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Written by Administrator
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Now that at long last the evenings are brighter, we can take the opportunity of spending more time with our Koi. Along with more daylight hours, we tend to expect warmer days as well. There's no harm in wishing !!!!!!!It goes without saying that heat plays a large part in the general well being of our Koi. The immune system of a Koi is largely inactive below 50f, and they are at their best at temperatures above 68f.
Although things are generally warmer for us humans, it takes a while longer for temperatures in the average size pond, let's say 3000 gallons, to come up to daytime figures. Of course, Spring and early Summer are notorious for temperature fluctuations. Just recently we have had a virtual heat wave in April, with temperatures in the high 70's, yet in May we have had snow in years gone by.
It is true to say that the larger the pond, the more stable will be the environment. That statement applies generally to all water parameters, not just the water temperature. However, if you have a 10,000 gallon pond that is only 2 feet deep, it is easy to see that such a relatively large surface area will suffer from more rapid variation in temperature, up and down, compared to a pond of similar volume but with 3 times the depth. I am not suggesting for one minute that anybody with a pond of 2 feet depth should redesign their pond, only be aware of the swings in temperature that may be experienced in a pond of this depth.
If you are able to fit some sort of covering to your pond to keep out the effects of wind chill, this alone can be worth as much as 5f on chilly Spring days. It doesn't sound a lot, but your Koi will benefit from the warmth. If your pond already has a cover fitted, don't be too eager to remove it. There is a great temptation with the longer days to want to see the pond inhabitants after the long Winter, but daytime temperatures are rarely high enough in the Spring to make it worthwhile removing the covers. A frosty night can remove several valuable degrees of heat from your pond, and your Koi could find it difficult to cope with the sudden drop in temperature. They may well suffer from an attack of White Spot, or some other parasitic invader, or maybe the Swim Bladder could become affected by the chilling of the water. They could lose their appetite temporarily, and certainly their ability to absorb the nutrients in their food will be diminished, which leads to wastage and excessive organic loading for the filtration system to manage.
Koi require a number of basic considerations in order to live. Obvious minimal requirements are food and good water, to mention only two. As Koi Keepers, we owe them a little more than just a living. There are many things you can try to improve the conditions that your Koi live in. There are such things as clay additives for the water; fancy foods that claim to do this and that, and this years latest filter design. All these things surely have their place in Koi husbandry. Personally, and I stress this is a personal opinion, if I was going to give my Koi a treat, I would buy them some heat, whether it be just a cover for the pond, or the addition of some form of heater. |
