Koi Pond Hazards
Congratulations – you are a responsible pond pet parent if you are about to read this article. Koi pond hazards can really harm your fish, though most people never even think of them.
While it seems as though they are largely indestructible, fish are delicate creatures. Since your koi will quickly become some of your most cherished pets, it is important that you look out for their well being. Most people simply install a water fixture and forget about their fish, but these people soon discover sick or hurt fish days after installation. Unfortunately, pond manufacturers are not too careful when they design these containers (creating koi pond hazards), though you should know what to watch out for.
Any rocks that jut out into the water’s edge; any type of gravel bottom; and any sort of sharp obstacle can harm your fish. Since they are very eager little fish, they will swim quite aggressively throughout the water, which may cause them to clash with some rocks now and then. Once a fish has been cut by a sharp rock, there is very little that you can do to help it. Rather than try to fix your fish, simply avoid the issue altogether by purchasing a pond that does not contain any rocks.
If you use any type of chemical sealant to fix any leaks or holes in your water fixture, make sure that it is non-toxic. Also, be sure that you clean your water once every week (remove scum and debris) in order to ensure that your fish are safe. Finally, check the ph balance within the water a few times every month, just to be sure that it is very clean – sometimes you can’t see or smell toxins. These are the most common koi pond hazards, though there are a few others to think about.
Should your water area contain any large holes that fish could swim into, you may want to block these. Since koi are rather curious creatures, they will swim into any hole that they can find...even if it is a filter. In short, use common sense when building this type of water feature, and you (and your fish) will be just fine.
Now that you are aware of these koi pond hazards, you can easily prevent them. Keep an eye on your koi at all times, and you will have some fabulous friends for life.