Koi Pond Leaks. How to Find a Fish Pond Leak
More Top Pond Keeping Tips: Click image right for UK pond products. Pond pumps external and submersible are known as centrifugal pumps. This type of pump can operate against a closed valve with little effect upon the well being of the pump. Of course flow will stop and water just recirculates around the body and suction side of the pump. Placing a valve on the outlet side of the centrifugal pump can regulate the flow si9nce the extra resistance to flow means that flow rate must drop to compensate for the extra pressure to be developed to overcome the resistance.
Ponds Don't Freeze Solid
The point is also made that it is only under extreme and prolonged freezing weather is there any chance of an outdoor pond freezing completely.
I can't think any pond of 4 feet or more depth will ever freeze solid except in the most extreme climates and koi tend not to be kept in these climates anyway
The reason why ponds do not completely freeze even under harsh conditions is that water has a maximum density at 4 degrees C. This means ice forms from top of pond down and the lower layer (at 4 degrees) cannot freeze.
It is because of this critical and almost unique property of water that the the earth has survived the ice ages. It's why you and I are here, able to enjoy pondkeeping.
Sponsored Products...
Every
koi keeper buys food. All koi foods are not the same.
Bradshaws Koi Food (and Wheatgerm) is as good as the best for quality
and fantastic value for money in great sensible koi food packaging.
Keep that pond bottom clean with reliable
Pond Vacuum
25 year flexible pond liner guarantee
Bred your own koi with spawning brush. After the fish have spawned put the spawning brush is placed in an area where adult koi cannot access it. You'll need a pond net
Koi Pond Care: Spring Pond Care Considerations:
As a first point I am not in conditions. It is a fact of life that the vast majority of koi keepers will do more harm than good once the never-ending process of adding powerful chemicals to pond water starts.
Adding the more environmentally friendly and biological components such as pond starters and Viresco is however a good option as water warms up. Whatever can be done to increase the chances of a successful Winter to Spring transition happening is a good thing. You can also be pretty sure that online koi pond product retailers will start to offer good deals on koi food as spring approaches and so long as food is high quality and well packaged (an airtight container is mandatory even if you buy the koi food in a bag).
Koi immune systems have inevitably been weakened over winter and this why ensuring the biofilter starts working efficiently and quickly as water warms up.
Almost all lifeforms re-energize as air or water temperatures increase and koi or goldfish are no different. The urge to start life afresh is there for all living creatures and organisms. Some start to spring to life earlier than others after a prologed rest over the winter months in the koi pond
If you didn't clean out your biofilter before winter then now is the time to empty it, get rid of any sludge build up and get it ship shape for the upcoming season. Always use pond water to clean filters, sponges, biomedia and whatever else you feel the need to clean.
Reduce the urge to pump pond water out of the koi pond so you can refill it with "clean water". This will do considerable harm to the aquatic environment which has reached a degree of stability. Great ponds and good pond keeping rely upon stable pond environments
If you have for whatever reason emptied the filter over winter then you need to get it working again long before the warm weather arrives. Pond starters can be helpful in this regard.
Keep a careful eye of fish behaviour
- What you're looking for is any sign of abnormal koi behaviour in one or more fish.
-
Inspect fish as carefully as possible.
Especially look out for ulcer formation since the stressful
overwintering conditions can make koi more prone to bacterial,
ulcer (aeromonas) infections. Close inspection of fish can be
carried out using specially design "flattish"
pond nets that can be used to gently scoop koi and bring
them to the pond edge for close inspection. Avoid removing the
fish from the water unless absolutely necessary. In particular
check for fin damage, sores, lesions and parasites such as lice
and flukes. - Make sure koi or goldfish fins have not been damaged and that the fins look and behave normally.
