Autumn Pond Care Tips

 


If you are not going to be covering your Koi pond with a net over the Autumn months, you will need to proviconide some type of cover for your Koi once the floating plants and water lilies die back in the Autumn.  The pond mini-vac, and the pond leaf-eater shown at left are handy gadgets you can use for pond maintenance that attach to your garden hose.  They can be used to remove leaves from your pond and other silt and  debris.  They are not only very convenient, they are easy to use as well.  Autumn is also a time when your Koi will lose their cover from predators, so you will need to provide  them with a place to hide, if not using a net.

Once my yard and Koi pond are free from leaves, I remove the net and add a large drainpipe iconicon for the Koi to hide.    I do not leave the net on the Koi pond all winter as it usually gets bogged down with snow and ice.  I have found that using drainpipe where the Koi can hide works much better than leaving the net on the pond over the winter months.  Another option is to use pipe.  It is less visible in the water, but will need to be weighed down with a rock.   Even better is the Koi Kastle Pond Fish Shelter shown at right.  It provides an instant refuge from pond predators such as raccoons and also will give your fish a comfortable shady area in the hot summer.

If you follow these Autumn maintenance tips, you can be assured that when Spring arrives your maintenance chores for your Koi fish will be drastically reduced.  Yes, you will still have maintenance chores in the Spring, but a well maintained Koi pond won't need a stem-to-stern decontamination.  However, if your pond is filled with debris and grit or if tests show pollution, then autumn is the best time to drain and clean your pond.  Autumn is a time when plants are on their way to dormancy and in autumn,  the increasingly drowsy fish are less likely to feel stressed by a temporary relocation.  Be sure to remove the pump from the pond and clean all parts before storing it.   Autumn also is a good time to detach and clean fountain nozzles.