Spring prep for a Koi pond

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SO many posts, so little time. To drain or not to drain? Salt or no salt? Could you please tell me what you do to transition your pond from winter to spring while keeping your koi healthy and happy? Every spring I loose a few fish. I would love to not loose any this year.
Thanks!
 

DrDave

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You need to post all the details about your pond, filter and the fish load. The answer you seek requires more information.
 
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My pond is 15'x15'xup to 4' deep. I have about 8 large gold fish (fancy tails) 2 large Koi (about 18") and two smaller koi about 8". I have the savio filter system both the waterfall filter and the skimmer with a UV light.
 

DrDave

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Don't let the fall leaves stay in your pond over the winter.

Well drain and refill is a last resort for badly maintained ponds. It may also be the reason you are losing a few fish each spring. The pond has to re-establish the bio each time from scratch when you do this. If you keep the pond clean and allow the eco system to gradually get going each spring, the fish will not be shocked with high nitrite/nitrate levels.

Salt is optional, I only use it in my hospital tanks when needed.
 
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Thank you - I absolutely clean out the leaves in the fall and do my best to clean up anything that fell in over the winter but wait until the fish are moving so as to not stress them.

I'm so glad to hear the salt thing is optional. I"ve never tried it, heard many different opinions.

Do you add anything to help jump start the re-establishment of the bio system?
 

DrCase

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Do you keep water moving, or run your filter during the winter ?
 
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No. We have 4 feet of snow and thick ice. There's no way I could keep a filter running all winter. I use a electric ice melter to keep a hole open at the top.
 

sissy

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Could it be the ice melter as I heard they deplete the oxygen at the bottom of the pond I keep a pump bubbling in the pond to keep oxygen levels up .I put the hose from the pump into a pvc pipe with a cap on the end and holes drilled in the pipe and stand it up and it bubbles alot and guessing theres oxygen in those bubbles and sometimes if it's bad I turn on the air pump real high

not sure pics will show it good I know my fish love hanging around it I guess it's like a spa for them

try some more to see if there clearer seems the closer I get the more the bubbles fuzz up the pic short lenght of pvc with end cap not even glued and elbow at the top and put hose from small 350 gph pump hose shoved inside of elbow and pvc pipe has holes drilled in it not large holes the size of a small finish nail enough holes drilled to get lots of bubbles and it has to stand up as laying it down does not work
 

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sissy

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yes I wish the pics came out better as it puts a lot of oxygen in the water I guess I do not have a pond heater as not sure about the oxygen depletion from them 6 years and never lost a fish yet .Keep it going all summer as the more oxygen you put in the pond the less algae you will get .

hope these help show it better in the summer you can put an airline in there and it really bubbles

It looks kind of dumb but works for me in the summer I had it under the bridge I am going to put 2 in this year I can imagine if you used a bigger pipe and a bigger pump it would really bubble .I started spring clean out of my pond as water is above 50 already
 

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