - Nov 23, 2008 By WILLEM LANGE Mist hangs thick above Hellgate Pond. There's not a breath of wind. The woods are so wet I can hardly hear even the sound of my own feet in ...

A Buckeye Bonanza - Cybergolf National

A Buckeye Bonanza Cybergolf National - Dec 2, 2008 The green has fingers of land that extend into a pond. Seventy percent of the green is surrounded by water, a fact that makes this hole as deadly as it is ...

Sales tax increase possible for rec center - Nevada Appeal

Sales tax increase possible for rec center Nevada Appeal, NV - Dec 2, 2008 It would finish the center and other import projects “for the people” like the fishing pond at Fuji Park, he said. The money for the center, he said, ...

BREAKING: UT makes it official, announces Kiffin hiring - Shelbyville Times-Gazette

BREAKING: UT makes it official, announces Kiffin hiring Shelbyville Times-Gazette, TN - Dec 1, 2008 He even said it was "neat" to sit in pregame meetings while other kids were skipping rocks across a pond or learning how to ride a bike. ...