Preparing Your Koi Pond For Winter
Winter is coming, and this will be the first Winter that you go through with your Koi pond. Think of Winter as a down period for your pond, as less events happen during Winter then any other time. However, there are special precautions that you need to take before Winter arrives, to ensure that your pond and fish survive.
Spend some time, like somewhere around two days to clean up your pond. Straighten Out and undesirable bulk material in and around your pond. Inside your pond, clean up all leaves, slit, and other material from the bottom. Also, remove any plants or flowers that will not make it through the winter.As you won’t likely to be able to realize any debris unitl winter ends, be sure to clean up all of the things that can blow into your pond. Taking the time to make sure that as much debris is removed as possible will prevent potentially harmful bacteria and parasites in the future.
You are also required to stop feeding your Koi during winter. You need to feed your Koi only one time a day when fall comes. Once the temperatures drop below 50 degree for the first time, stop feeding entirely.You also require not to feed your Koi even when the temperature goes above 50 degrees. The majority of Koi, when healthy and the temperature is above 50 degrees, require at the least four days to completely digest food. If you mistakenly feed your fish to late the food will not digest and will end up killing your fish.Also, do not think that when you Koi open their mouth to you, that they are hungry. Because this is just a learned reflex, not hunger. When really feel that you need to feed them, always think that there also natural food in the pond itself without you even need to feed your Koi. If they are at all hungry and you are not feeding them, they will fill up on this.
Check Up- Do you seasonal check up on all your equipment. This includes everything from your filtration system to your store of preventable medications. Since the majority of ponds in the world lie dormant during the Winter, you are less likely to be able to find the products you need. Make sure your emergency kit is ready and up to date, which should include medications, bags, nets, and your water testing kits.
Prepare For Cold Weather- Prepare for cold weather by investing in the items you will need during the summer. Koi have been known to withstand constant temperatures as low 39 degrees, and temperatures slightly lower then 39 degrees, for short periods of time. When buying a heater, remember to research what size you will need to adequately heat your pond during the winter, otherwise ice will still form, causing potentially dangerous amounts of gas in the water, due to it being trapped under the ice. In extreme events, it may be a good idea to have an emergency tank inside available.
Turn Off All Water Sources- In colder temperatures, your heater will be working hard to maintain a water temperature suitable enough to keep your fish alive. If you have water features such as waterfalls, streams, or constant moving fountains, make sure to turn them off during Winter. These features will circulate water, and constantly bring new, and cold water into your pond. With these switched off, the only water that your heater will be responsible for is the standing water in your pond.