Page 43 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 5
P. 43
WINTER TO SPRING Clubs have this facility, it is important. Most treatments
will knock the bacteria in the filters back, this is the
same any time of the year but when in Summer and the
Tim Waddington of Quality Nishikigoi
pond is getting a lot of food and the filters are working
explains why it’s a very important time
100% then the bacteria recovers very quickly, not an
issue. However in the Winter when the bacteria is very
low, adding certain treatments as a precaution can
cause problems, if there is no need to treat the pond
then don’t, not at this time of year. By feeding the Koi
Winter into Spring is a very important time, people correctly coming out of Winter the metabolism will get
with unheated systems have not been feeding their Koi stronger and stronger and the Koi will be able to fight off
over the Winter so here are a few tips which may help many slight parasitic problems and when the problem
before getting the pond back to normal. has to be treated then the Koi are nice and strong
anyway. Adding treatments to Koi ponds can affect Koi
Feeding
where the Koi’s metabolism is low and can also cause
Do not rush them back into high protein food, this must problems such as Dropsy and other bacterial infections.
be done slowly, the Koi’s metabolism has been very
Using a product like the Evolution Aqua Pond Bombs
dormant over the Winter and it needs time and care to
will be great for this time of a year, a good boost to the
get the Koi back to good condition.
pond, there are other similar products on the market, I
Tim Waddington has been Start on a wheat germ pellet and soak it for a couple of just prefer the Pond Bomb.
in the Koi industry for over hours and let it go a bit soft, this will ease the digestion DO NOT Done correctly, coming out of Winter into Spring should
25 years. Visiting Japan for for the Koi and they will recover from the Winter far
the first time in 1992 and quicker, do not just throw a high protein food in, this will INCREASE not be a problem, just bring them back to their peak
has since made the trip slowly, not over night.
over 60 times. be far too rich for the digestion and could cause many TEMPERATURE
internal issues. Using a lower protein food for a couple When it comes to heated systems then in some cases
Tim has judged in many TOO QUICKLY
Koi Shows in Japan and has of weeks in the softer form will slowly raise the there is not much to do, these are the cases of ponds
supplied Grand Champions metabolism and bring the Koi up to full health. kept at higher temperatures all over the Winter period,
all over the world. say anything over 12ºC. The downside to all-year-round
No food over the Winter will also mean your filters are heat is that you will also get year-round parasite issues,
running at a very low bacterial state. Again this has to for some anyway. I expect most of these people will
be raised slowly to let the filters ‘kick in’ all over again, have checked over the Winter period for parasites and
throwing a lot of food in will just cause Nitrite and any other kind of infections in the pond.
Ammonia problems and with the Koi being in a weaker
state, it can cause very serious problems. People who have kept the pond at a lower temperature
over Winter, below 10ºC but above 8ºC, then please
Parasites check for parasites too. They will still be on the Koi but
at temperatures above 8ºC you will still have fed the Koi
Parasites can still be present all over Winter, they just
over the period so they should be strong enough to
slow right down in the colder periods and many
combat any problems which parasites can cause. Once
treatments cannot be used at lower temperatures so it’s
the heat does go up then reproduction of the parasites
a ‘Catch 22’ in the Winter for unheated ponds.
will go up too, so just keep a good eye on the Koi and
I think the best advice is to check for parasites, either get a scrape done.
do this yourself with your own microscope or get
Do not increase temperature too quickly either, take it
someone else in to do it, Koi Dealers and many Koi
slowly, a degree every couple of days until you reach the
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