| There are good reasons why koi fish ponds are | | | | area your koi can move around in. But due to the |
| very popular enhancements to our home | | | | large area of the pond, you need to have water |
| landscapes. Professional landscapers and designers | | | | pumps. Your filters may not be strong enough to |
| recommend the building of koi ponds as a way of | | | | move the water around and also clean it |
| giving a tranquil and park-like appearance to your | | | | completely. With water pumps, water movement |
| homes. | | | | is optimized and as a result, water is thoroughly |
| Indeed, the harmony of the sound of running | | | | cleaned. |
| water brings is like music to one's ears. It relaxes | | | | It is also good to include water features in the |
| the mind and keeps your spirit attuned with | | | | design of the koi ponds. These water features |
| nature. Koi ponds however require certain | | | | can take the form of a waterfall or a fountain. |
| attention. Maintaining them needs careful planning, | | | | Either of these will not only add beauty to the |
| dedication and the usual supplies to keep the | | | | pond but also help in moving and stirring the |
| ponds and the koi in the best condition. | | | | water around. These three -- filters, water pumps |
| I am not going to dwell on the part that requires | | | | and water features combine together to ensure |
| careful planning and dedication. I will reserve | | | | that the quality of water serves to benefit the |
| discussing these issues in some future articles. I | | | | over-all health of the koi. |
| am more interested in talking about the usual | | | | It cannot be denied that water quality is a big |
| supply requirements in order to better keep and | | | | factor in maintaining the health of the koi fish. |
| maintain the koi ponds. | | | | Water quality is in most cases affected by adding |
| Some of the most essential supplies that owners | | | | more water to the pond from your garden hose. |
| must not forget to have access to are filters, | | | | Ordinarily, when water levels are down, we add |
| water pumps, dechlorinator and test kits. Having | | | | water to the pond from the hose. But doing so |
| water features in our ponds, like waterfalls and | | | | will allow additional chlorine into the pond. Chlorine is |
| fountains, is similarly a beautiful and practical way | | | | an unwanted addition to our koi pond and in order |
| of enhancing the aesthetic value of the ponds. | | | | to remedy this problem, a dechlorinator will be of |
| Filters remove unwanted pollutants from the | | | | big help. |
| water. Keeping these pollutants out helps in | | | | Adding dechlorinators to the water will eliminate |
| maintaining the quality of water and this in turn | | | | harmful chemicals in our tap water. But that's not |
| facilitates the good health of our koi fish. Pond | | | | all. You have to continuously monitor the quality of |
| owners are advised to ensure that filters are | | | | the water. Monitoring water quality requires water |
| up-and-running to help in doing away with | | | | test kits, the kind that you can easily buy in pet |
| pollutants. | | | | shops. These water test kits will help you keep |
| It also bears stressing that koi ponds are | | | | track and monitor the water's pH and nitrate |
| generally large; the bigger the pond, the more | | | | levels. |