Koi Pond Filter

There are many factors to consider when designing your koi carp fish pond. Size, location, construction material, depth and shape of pond all require consideration; however, the koi pond filter would have to be the most important part of your setup. Without it your fish may survive, but they will not thrive, nor will your pond look its best.

The pond environment can change the condition of the Nishikigoi. An expensive and beautiful fish can lose its color in six months because of a poorly conditioned pond.

With this article I hope to give you some of the basics of pond design and more importantly explain how a good koi pond filter should function. I’ve also recommended at the end of this article two excellent references for you to further your knowledge on raising happy healthy Japanese koi.

We will begin with the pond.

Koi do grow large depending on temperatures and the size of the pond. Larger ponds will be capable of housing larger fish and are easier to manage and maintain water quality. A koi pond must be at least 500 gallons and minimum of 3 feet deep.

To keep these Koi healthy, ponds need to be carefully maintained. The pond water does not have to be crystal clear to be of high quality - battery acid is clear but it won’t do your Nishikigoi much good! Green water full of algae is of fantastic benefit to Koi as it brings out certain colours on your fish and contains many nutrients.

Pond design is always important for many reasons, but having the right design for overwintering fish is very important for their survival, yet this subject is rarely discussed! The best design for a koi pond is one that is open with a good depth and without a lot of convolutions to the edge.

Koi fish ponds do not come in standard models. Japanese koi can be raised in ornamental ponds, very big bottomless ponds, preformed pond shells, or even huge man created ponds with light colors so that people might admire the koi better. You can buy ponds from water garden suppliers or construct one from concrete, fibreglass or large commercial pond liners.

The Koi Pond Filter

Every koi pond requires a quality biological filter to provide a healthy environment for your pets to thrive in. The purpose of a Biological Koi Pond Filter is to not only to keep your koi pond clear so that you can see the fish, but also eliminate toxins from the water. This piece of water gardening equipment is vital and requires a whole chapter to explain how good filters work and how they facilitate beneficial bacteria with their important role in the nitrogen cycle. Without biological filtration, built up waste will turn into ammonia and kill your fish within just a short time period.

A biological filter will draw water through special media material that bacteria happily build their colonies within. It is these beneficial bacteria that you want to keep happy as they feed off fish wastes as well as toxins produced by rotting leftover food and organic matter. The larger your bacteria colonies, the better your water will be and the more fish you will be able to keep in your fish pond. It is necessary to set up a filter and pond pump that is suitable for the size of your pond and number and size of fish you intend to keep.

Pond filters should not be cleaned using chemicals as this will destroy the bacterium colonies. Once destroyed they may take a long time to re-establish and hence a healthy balance in your pond will need time to return.

Pond Plants and a Natural Filter System

Plants (water lilies, hyacinths, etc.) have their place in koi ponds, but do need some thought. They will provide shelter for your koi carp from predators, assist with the nitrogen cycle and provide food for you fish, but if not set up correctly, can contribute towards stress of your fish by causing oxygen depletion and rapid pH changes.

Plants provide oxygen during the day when there is sunlight, but use up oxygen at night. Thus, plants are competing with koi for oxygen at night and causing stress to the koi by affecting more rapid pH changes between day and night. This can be overcome by oxygenating the water with aerators or a splashing waterfall.

Plants can be of tremendous benefit when used effectively in a natural koi pond filter system. Pond water is pumped up to a stream filled with plants and course sand. As the water flows through the stream and sand bed it is oxygenated. The plants and sand harbour an abundance of beneficial bacteria which purify the water.

Some koi keepers prefer to use a natural filter system as it replicates nature’s natural waterways, can look stunning when incorporated into the garden and koi, in their natural habitat, live preferably in flowing water rather than still ponds.

It is imperative that new koi enthusiasts educate themselves on raising koi in ponds as starting out with the wrong pond design or inefficient koi pond filter system will, in the longer term, be very expensive. Costly fish will stress and die and rebuilding or equipping your pond will be a waste of money.

If you are interested in furthering your education on keeping healthy koi then I highly recommend that you read one of these two books. They have been written by experts on raising Japanese Koi and their books cover everything you need to know from koi fish varieties, pond construction and koi pond filter systems to breeding koi and koi illnesses. Both of my recommended books come with a money back guarantee, are very inexpensive and come with extra free bonuses. Visit their sales pages by clicking the book images below and see what’s on offer.

Well there you have it. Happy koi keeping!