Apr 11
1
Essential Koi Pond Supplies
If you are new to keeping koi carp in your garden fish pond, you may be asking yourself what supplies you have to keep in stock and what you can afford to buy as and when you need them. The answer to that question, is probably that it depends how far away your nearest pet shop is. However, it is a good idea to pick up supplies to put in stock, when you see that something is on special offer.
There are items that you ought to have at hand at all times, but there are others that are not vital and can be waited for for a few days when you discover a need for them. Some of the things recommended below become more significant depending on the climate or the seasons prevailing where you live.
Filtration Pump; this is essential, but you can wait twenty-four hours. You need to keep in mind that the quality of your pond water will deteriorate quickly, if your pond filtration pump is out of action. Toxicity levels will escalate in the water and stress levels will build up in your fish. Your fish will become sick fairly rapidly and then they will die.
Pond Filters: this comes into the same category as the filtration pump for precisely the same reasons. However, you can make your own filter using sand, coconut fibres or something similar and then you should never run out.
Dechlorinator: water companies add chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride to the water, but fish do not like them. Therefore, you have to eliminate them. This is easily accomplished by adding a few capfuls of liquid dechlorinator. Buy a large bottle and it will last all year.
Test Kits: maintaining water quality is the main objective for every fish pond owner, so you have to check the water for ammonia and nitrite poisoning every week. This is considered essential kit.
Pond Salt and Baking Soda; are the cheapest ways of combatting water poisoning, so it is vital to have copious stores of these items at all times.
Bags: one day you may have to transport one of your fish to the vets or move it to a quarantine tank, so you will have to keep a few bags on hand at all times. Make certain that they are big enough to hold your growing koi. These are vital.
Rubber Bands: you will need strong rubber bands to seal off the bags above, so they are indispensable too.
Fish Net: necessary for guiding your fish into the bags and extricating fallen leaves.
Bucket: this is better for catching your koi than a net, which has the ability to hurt their gills. Vital.
Koi Fish Food: koi need to be fed every day except in winter, but they can in fact last a couple of weeks without food because they also eat flies, grubs and larvae. It really depends on how big your pond is and whether you have overstocked it.
Leaf Net: in the autumn, it is easier to cast a net over your pond, than drag leaves out of it every day. It saves a lot of time.
Sandbags: a storm or even heavy rainfall can flood your pond, enabling your fish to swim away. Sandbagging the pond before a storm is important.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present concerned with fish pond accessories. If you are interested in a Solar Powered Pond Pump, please go to our web site now for some special deals.
