It is important to maintain your koi pond well in the fall and winter. This is very important to lay a good foundation for your koi pond in the summer, so that you can enjoy it to the full. In winter, a koi pond does not require an extreme amount of maintenance, but there are always things to take into account.
Cleaning koi pond
To prevent acidification in the winter months, it is wise to clean and keep the pond clean. This also prevents algae growth in the spring. All blown-in leaves and other plant waste should be removed from your pond. The floating leaves will sink to the bottom, after which it will rot. Due to a rotting organic layer on the bottom of the koi pond, the fish will have a very difficult time in winter.
The pond plants
There are many different pond plants. The pond plants that are deep can overwinter well. The plants just below the water surface must be very strong to overwinter. Plants that have grown too large can best be divided and repotted. The reason for this is that these plants get such a large amount of nutrients from the water. This will also result in less algae.
The koi’s
You don’t have to worry too much about overwintering kois. Kois can survive the cold winter months without any problems if the pond is partially or completely at least 150 cm deep. The water will not freeze quickly at the bottom. The kois need less space in winter, because they are in a kind of hibernation. It is best to leave them alone as much as possible. All their life processes function at the lowest level. A lot of stress is life-threatening.
You can continue to feed the fish in the autumn with special winter food. Make sure that the kois eat everything. if too much remains, less should be fed. Under a water temperature of 6 degrees you do not or hardly need to feed. You can keep feeding until the kois indicate that they no longer want to eat.
Freezing of the pond
It is no problem if there is ice on the pond. If the pond is completely frozen, you do not have to worry that the kois will ‘suffocate’. You can keep part of the pond free from ice by installing a good air pump. Once the pond is completely frozen shut, a hole should never be punched in any way. This causes a lot of stress and is bad for the koi.
Snow on the pond can be wiped off very carefully and gently. In the dark winter months, every ray of light is good and nice for the koi.
Pond filter
A filter contains a culture of good bacteria, which took months to develop into a well-functioning whole. That is why it is very important NOT to turn off the filter in winter, but just let it run. However, the filter must be well insulated. This is to prevent the filter and bacterial culture from freezing. However, it is better to turn off the pumps of a fountain, stream and skimmer. This is to protect pipes and hoses against freezing.
