Koi ponds are used to enhance the landscape of your yard and for the enjoyment of those that own them. The sound of the running water brings with it tranquility and relaxation to the landscape. But, maintaining a koi pond takes work. Several things need to be done to keep the pond running correctly and to ensure the health of the koi fish within it. In order to maintain the pond properly, certain supplies are essential to have on hand.

Adding a water feature like a fountain or a waterfall to your pond not only gives the pond beauty, it also plays a vital role in the health of the koi fish themselves. The running water of the fountain stirs the water within the pond and adds oxygen to the water.

The filter is another aspect of the pond that is vital to its overall health. The filter is what removes the unwanted pollutants from the water giving your koi fish the best quality of water possible.

Because koi ponds are so large, a water pump is also needed to aid in the removal of pollutants. Koi pond filters are not strong enough to move the water enough to clean it entirely. And although the water feature stirs the water as well, it is not strong enough to circulate the water enough for the filter to clean it. This is the reason why a water pump is vital to a koi pond.

The quality of the water is very important to the health of the koi fish. There are a couple of essential supplies that should be kept on hand to help maintain the quality of the water.

When the pond's water level gets too low, you may need to add water to it from the hose. Unfortunately, this will also add unwanted chlorine to the water. In order to combat this problem you should always keep dechlorinator on had to add to the water which will eliminate the harmful chemicals within the tap water.

You should also have a water test kit available to keep track of the water's pH level and the Nitrate level. These kinds of test kits can be found at you local pet supply store. If the test shows that the pH or Nitrate level of the water in the pond is off, you can add baking soda or pond salt to the water to regulate it.

Many people choose to build their koi ponds under the shade of a tree. The shade of the tree offers the koi fish protection from enduring too much sun during the day. It also protects the koi fish from bird predators because they have a harder time seeing the koi in the pond as they fly overhead. Although a tree adds these advantages to the pond, it also provides your pond with leaves, twigs and debris. For this reason your should always have a pond skimmer to be able to clean out debris from the pond and to keep the water clear.