Koi Care: Four Seasons Of Your Pond

First Season: The Spring

Springtime is the season when your pond comes to life. The living things in your pond has been in hibernation during the last winter season, and now your pond is ready to come to life at the first signs of warm weather. This is the best time for you to maintain your pond before your pets, plants, and others will come back from their winter’s break. Your pond will start changing dramatically as days get warmer.

Don't miss this opportunity to do the needed maintenance. Watch for temperatures falling around 50 degrees (this will be the perfect time).

This is considered as a very weak time for your pets, as they haven’t eaten for months, which puts them on a low energy level. Due to this, your fish is prone to attacks by different kinds of organisms, such as parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses…. making this the best time to take all of the possible preventative measures. To significantly reduce the amount of pests and materials that could cause diseases, add a wide variety of treatment solutions.

Once the temperature gets hotter, you can give your pond another dosage of this treatment to get your fish well-protected as they are again developing their own immune systems, giving them enough protection from diseases.

Season 2: Fall

The fall will bring a significant change for your pond, as this will be the time when most of your plants will start to change. In this time, what you should do is to move all of your plants that has the inability to withstand lower levels of temperatures indoors (or you can put them in a green house). Another thing you need to focus on are the leaves, which has to be cleared. This will give you a healthier pond. You can also buy a pond cover too as an alternative for this.

3rd Season: Winter

Say that this the fist winter season for your pond. Now, this is the time when your pond will undergo a down period, as lesser events are happening in this time compared to any of the other seasons. There are necessary steps/precautions that you need to take before winter arrives, so as to ensure the survival of your pond as well as your fish. Feed your pets lesser during this time (for tips, visit your local pet store).

Summer is the best season wherein you can invest for the things you’re going to need in order to prepare for the coming winter. The fish can withstand unchanging temperatures that fall as low as 39 degrees, and those that are a little bit lower than 39 degrees, for a short period of time.

If you purchase a heater for your pond, just make sure to make a research first on what size you’re going to need to sufficiently heat your pond during the winter time, or ice will still continue to form, which can cause very dangerous amounts of gas in the water (as it is being trapped under the ice). You can choose to have an emergency tank in your pond if extreme events come.

4th Season: The Summer

Summertime is one of the livelier times for your pond. During this time, temperatures are beautiful, which makes it the best time for you to enjoy your pond more. Although things are beautiful during this season, always remember to keep up your maintenance in order to keep your pond healthy.

This is the season when there is a decrease in your pond’s oxygen level, that’s whey there’s a need for you to take the necessary precautions (especially if you live in places where temperatures stay high for most of the year). A good indication that your pond needs oxygen is when you see your fish hanging out towards the surface of the water, seemingly gasping for air.

The heat of summer gives way for potential parasites and illness to enter your pond. You must watch your pets for signs of illness, as most of the parasites are not visible. Symptoms like your fish shaking, scratching, shivering or rubbing against objects is an indicator of different types of illnesses, so it is of utmost importance to watch your fish closely.

Watch out for diseases like the KHV, which causes high mortality rate, and this needs immediate treatment and care. If you notice some changes with your pets, contact your local vet, pet store and Koi dealer for information and help.