Essential Koi Pond Supplies
June 1st, 2010 by Owen Jones
If you are new to keeping koi carp in your garden fish pond, you may be asking yourself what supplies you have to keep in stock and what you can afford to buy as and when you need them. The answer to that question, is probably that it depends how far away your nearest pet shop is. However, it is a good idea to pick up supplies to put in stock, when you see that something is on special offer.
There are things that you should have at hand at all times, but there are others that are not vital and can be waited for for a few days when you discover a need for them. Some of the things recommended below become more important depending on the climate or the seasons prevailing where you live.
Filtration Pump; this is vital, but you can wait twenty-four hours. You need to keep in mind that the quality of your pond water will deteriorate rapidly, if your pond filtration pump is out of action. Toxicity levels will rise in the water and stress levels will build up in your fish. Your fish will become sick pretty rapidly and then they will die.
Pond Filters: this falls into the same category as the filtration pump for precisely the same reasons. However, you can make your own filter using sand, coconut fibres or something like that and then you should never run out.
Dechlorinator: water companies add chemicals like chlorine and fluoride to the water, but fish do not like them. Therefore, you have to eliminate them. This is easily achieved by adding a few capfuls of liquid dechlorinator. Buy a large bottle and it will last all year.
Test Kits: maintaining water quality is the main aim for every fish pond owner, so you have to inspect the water for ammonia and nitrite poisoning every week. This is thought of as vital kit.
Pond Salt and Baking Soda; are the cheapest ways of combatting water toxicity, so it is vital to have plentiful supplies of these items at all times.
Bags: one day you may need to transport one of your fish to the vets or take it to a quarantine tank, so you will need to keep a few bags on hand at all times. Make certain that they are large enough to hold your growing koi. These are essential.
Rubber Bands: you will need strong rubber bands to seal off the bags above, so they are indispensable too.
Fish Net: necessary for guiding your fish into the bags and removing fallen leaves.
Bucket: this is better for catching your koi than a net, which has the ability to hurt their gills. Vital.
Koi Fish Food: koi need to be fed every day except in winter, but they can in fact last a couple of weeks without food because they also feed on flies, grubs and larvae. It actually depends on how big your pond is and whether you have overstocked it.
Leaf Net: in the autumn, it is easier to cast a net over your pond, than drag leaves out of it every day. It saves a lot of time.
Sandbags: a storm or even intense rainfall can flood your pond, allowing your fish to swim away. Sandbagging the pond before a storm is important.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with . If you are interested in a , please go to our web site now for some great deals.
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