Keeping koi in the Philadelphia area means keeping koi through four very different seasons. The pond that runs beautifully in July needs completely different attention in January — and getting that rhythm right is the whole game.
Here's how we think about the koi year, season by season, so your fish stay healthy and your water stays clear.
Spring: wake it up gently
Spring is the make-or-break season. Your koi come out of winter with their immune systems at low ebb, which is exactly when problems like to strike. Start feeding again only once the water holds steady above the low 50s, and begin with an easily digestible food — a cold gut can't handle a heavy meal.
This is also the season for a proper cleanout: clearing the debris that settled over winter, checking your pumps, and getting everything running before the water warms. Plenty of folks handle the season themselves but bring us in for the big spring pond cleaning, and that's a perfectly good split.
Summer: watch the oxygen
Warm water holds less oxygen, and koi are most active — and hungriest — exactly when supply is tightest. Keep your water moving, keep aeration running, and don't overfeed. On the hottest, stillest nights, oxygen can crash before morning, so good circulation isn't optional. Keep an eye on algae too; our thoughts on algae control cover why it flares in summer and how to keep it in check without nuking your ecosystem.
Fall: prep for the cold
Fall is prep season. As the water cools, switch to a wheat-germ food and then stop feeding altogether once you're consistently below the low 50s — a koi's metabolism basically shuts down, and food left undigested is a real hazard. Net the pond before the leaves drop, because rotting leaves on the bottom are trouble come spring.
Winter: leave them be
Your koi don't need much in winter — they need one thing done right. As long as the pond is deep enough, they'll settle to the bottom and rest. Your job is keeping a hole open in the ice so gases can escape; a floating de-icer and a running aerator handle that. Whatever you do, don't smash the ice — the shock can hurt the fish.
"I would recommend AquaReale to anyone who wants a beautifully maintained pond. The team goes above and beyond all expectations."
— Robin M., Google review
None of this is complicated once you know the rhythm — but it's a rhythm, and it never stops. If you'd rather hand off the seasonal work, our maintenance packages keep your koi pond dialed in all year long, so you get all the joy and none of the guesswork.
Questions about your koi or your water? Reach out or call 215-880-6811 — we're always happy to talk fish.