The significance of water quality when keeping Koi pond fish

Koi pond fish interact with their environment in a much more intimate way than many of us realize.  Think about it, they are not only submerged in the same water 24 hours a day, they “breath” it, drink it, and it’s absorbed through their various membranes including their skin.  Any change in water quality can be hazardous, even deadly, to your Koi.  

How do you protect them your Koi pond fish?  Monitor the water regularly.  In fact, there’s a tongue-in-cheek adage floating around the Koi world about Koi keepers actually being keepers of the water the fish live in, the Koi are just a side effect.  However glib that remark may be, there is a kernel of truth in there.  High water quality is essential to raising healthy Koi pond fish.

That may be more difficult to achieve than you may think, especially when you’re first starting out.

Ponds themselves are living, breathing, ecosystems that constantly change in response to any of a thousand stimuli including, sunshine, temperature, the creatures living in them, and the introduction of foreign objects such as bacteria. . . the list is unending.

In addition, your bio filtration system is a living entity by itself and interacts in strange and unexpected ways with your pond.  Finding a balance is essential.

The two most important chemical levels to watch are the ammonia and nitrite levels.  These pollutants are produced naturally as a side effect of your Koi pond fish digestive system and they are kept in check by your filtration system.  If your bio film isn’t converting ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrate efficiently, or you have too many well fed Koi in your pond for your filter to handle, you may be headed for disaster.

However, the best course of action is not to overreact.  Koi pond fish keeping is all about patience and about letting nature take its course.  You’d be surprised how difficult it is to “force” a pond into equilibrium but how easily it finds its own, if let alone.  If you know your filtration system is doing its job, and the ammonia and nitrite levels are acceptable, don’t introduce chemicals or other foreign elements into the ecosystem in hopes of “clearing the water.”

Remember, the Koi pond fish don’t care what the water looks like as long as it’s not poisonous.  It’s only you who does and what you want really isn’t important.  At least, that is, until the pond has stabilized.  After that happens, then you can tackle the issues of cloudiness or excessive algae. 

Quality water that’s safe for your Koi pond fish should always be your number one concern.