Koi Care: Preparing Your Pond For The Major Storms

As part of the care that you give to your Koi, here are the necessary precautions that you can take when faced with small and large-scale storms.It is a fact that no matter where you live in, it's inevitable that you'd be bound to come into contact with at least a single extreme weather condition throughout the year.

We've seen the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, and this have shown us that having an emergency plan is the best way to avoid the results of total destruction.

Small-Scale Storms:

Preparing for such small-scale storms is much easier compared to those of the large ones. These few simple steps will guide your pond through such storms.

1) Stop feeding the fish. Truth of the matter is that your pond has enough natural sources for food for the fish to feed on so that they won't starve for a long period of time. If your filtration system are undamaged, not feeding your fish will reduce the risk of ammonia problems in the future.

2) Make big water changes to your pond. If the time comes that something goes really wrong and you're unable to take care of the pond immediately, your fish will have the privilege of getting the freshest water that's available to them. Leave out several inches of water so as to make up for the coming rainfall so that there will be lesser chances of overflowing.

If you got a drainage system, just be sure to clear it of any kind of debris to make it work very well. Now, if your pond is at ground level and you'd expect high waters to occur, you can add some protection through sand bagging around the area, which will keep your pets confined within the area if the time comes that flooding will occur.

3) Place a net over your pond to ensure its protection from flying debris. The same net that you have used for the fall to keep out the leaves will do, so long as you will secure it down very well.

4) Remove any object that can blow over, away or fall into the pond. Remember this: if you can push it over, so can the wind as well! The items that can be blown away by the wind should be removed completely and then placed inside your house.

Large-Scale Storms:

Large-scale storms prevent any type of preventative measures from being successful and effective. The only way to completely save your pond from such storms is by removing completely your fish from the pond itself.

First off, it's good to have all the equipment that you need to transport your fish readily. The equipment that's needed to bag and transport the fish is small and can be stored easily when they're not in use.

You must have the proper bags ready to transport your fish. Never try to use trash bags or regular plastic bags for this, as these materials aren't designed for the task, and may even damage your pets. Make sure to get bags that are big enough to hold and store your fish.

You'll also need rubber bands for each of the bag that you buy. Choose those that have good quality, so as not to let the pressure of the water pop the rubber band out as you're transporting your fish.

You need to have a net that's big enough to compete with your fish. Although you won't need the net to pull the fish out of the water, you'll need it to direct your fish to the place that you want them to go. Just take proper precaution in handling the net, as they can cause potential damage to your fish, especially the larger ones.

Also, if you want to give it the best care possible, using a paint bucket is a better way to catch your fish, because these can't hurt your fish like those nets can. Just make sure that your bucket is big enough to accommodate your Koi.