Koi Fish Pond Care for the Summer

The dos and don’ts of taking care of koi pond fish or regular pond fish in the summer.

Koi pond fish and as well as all pond fish aren’t too difficult to care for in the summer.  It’s important to know, however, some important items for optimum health and comfort.

Feeding, plant cover and oxygen are all very important in a fish’s health during hot summer months.  Read on for details…

Koi Fish Pond Feeding

Feed your fish only as much as they will eat in 3-5 minutes.  Also, feed your fish far away from the skimmer box. Otherwise too much gets wasted and the pond gets dirty.

The use of a feeding ring will help keep fish food in one spot, allowing fish to get used to eating at that spot.  This also helps keep fish food from floating into your skimmer box.

Koi Fish Pond Plant Cover

Plants are extra important in the warmer summer months.  They provide shade for the pond, keeping the water cooler for the fish and they also provide additional filtration for the pond.

Try adding water lilies, water hyacinth and water lettuce.  Your fish will appreciate the shade.  In addition, be sure to remove dying leaves and flowers from the pond before they have a chance to decay in the warmer water.

Koi Fish Pond Oxygen

For hot summer months, make certain you maximize your aeration. Warm water holds less oxygen so more is needed in the summer.   Make sure you have plenty of aeration running 24/7. Aeration can be supplemented by using an air stone or additional pump if necessary.

And finally, keep your pond “topped off” – make sure the water level stays where it should be. This will ensure that the pump and/or skimmer are able to operate properly and will help keep your pond free of debris, while providing plenty of oxygenated water for your fish. The summer heat can be tough on oxygen levels.

These extra steps should help ensure maximum koi pond fish care in summer.  Contact us for additional information or to see how we can help you build or renovate the pond of your dreams.