Page 64 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 69
P. 64
Filtration Water
We are told we are water keepers and our job is to Depending upon where you live, the quality and make
manage healthy water for our Koi to grow and thrive. up of the water varies. In addition, water companies
As Koi produce ammonia from their waste, but mainly add various chemicals to the water, which are in
from their gills, the water has to be filtered to remove the the water we drink, but can be harmful to our Koi,
ammonia, to make it harmless for our Koi. This process particularly if stronger chemicals are used when there
is called ‘The Nitrogen Cycle’ (this will be covered in has been damage to the water company’s pipework.
more detail in a future article). To carry this out you need Water purifiers are available from your Koi dealer to
a filter to remove the solids and one to remove the remove these toxic chemicals.
dissolved ammonia produced by our Koi. There are
many filtration units on the market which are driven by Koi live in the environment we provide for them and it is
water pumps and as with most things, you get what you our responsibility to let them grow and thrive in good
pay for. Broadly speaking, the more you pay, the less health. Other considerations relating to water are to
maintenance you have to carry out. It all depends on avoid plants with toxic leaves or berries dropping into
your budget and how much time you can devote to your the pond, also care must be taken to avoid weed killers
hobby. blowing into the pond.
TAKE CARE Always take care when spraying fences and garden
WHEN furniture. Some people like to build a wooden pergola
over their pond, these can look very attractive, but
SPRAYING always check that the wood used for the construction
has not been pre-treated with a wood preservative
FENCES AND which is harmful to fish. I know it sounds like doom and
GARDEN gloom but it’s really just a case of taking care.
FURNITURE
Air
Koi need aerated water which is supplied by an air
pump, these are available from your local Koi dealer.
Some people have a decorative waterfall which supplies
oxygen to their pond, this is powered by a water pump,
but don’t make the mistake of turning it off at night, this
drop in oxygen levels can lead to fatalities in the
morning, particularly when the weather is warm. Koi
need oxygen and the filter needs it to carry out its
filtration process. The warmer the water, the less
oxygen it holds.
39 41
