Fall is coming at a fast pace. Where did the year go??? Over the summer we had a lot of fun in the heat, and quite frankly, I was a beautiful summer… We moved into our new home, and with it came 20 beautiful new pets… Our Koi.
It has been a lovely hobby and hard work at the same time. I have learned about Koi and their lifecycle. I have come to really enjoy them and the time I spend gazing at their beauty. They have had babies, and we have been excited to see them grow and find their place in the pack. One died this summer, and it was a difficult sight. No one likes death. I eagerly studied the reasons this may have happened, and was afraid it could be something that would affect the whole pond. I am happy to report that it was an isolated incident, and the rest of the Koi were fine.
I have learned about pumps, filters, streams, waterfalls, outdoor lighting, and water elements such as fountains, UV lights, and all different and sometimes expensive tools to keep a pond healthy and vibrant. I had to revisit my chemistry books and learned about Ph, water hardness, chlorine, and chloramines from the tap water, and the ammonia and other waste products in the water. Not to mention the lovely algae… They were an interesting battle…
Another fish did get sick this season, but we were able to learn about salt, and salt baths for the fish. And, even though it appeared a bit involved Joe and I were able to treat it and nurse it to good health.
What a fun experience…..
Even our lovely neighbors participate with the Koi Pond… It is a place of love, and companionship and a place where there is always a smile.
Now that the fall is upon us, we need to get back into the books and learn what the next steps will be in order to keep the Koi Pond healthy. As you may know, the winter follows the Fall and during this time, the Koi will be very very quiet. Talk about what happens in winter, I guess we will start with the fall.
The fall is well known for its glorious leaves. They are so beautiful and colorful… I actually think the Fall is one of my favorite seasons…. But leaves and Koi ponds don’t go together. They will fall on the pond, and some will lay on the surface. Some will clog the filter, so it is important to clean the skimmer filter on a daily basis. Some leaves have to be manually removed with a net. Some leaves will even fall to the bottom of the pond. This is unhealthy as the leaves break down and decompose, they can release toxins that affect the Koi.
In our pond, we plan to use a net. As you may all know this is our first time. But the goal of the net is to avoid as many leaves falling directly on the water. We will see….
When it gets colder, we will shut down the stream as it will likely further cool the water, and if there happens to be a frost, and some icing, the water may be diverted… possibly even causing a leak…. And water drainage….
We are planning to change the diet of the Koi fish to one that is suitable for the colder seasons, where their metabolism will start to slow down. Koi fish are Poikilothermic (cold blooded). Their metabolism relies on the temperature of the water that they live in. In the wintertime, when the water in the pond is ice cold, the Koi fish's metabolism slows down to a crawl. For this reason we have a water thermometer that we are checking on a regular basis. The water is getting colder at night and warms up slightly during the day. As the water gets cooler, the Koi will spend most of their time treading water at the bottom of the pond, while sometimes swimming around a bit. They don't sit completely still all winter because their joints can seize up. Water reaches its densest point at 39.16°F. Interestingly, in the winter the warmest water is at the bottom of the pond. That is why Koi spend most of their time there.
In my next blog, I will share what we did and hopefully I will learn to post some pictures for your enjoyment….
Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD
