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How To Care For Koi Fish
Want to know how to keep Koi Carp in a garden pond? These beautiful fish are quite easy to look after, and are a favourite with pond owners. Watch our guide to keeping Koi Fish.
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Step 1:
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Feeding
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There is a wide range of Koi food on the market, including floating pellets and sticks, as well as live food such as river shrimp and bloodworm. Some foods are designed for summer, while others are for winter, when the Koi's metabolism slows down and they digest less protein. Try to give your Koi a varied diet of different types of food, and remember that the more expensive foods are generally better quality and give the fish brighter colours. The correct amount to feed them each day is roughly as much as they can eat in five minutes. If there's food left over after five minutes, give them less the next time.
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Step 2:
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Water quality
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Many of the rules for maintaining water quality in a Koi pond are the same as for an indoor fish tank. Test the chemical levels in the pond regularly, You can either do this yourself with a testing kit, which will contain full instructions, or take a water sample to your local aquarium shop for testing. When adding water to your pond, for example if water has evaporated, always add dechlorinator to the water. Also add live bacteria, which can be bought in bottles, to help maintain the ecosystem of the pond. It's not usually a good idea to replace more than 30% of the pond's water at one time.
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Step 3:
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Filtration
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Your pond should have filtration system to clean the water. This consists of layers of foam and flocore through which the water gets pumped. The foam will need to be cleaned regularly, but it's important that you never wash it in tap water, as this kills the bacteria that are vital for the fish's health. Instead, scoop up some of your pond water in a bucket, rinse the foam in that water, and then discard the water. After you've cleaned the filter, add some more live bacteria to your pond.
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