Ways to keep your KOI pond clear

You need to get rid of the nutrients in your pond and one way is by adding beneficial bacteria to your pond. You see, there are 2 types of bacteria; the bad kind of bacteria and the good kind!   Bad types of bacteria can cause a lot of problems to your fish's health and can be pretty involved to explain.  To keep it simple, these bad types of bacteria can eat away at their skin, their gills, and cause them to be sick and die.  Needless to say, you don't want the bad type of bacteria.  The good, or beneficial bacteria is a type of bacteria that is required to not only break down toxic ammonia from fish wastes into harmless nitrates (referred to as the Nitrogen Cycle - which is something you want in your pond) but they also consume the same nutrients as algae does!  So, when you add more beneficial bacteria, you starve out the algae, thus resulting in a clearer pond!  Beneficial bacteria also breaks down sludge build up, muck on the bottom of koi ponds and fish ponds and much more.  It is absolutely vital to having any healthy pond.  So what do you need to do to establish some beneficial bacteria in your pond?  Provide them a place to grow such as a biological filter, rocks, plants, and filter media.  I use something called a “bog”. I made approximately 1/5 the size of my pond, a circular 2 ft deep hole, put a liner in it as if was making a pond and filled it with small round stone. I added a second pump in my skimmer basket and put the hose from the pump in the bottom of the “bog” (before the stone was put in). This keeps my pond clean all year long. The bog is filled with all different types of plants too! (don’t tell your pond store, they’ll be made at me because they won’t be selling you UV bulbs anymore)

Hope you enjoy a clear pond all year long!