Koi Pond0

• KOI POND 1 - House side Koi Pond with water plants

• KOI POND 2  - Two step Path way pond with Pot water feature beside wooden desk flooring

• KOI POND 3 - “Water wall” Koi pond with a “Dolphin Water Feature”
  

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• KOI POND 4 - Culture stone glass panel Koi Pond with “Pot Water Feature”
  

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• KOI POND 5 - Water Jet Pond
  

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• KOI POND 6 - Water Feature (Mushroom Head Fountain Head) Block Koi Pond
  

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• KOI POND 7 - Rectangular Koi Pond
  

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• KOI POND 8 - Wooden Desk & Pebble edge Koi Pond
  

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• KOI POND 9 - Water Plants Landscape with artificial rock water feature Koi Pond
  

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• KOI POND 10 -  Artificial rock water feature Koi Pond
  

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• KOI POND 11 -  Water feature wall Pond with under gravel sand filter
  

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• KOI POND 12 - Koi Pond with Burmese Pot & ‘U’ Spouts

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Posted: Koi Pond

Koi Pond Maintenance - Need For Regular Partial Water Changes0

Koi Pond Maintenance - Need For Regular Partial Water Changes

Whether it is a pond or an aquarium, regular water change is recommended. Actually, partial water changes and it should preferably not be more than 50% of the water at a time. This is because fish (Koi included) does not like sudden changes to their living environment. This change could be in terms of temperature, pH and water chemistry.

Firstly, why are water changes necessary? Can I rely on my filtration system to remove fish waste and other debris like uneaten fish food, dead insects and plant matters?

A good filtration system should be able to trap solid debris through mechanical filtration and allows you to remove them easily during regular filter maintenance. However, mechanical filtration is not 100% efficient. Some of this debris will remain and settled at the bottom of your pond and filter. If not removed, they will accumulate over time and pollute the water.

A good filtration system should have a biological filter in addition to the mechanical filter. The bacteria in biological filter should remove dissolved fish waste like ammonia by converting them to nitrite, and then from nitrite to nitrate. This is done through bacteria action in the biological filter is known as the Nitrification Cycle. Ammonia and nitrite are harmful to fish and must be removed as soon as possible. Although nitrate is relatively harmless to fish, excessive nitrate when allowed to build up in the pond can still harm the fish. Excessive nitrate also leads to excessive algae growth which is not a pleasant sight although Koi feeds on algae.

Evaporation of water does not remove nitrates and other dissolved matters in the pond. Regular topping up your pond to replace water lost through evaporation is not considered a partial water change.

Water plants remove nitrates. Even if you have some water plants in your pond, it is unlikely that the plants can remove the nitrates at a sufficient rate compared to the amount of food consumed and waste produced by the Koi. Some advanced Koi keepers have explored the use of commercially designed trickle tower system to remove nitrates. These are quite bulky and not inexpensive. Most Koi keepers will resort to partial water changes to remove nitrates.

Besides removal of nitrates and other pollutants, some Koi keepers believe that regular water changes allow their Koi to grow better and healthier as minerals and trace elements useful for Koi growth are replenished through the added water. Koi tends to perk up and become more active after a partial water change.

How to do a water change? How frequently must it be done?

The aim is to maintain a stable pond environment with good water quality for your Koi. Therefore, frequent and regular small amount of water changes of about 10% are preferred over ad hoc and larger water changes. If your filter design allows you to carry out pond and filter maintenance and water changes easily, then a weekly interval should be sufficient. You may want to flush the bottom drains or perform other maintenance of your filter system while carrying out your partial water change.

Even with regular water changes, you should monitor the nitrate levels in your pond. Nitrate cause a slight brownish tint to your pond water. Other symptom of excessive nitrates is excessive algae growth! The most accurate way is to measure nitrate and water quality using a water test kit. Commercially available water test kits allow you to measure parameters like pH, nitrite, nitrate and oxygen levels.  Nitrate level should be less than 25 mg/litre. Ad hoc water change is still needed if the water quality if not up to the mark.

Water that is removed will have to be replaced. If you are refilling your pond with tap water from the utility company, you will have to consider the additives to the water. The tap water contains chlorine to kill germs and it is also a fish killer. The chlorine will dissipate from the water naturally after a few hours. Depending on the water you are getting from the utility company, you could potentially do small percentage (less than 20%) of water change without using dechlorinator and not kill your fish. If you have an option to increase aeration to your pond like turning on a fountain or venturi pipes, you should do it. Aeration helps remove chlorine. Refilling the pond through a spray hose helps provides aeration and dissipation of the chlorine from the water as well. If you have to perform larger amount of water change, a dechlorinator to remove chlorine is strongly recommended. In any case, it is better be safe than be sorry.

Jeffrey Lee keeps Koi as a hobby and lives in Singapore.

Visit his website at http://my3ponds.blogspot.com where he shares his experiences with constructing and maintaining his 3 Koi ponds over the past 13 years. The site contains pictures of his ponds and Koi.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_HS_Lee

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Posted: Pond Maintenance

Koi Pond Maintenance - Basic Care0

Koi Pond Maintenance - Basic Care

A koi pond is a very entertaining and soothing garden fixture that many home owners like to have. Although it may seem that having one requires a lot of work, the actual work is the maintenance and care of the fish pond and not building it. The actual work is also not as much as large scale work as long as the relative size of the backyard pond is correct and meets the requirements for the fish to live comfortably and in fine health.

Filtration

Filtration is one of the most necessary things for a your pond to be able to support the fish and other forms of life in it. The filter acts as a cleaner for both the water and the pond in general to help keep the water clean and livable. There are so many different kinds of filters available that one should consult a professional koi dealer in order to be able to choose the right filter to fit the size and depth of the pond as well as considering the number of fish in the koi pond. The mechanical filtration system of the pond filter will help to keep other harmful organism in check so that the desirable living things such as the fish can live longer in a stress free environment with no competition for air and food. The filtration system also maintains that clarity of the water, while some even help to keep algae growth in check.

Certain types of beneficial bacteria can also help to filter the debris and dirt in a koi fish pond. These bacteria break down the accumulated debris and dirt on the bottom of the pond to help with the filtration.

Scheduled Review and Cleaning

Always remember that the key to koi pond maintenance is to regularly monitor the pond, and set up a regular cleaning schedule.

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Posted: Koi Pond Maintenance

What is a garden pond or a koi pond?0

A garden pond or a koi pond? 

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There are some vital differences between a ‘garden pond’ and a ‘koi pond’. It is important to understand these distinctions before we look more closely at how to build a koi pond.

What is a garden pond ? Click Here!

 A garden pond is literally a water feature that enhances the appearance of a garden and supports a wide range of plants and wildlife that share the watery environment. When you create a garden pond you can choose from a host of aquatic plants to soften the edges of the construction and provide colour and interest the whole year through. Around the perimeter of the pond you can feature moisture-loving plants, such as hostas and primulas, that will thrive in constantly damp soil. In the shallow water over a planting shelf or lapping onto a ‘beach’, you can grow a huge selection of marginal plants, from the bright yellow blooms of spring-flowering Caltha to the elegant spikes of irises and tall stems of reeds and rushes that continue their display into the autumn months. And in the deepest parts of the pond, you can enjoy the elegance of water lilies, surely the most magnificent of aquatic plants.

Into this ‘jungle’ of plants and water, you can introduce goldfish and other hardy pond fish. These will thrive and survive throughout the year and be joined by native creatures, such as frogs, toads, newts, water beetles and dragonflies, that will make themselves at home in your pond environment. And the added bonus is that you can create this diverse and successful habitat without worrying too much about a minimum overall size or water depth, and without too much in the way of complicated life-support systems. Yes, you will need a filter and a water pump if you want to sustain quite a few fish or build a waterfall and fountain, but to a large extent a well set up garden pond is a self-sustaining system.

What is a koi pond ?

Like a garden pond, a koi pond is also a hole in the ground filled with water, but there the resemblance ends. A koi pond has a single purpose: to provide a suitable environment for keeping koi. And because koi are fast-growing fish that produce a great deal of waste, the main aim is to create and maintain a large volume of clean, well-oxygenated water in which they can flourish and show off their colours. A koi pond should be at least 1.5m (oft) deep and to keep

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Posted: Garden Pond & Koi Pond

Planning A Water Fountain Garden0

Planning A Water Fountain Garden   by Elizabeth Jean

A water-fountain garden will go anywhere in the yard, on the patio, on a balcony, or a porch and even indoors. But certain water features are better suited than others to certain sights (and to certain gardeners, for that matter).

What is Feasible for Installing a Water-Fountain Garden?

This should be your first question, and to find out which water-fountain garden best suits you, your resources, and your space, you’ll need to educate yourself. Be a “know it all” before you start, and you will be well prepared to begin your water garden.

Check out prices and calculate what your budget can tolerate. Call garden suppliers that handle water fountains and ask questions about their products. Also, visit local water fountains. Talk with the owners or those who care for them. Visit local clubs-many communities have organizations that sponsor tours. If you’re well informed, you’ll make better plans, find installation easier, and prevent frustrations down the road.

Size and Site for Planning a Water Fountain Garden

First, check out your site. A large water-fountain garden with a spectacular waterfall will overwhelm a small lot. It also might overwork your budget, your time, and your back. A small garden pool, on the other hand, could get lost in an expansive landscape.

If you’re planning anything more involved than a pre-made fountain or container water-fountain garden, you’ll also need to check with city or county offices to find out if there are any ordinances that apply to the installation of water-fountain gardens. Get more ideas on water fountains by visiting http://skylandgardening.com/category/water-feature/

Be Calculating When Planning Your Water Fountain Garden

Figure all costs in advance. Small gardens are inexpensive, but large gardens can cost thousands of dollars. You don’t want to find yourself in the position of the would-be water gardener who dug a large hole one spring weekend only to fill it in again because the liner was too expensive and didn’t fit in the budget.

You may need to contract a large project (or parts of it) to a professional. Pouring concrete, installing electric lines, bricklaying, and excavation can be extensive (and expensive) and are jobs best left to the pros. Most water fountains can be bought in easy to install kits.

Assess your time and strength. A tub garden will take an hour or two to put together, but a large water fountain garden may take weeks to dig and build. It will also require a good back and strong arms and legs. An 18-inch-deep, 6-foot by 4-foot hole may not sound like a big job, but it would probably take a middle-aged man of average strength a half day to dig. For large projects, you can rent a backhoe.

Maintenance of Your Water-Fountain Garden

Remember to calculate maintenance time, too. A tub garden with a water lily takes just a few minutes a week. So does a freestanding or a wall water fountain garden. Add plants and fish and you add more time. A garden just a few feet across with a few plants and fish will need your attention for an hour or less each week. Larger gardens can demand two or three hours a week. For more wall fountain ideas check out http://skylandgardening.com/category/water-feature/

SHOULD you HIRE IT OUT? A SKILLS RANKING.

* Working with medium-sized boulders and rocks 1 to 3 feet in diameter * Building a wood-sided water garden

CHALLENGING

* Installing a wall fountain * Installing a bridge * Working with large boulders and rocks more than 3 feet in diameter

FOR PROFESSIONALS (OR HIGHLY SKILLED AMATEURS)

* Wiring and other electrical work * Operating a backhoe * Laying brick and concrete block * Installing 1-foot or higher stone walls * Pouring concrete

EASY ENOUGH FOR BEGINNERS

* Sealing and installing a pump in a container * Digging a hole a few feet across * Laying flagstone or stacking concrete paving blocks * Installing narrow widths of flexible or preformed liner * Creating a bog garden * Working with sand, gravel, and boulders less than 1 foot in diameter

INTERMEDIATE SKILLS

* Installing a freestanding fountain * Building a stream or waterfall * Laying a brick patio * Laying small amounts of tile

About the Author

Elizabeth Jean is the author of this article written , a premier Internet resource for wall fountains and garden fountains.

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Posted: Planning A Water Fountain Garden

How to maintain Koi Pond ?0

    Koi Pond Maintenance

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Your pond is built, your koi are swimming around happily in their new home and you can sit back and relax - wrong! Now that your pond is up and running, you will need to devise a routine for yourself so that you can regularly carry out all the tasks required to keep your system in optimum condition. Some jobs, such as feeding the fish and testing the water, obviously apply to every pond, whereas others depend on the type of filtration you have installed. In this part of the book, we start by looking at the maintenance of a pump-fed system and then go on to examine the care of a gravity-fed pond.

This is followed by a more detailed discussion of important topics that are appropriate no matter what type of pond you have, such as feeding, monitoring the health of the fish and water testing. You will soon realise that all these aspects of koi-keeping are inextricably linked with the efficient running of the pond, however large or small it is and regardless of the complexity of the systems you have installed. For that reason, you should make them part of the everyday regime of dealing with your pond. Set aside a certain time each day to check filters and appliances and to carry out the necessary maintenance quickly. While your fish are feeding, look them over and keep an eye open for potential problems. Dedicate yourself to these tasks and you, your pond and your koi will undoubtedly enjoy the benefits in the long run.So that is it, you are thinking. But there is one last thing to think about and that is how to improve your pond. The systems described in the book so far will more than adequately support a koi community, but in this part of the book we look at some items of equipment that you may wish to add to your pond at a later date. One example is a water purifier. Including one of these during the initial setting up process will confer undoubted benefits, but the absence of a purifier will not affect the basic functioning of the pond. It is an item you can add later, so it is discussed in this part of the book. So read this final section and get ready to start making those inevitable alterations that are all part of the ongoing enjoyment of the hobby.

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Posted: How to Maintain Koi Pond