Tips to Avoid KOI Stress

Stress free environment is not only necessary for human beings, but it is also important for other living creatures such as KOI fish. It is important to check for stress regularly otherwise it will weaken the KOI's immune system and making them more exposed to the diseases and also in severe cases even death. You cannot deny the fact that there are factors always present there to make the fish stressed and it is important for you to have clear idea of these to have better remedial measures. There are certain remedial measures through which you can avoid the KOI stress. You need to keep those points or tips in mind in order to avoid stressing KOI fish.

Don't Overstock your Pond

Overcrowded environment is always stressful for KOI fish. In an overcrowded pond, the water quality goes down quickly and more waste products should be produced in the pond. Having so many fishes in a pond also means high competition for food. You never get an idea if all the fishes are having enough feeding or not. If you want to keep large number of fishes, it is better to have a large pond and go for frequent water change.

Waste Pollutants

Over time waste pollutants accumulate in the pond and water, which need to be clean regularly. The best thing you can do is to install an adequate size of filter in the pond. To test the presence of waste pollutants and other impurities kits are available in the market, which can be used to check the presence of any toxic elements like ammonia or nitrate levels. A normal kit can test for ammonia, nitrate levels, and pH in the pond. As far as KOI is concerned, it is important to examine the oxygen level and carbonate hardness in the pond.

Vitamins and Minerals

Sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals are also important for KOI fish. You can use food specially formulated for KOI or any other good quality fish food to supplement vitamins and minerals.

Lack of Oxygen

Lack of oxygen in the system can cause stress to KOI. KOI needs proper amount of oxygen to live happily. Oxygen is usually provided by water circulation in the system via some form of water course. There are other options like venture or air pump to provide sufficient amount of oxygen.

Heavy Metals like Lead, Copper and Zinc

Presence of these metals in the system will restrict the growth of the fish. These should be in low level or better if completely absent from the system. If these metals are reported in your system, it is better to install an input water filter, especially designed to remove these metals.

Variable Levels of Water Temperature

To maintain temperature level in water is extremely important for KOI fish or any other kind of fish. If the temperature fluctuates considerably at high rates, it will adversely affect the lives of the fish. It is important to have a proper kind of thermostatically controlled heating system to your pond to keep the temperature stable. Or you can use any detachable cover, especially in winter or cold seasons to keep the temperature stable.