This is going to land me in trouble...

For all of us who have been fixating in 'gin clear' water..(most of us!)
I found this article very interesting and this summer I'm going to give it a try!

http://www.koikichi.com/the-pond/gin-clear-water.php

My pond turned green about three weeks ago and I decided to let it clear by itself. Now I am going to leave it this way.
The koi do seem wild and not as tame in green water.
The colours are already much more vibrant, I thought it was because it was seen against the dark green background of the water.

My new pond turned green as well. Not going to fit a UV or add anything to water. I had no problems with my big pond while it was green and fish were happy till I started to fiddle.

Going to grow up a few small Koi in new pond and I think the algae will be good for them.

The green water might be a problem to see fish them you use the pond as a hospital tank

Hi,

My pond went through its spring cycle of algal growth. The water got quite murky. I ordered some barley straw but the SA post office took a little longer than expected so I can only get it on Wednesday of this week.

During this time the water has largely cleared by its self! I must admit I do like really clear water. I can seen my koi much better in clear water.

If you visit a koi keeper who has really clear water the koi are a joy to behold. And - now to stir the pot - the majority of really clear ponds I have seen have properly installed and maintained sand filters ...... oh dear here it comes ....

A word on pea green pond water. Always check your pH if your water has gone pea green. Check it in the morning and again in the evening. You may find it will rise quite high during the day.

Now if you are really clever you will not do what I did in 1992 and add acid to control the pH. Only managed to kill 400 high quality babies over night.

Regards,
Chris

Can someone tell me what the best is for Koi? We all want crystal clear water in ponds to view the fish, but most Koi will do better in a natural environment. You won’t find drains, skimmers, filters and all the fancy gear in mud ponds, so are we getting to technical or not??

well now im confused I have been spending the last months trying to get my pond looking as if my koi are floating in mid air my water is gin clean it is 2 m deep and when i turn the air off for a minute or 2 when im drinking my coffee with them I am so happy as I can see every detail my pond is 2m deep and I can see the blanket weed flowing in the current at the bottom now I must go throw mud in there Im sure mud is good for them or else the japs would not put them in there for months before harvesting, but think ill have to build a mud pond in the back of my garden and keep my koi in there a few months of the year.

yes please all the experts could you let us know whats best as im new to all this and really want the best for my koi.???????????

There are many reasons and advantages to keeping pond water clear AND keeping pond systems clean.

These far outweigh any argument for so called green water or mud on the floor for that matter.

You would not keep 10 dogs in a closed and confined room? So why on earth would you consider unhygienic conditions for your koi.

Mud pond have stocking densities far lower than we keep in our ponds. Therefore we have to deal with much higher pollution levels in our ponds. Just the fact that we feed protein in the pellets means a lot of ammonia is put into the pond water and a lot of oxygen is extracted.

Green water = algae. Algae is a plant and reproduces its self many times an hour. When algae dies it goes some where - the floor of the pond or trapped in the filters. It is still in contact with the passing water and is biodegrading. i.e. going rotten. Rotting organic matter adds toxins to the passing water and extracts oxygen.

Mud/clay on the pond floor is hazaderous. Firstly it will block the flow of water from the bottom to the surface. This is a critical part of successful koi keeping - bringing the water into contact with the atmosphere.

Secondly - over time the mud will develop sediments - a BIG no-no in koi keeping. These sediemnts will develop areas which are cut off from the water and they will become anaerobic. Anaerobic areas will produce hydrogen sulphide.
Hydrogen sluphide is toxic to koi in VERY small quantities.

Actually hydrogen sulphide is a big silent killer or at the least a stressor of our koi. Even in gin clear ponds - poorly maintained systems can produce areas or pockets of anaerobic bacteria.

So I would stick to a gin clear pond that is well maintained and enjoy my koi collection every day. That is best for your koi and for you.

In reply to Marius - yes we are getting too technical. We can open a very nice debate on this one. Stick to the KISS principal - Keep It Simple Stupid. But we still need to stick to basics - basic pond hygiene. In other words become a water keeper before you become a koi keeper.

Again its the same with any animal husbandry - whether you keep dogs, birds or elephants. You provide the environment and the animal lives a healthy and long life. You are just dealing with a different and difficult environment with koi. And no you don't need a mud dam in you back yard.

Regards,
Chris