| Adequate oxygen is essential for the health | | | | plants from the harsh rays of the sun. |
| and survival of your koi fish and other pond | | | | |
| creatures. As pond life utilizes the oxygen | | | | When adding plants to a waterfall, there are |
| content of the water, it needs to be | | | | many places that can facilitate plants, such |
| replaced. Oxygen enters the water where | | | | as baby tears and different types of moss. |
| these two contact each other - primarily at | | | | Places that would not be conducive to actual |
| the koi pond's surface. That is why a | | | | water plants could be flat or craggy areas |
| waterfall is such a vital adjunct to your | | | | that receive splashing, providing the |
| water feature. | | | | necessary moisture for the moss, baby tears |
| | | | (Soleirolia soleirolii) or Isotoma |
| As the water passes over and splashes against | | | | fluviatilis. Other water plants that do not |
| the rocks, it picks up large quantities of | | | | require a specific root base can be placed |
| oxygen, aerating the water. Aeration can | | | | almost anywhere in a waterfall such as water |
| similarly be achieved with a fountain or | | | | pea, parrot feather and watercress. |
| water pump. These methods increase the area | | | | |
| of water coming into contact with the air; in | | | | An attribute of moss or baby tears is that it |
| addition, the resulting circulation prevents | | | | does not require a large quantity initially |
| stagnation of the koi pond. | | | | to look great. If it receives the proper |
| | | | amount of moisture, it will spread and grow |
| SOME SYMPTOMS OF OXYGEN DEPRIVATION: | | | | rapidly, even climbing up rocks and other |
| | | | areas of the koi pond. |
| • Koi fish gasping at the surface for | | | | |
| extended periods of time. | | | | It is important to plant the proper type of |
| | | | vegetation to prevent overcrowding when they |
| • Overnight death of fish, especially | | | | become mature. A good example is two common |
| the larger, more sensitive ones. | | | | pond plants, Papyrus and Horse Tail |
| | | | (Equisetum fluviatale ). Both of these plants |
| • Water that appears murky black and | | | | need to be contained, either in a planter pot |
| emits an unpleasant odor. | | | | or a separate pocket built right into the koi |
| | | | pond or waterfall. |
| • Koi fish are attempting to or | | | | |
| actually do jump out of the koi pond. | | | | Consider creating a bog pond or bog planter |
| | | | on the perimeter of your koi pond. A bog pond |
| REASONS | | | | is a raised, shallow (6 to 8 inches deep) |
| | | | pond filled with bog plants. Here is one of |
| • Oxygen is being consumed by large | | | | the best lists I have found to date with more |
| quantities of decomposing debris onthe bottom | | | | information on the subject: ( HYPERLINK " |
| of the koi pond. | | | | Flood this area with a portion of the |
| | | | unfiltered waterfall return water and allow |
| • Excessive amounts of algae are using | | | | it to trail back into the koi pond. You have |
| up the oxygen during nighttimehours with | | | | now created a very effective natural |
| shorter daylight hours. | | | | biological filter. The fish waste, as it is |
| | | | absorbed by the bog soil, is broken down into |
| • Too many fish for the size of the koi | | | | ammonia by aerobic bacteria (using oxygen). |
| pond. | | | | These aerobic bacteria reproduce at higher |
| | | | rates than do the beneficial Nitrosomonas |
| • Surface covered over with lily pads. | | | | bacteria, which actually break down the |
| | | | ammonia. So aerobic bacteria compete for |
| SOLUTIONS | | | | oxygen with the Nitrosomonas and use so much |
| | | | of it that the area they inhabit becomes |
| • Remove debris | | | | anaerobic, or oxygen-deficient. |
| | | | |
| • Decrease algae growth | | | | The ammonia by-product of fish waste being |
| | | | broken down by aerobic bacteria is now |
| • Decrease number of koi fish | | | | "attacked" by Nitrosomonas. This further |
| | | | breaks it down into toxic nitrite. Then the |
| • Decrease number of lily pads. | | | | nitrite is broken down by other aerobic |
| | | | bacteria called nitrobacters, which convert |
| PLANTS | | | | nitrite into beneficial nitrates in the form |
| | | | of food for the plants. |
| Oxygen is also produced by submerged | | | | |
| "oxygenating" aquatic plants and algae. | | | | Smaller bog planters can be created at the |
| Plants not only help regulate the oxygen | | | | koi pond's edge, in much the same way as the |
| levels of your koi pond; they cool off the | | | | larger bog pond was. As the water passes |
| surrounding area as well. Plants that | | | | through these bog planters and goes through |
| normally would not survive in direct sunlight | | | | the process of being cleaned, it picks up |
| or desert climate thrive in the immediate | | | | oxygen before returning to the pond. |
| vicinity of a waterfall due to the high | | | | |
| evaporation rate. The water splatters and | | | | One of the most effective ways to add large |
| thins out as it rolls over rock, increasing | | | | quantities of oxygen to the water is by the |
| the surface exposure. The resulting | | | | use of Venturi injectors. For a complimentary |
| evaporating water becomes a heat exchanger, | | | | instruction sheet on how to construct a |
| cooling the surrounding air by as much as 15 | | | | Venturi injector, download at |
| to 20 degrees. The evaporating water | | | | homepage.mac.com/doughoover. Happy koi, |
| increases the humidity protection to the | | | | peace & joy. |