- Much like any aquarium, the water in a koi pond needs to be filtered to remove waste and any foreign substances in the water. Also, tap water should never be used in a koi pond because the chlorine in the tap water is lethal to koi.
The website koiandponds.com recommends that the filter should have a volume that is equal to at least 10 percent of the volume of the pond and ideally not less than one-third of the pond volume. If you decide to build a filter yourself, make sure to add a bottom drain to each filter chamber. This will allow the sediment that builds up to be let out more easily. - Koi waste produces ammonia as a by-product, which is lethal to the koi. Biological filters use certain bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrites, which is still lethal to koi but not as lethal as ammonia. The biological filter then uses other bacteria to convert the nitrites to nitrates, which are not lethal to koi.
When first using a biological filter, it will take weeks and possibly even months for the bacteria to fully mature, so you will need to start with fewer koi in the pond until the biological filter is able to support more koi when it becomes mature. Also, do not put tap water in a filter, because the chlorine will also kill the bacteria. - Get a testing kit for your koi pond. This will allow you to test not only for ammonia and nitrates in the water (which would indicate a filter problem), but also the pH level. The pH level of the water should be between 7 and 8.5. If it is outside of this range, the water could cause health problems for the koi.
Monitor the temperature of the water, which needs to be between 50 and 80 degrees F. A pond heater can be used to keep the temperature warmer in the winter. A waterfall will have a cooling effect on a pond.
Also, the temperature of the water will have an effect on the feeding of the koi. The warmer the water, the more often they will need to be fed and the more protein they will need in their diet.
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