Koi fish ponds need not only regular maintenance, but also cleaning if you want to have a healthy marine environment. The water should be clean, non-toxic, de-chlorinated and clear.
Maintenance prevents the accumulation of organic wastes in the pond. Prevent over-population since this will cause crowding, dirty the pond and cause ecological imbalance.
Fish feed only to the extent required should be dropped. Excess would settle at the bottom or float atop. Their decay and decomposition will make the water toxic.
Cleaning involves use of fine-meshed nets for lifting out floating wastes, excess food and debris. Filters at the bottom of the pond will drain insects, algae, and mud. Biological filters which use bacteria to convert toxic into harmless matter can also be installed. Water can be aerated by installing fountains or waterfalls using pumps with filtration plants.
Algae oxygenate the water. When the pH level of the water rises, they will grow rampantly. Adding pond salt with baking soda or adding barley straw extract will regulate their growth and maintain the desired pH levels.
Koi fish generate a lot of waste. It is mandatory to clean the pond annually every spring wherein the water will be drained out completely and refilled after all the mud and wastes are cleared.