Koi Care
Some Great Tips on Koi Care
Spring is one of the hardest months in which to focus on Koi care. There is so much to deal with. The water temperatures fluctuate wildly. And the larger predators are all very hungry, some of them just awakening from hibernation. Remember the danger zone of 40F - 50F, where the immune systems of your Koi are closed down, but bacteria and other harmful viruses are still very much active. Koi also have to deal with parasites, which literally drain them.
Try not to let these facts ruin your spring. It's a season of rebirth in most habitats. Supply your Koi with plenty of oxygen, and make sure to help them avoid as much stress as possible. If you have a heating system in your pond, work your pond's temperature up past that 40-50 danger zone as quickly as you can safely do it. And this will also keep your pond temperature from fluctuating quite so widely.
Watch your Koi care especially closely in the spring, looking for distressed signs, like an ulcer here or a Koi not swimming properly there. If you have a health emergency, contact a veterinarian who is familiar with koi. Begin feeding your Koi when the water temperature starts staying above 50 degrees. If your Koi are asking for food, then they're hungry and have decided it's time to start eating. Use Koi food high in wheat germ, since this is the easiest spring food for them to digest.
Summer is the sunniest time of the year for your Koi. The warm water temps will boost the metabolic rate of your Koi, and will jump-start their immune system. In the summer, Koi may eat three to five times a day. Make sure that your filter can handle all the waste from your Koi, or ammonia will build up in your water.
Watch your dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the summer, especially. As your water gets warmer, it holds less oxygen. Keep your pond aerated, and leave the pump running all the time in the summer months. The minimal level for Koi is four ppm, or parts per million, of oxygen. And that's just the minimum - it should be higher. Your Koi need all the oxygen in order to live. This is probably the most important aspect of Koi care.
In Autumn, everything seems to be falling - the temperatures, and the immune systems. Koi are cold-blooded, so their body temperatures don't match the water temperatures. If you normally move your Koi indoors for the winter, do it now. Watch them for any signs of parasites or stress. When the water temperature gets below 60, the Koi will slow down a lot.
Switch your Koi in Autumn to a food with a higher percentage of wheat germ and a low percentage of protein. This is a mixture that is easy for them to digest, and it will help clean out their digestive system. Keep your pond clean in the fall, and then it will be ready for the cold winter season ahead...