Koi 911 offers a fully integrated service to corporate and home pond owners. Koi 911 business objective is to ease the task of the Koi keeper and within doing so ultimately ensure that fish and pond life flourish.
Monthly maintenance
KoiCare owner Gerhard is often saddened by the conditions he finds ponds, you cannot maintain your pond every 3 months and think it will create a natural eco-system and your Koi will just survive! Sadly, many pond owners only see maintenance necessary once they encounter a problem pond this is often too late! Pond maintenance is not negotiable.
A koi pond is a habitat created with a specific eco-system designed purposely to support all the elements needed for koi and pond health.
This eco-system needs to be maintained regularly. If not, it will build up waste, waste turns into toxins that lower the Koi immune system, and your Koi becomes more subjective to bacteria and parasite ultimately disease takes over which could be fatal to your koi and pond life. Research on Koi health indicated that 33% of Koi deaths are related to poor quality water.
Click here to see Koi Death Statistics
Apart from toxins poor water quality also lowers the oxygen available. Regular water checks and maintenance of these systems and elements are especially important and can often prevent pond problems.
Regular maintenance should include testing the water quality for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, carbonate hardness, salinity, pH, oxygen concentration, pump functionality, etc. If pH is not kept at the ideal level or stable it can burn of chap the Koi’s (skin) or even present a “pH swing” interfering with their body functions, leaving Koi fish vulnerable to stress and disease.
Many koi pond owners are very successful at pond maintenance but for the koi pond owner that just wants to enjoy their pond without the concerns of carrying out the maintenance. Koi 911 offers a monthly maintenance service contract.
The services will include:
- Testing of water and change if necessary – test ammonia/nitrite/ nitrate to understand if levels are normal to prevent toxin build-up and check for pH imbalances that need correction.
- Cleaning of pump basket – remove waste to avoid blockages and waste build-up that will affect the free flow of water to the filter system.
- Open filter and brake sand crust – backwash thoroughly and rinse until the water is clean
- Remove solids from floor and surface – remove waste to prevent it from blocking the filter, blocked filters will reduce flow in return to reduce oxygen and promote the build-up of toxins.
- Monitor algae, blanket weed, and silt especially in summer – to prevent blockages and to avoid it from controlling your pond life
- UV tube inspection – ensure in working condition to assist in the control of floating algae.
- Annually inspection of plant growth – prevents plant life to become root-bound and overpopulate the pond, creating areas where unwanted anaerobic bacteria can grow.
- Pump inspection – Inspect pump to detect any air leaks and to ensure the pump does not run dry or impeller clogging
A Care Report will be completed and sent if necessary to bring concerns to the client’s attention.
Leak detection and solutions
A leaking pond could be a very frustrating, expensive, and time-consuming experience. It also has consequences for your Koi as you have to continuously top up with chlorine tap water which could lead to burning their sensitive gills.
The majority of leaks are from incorrect pond construction, material, and methods.
A recent article published indicated that 40% of ponds build today will not work from day one and 70 to 80 % will not work in 12 months due to water loss.
Waterproofing Solutions
Koi Care is well linked to other resources related to i.e. Koi breeders, koi food, pond hardware, and pumps, etc.
Koi 911 follows a specific method and thorough process of elimination to obtain a full understanding of what is causing the leak/s. Koi 911 has had a very high success rate in detecting and solving leaks.
Our process and method include the following:
History check
Koi 911 will obtain a history check from the client to obtain a better understanding of the leak and possible previous efforts that have failed to resolve it.
Pipework, plumbing, and filter inspection
Koi 911 will pressure test pipework and filtration system. We will also check for worn O-rings and unions.
Visible inspection of pond shell
Should the leak not be in pipework or filtration system a visible inspection of pond shell will be necessary. Koi 911 will inspect the shell of the pond to determine if the leak originates from previous waterproofing and/or construction defects.
Why Fibreglass?
Although many waterproofing materials and methods are available, we have found over the years that fiberglass is the only guaranteed solution.
The advantage of fiberglass is endless. It is worldwide the preferred method of waterproofing due to its structural performance in creating a separate shell from the leaking one. Although it is much lighter in weight and density it is compared to the strength of steel. It is long-lasting, low maintenance material and non-toxic to all Aquatic life.
It can be done in a reasonably short time which is an important factor as it would mean the temporary relocation of your Koi.
This could be stressful for Koi and Keeper. Koi 911 will provide a temporary tank on your premises with the correct oxygen and filtration equipment to ensure the Koi are taken great care of.
The secondary benefits are that it provides the pond with a high neat aesthetic finish that improves the visibility of your Koi. Once Koi 911 has completed the process we will ensure that the water is suitable to reintroduce your Koi.
Pond equipment
Immaterial if you a DIY person, need a replacement part urgently or need our professional technical support to repair or replace pond equipment. Koi 911 supply and install a full range of all koi pond equipment.
We only deal with the industry’s leading manufacturers including Speck pumps, Ultra Zap, Pool and spa, Aqua Master, and many more.
Additional to standard koi equipment we also have temporary tanks for hire should you need to relocate or quarantine your Koi.
Pond design and construction
Koi 911 understands that for most it is the aesthetic, tranquil environment and interaction with Koi that attracts them to having a koi pond but few realize that normal tap water is a very unsuitable for Koi to live in. Tap water needs to be “treated” and needs to form part of a water system. It is important to understand that when you build a pond you create a specific habitat for Koi to live in.
This habitat is a water system which needs the correct design, construction, filters, water flow methods and regular maintenance. If not, it will build up waste, waste turns into ammonia and eventually toxic nitrite, which lower the Koi immune system and create a vulnerability to bacteria and parasites. Ultimately disease takes over which more than likely will be fatal to your koi and pond life.
Apart from toxins poor water quality also lowers the oxygen available. Research on Koi health indicates that 33% of Koi death are related to poor water quality. Oxygen is created and introduces through inlet pipes, water features, water plants, venturis and air pumps.
The other important component is the waterproofing methods use to seal the pond. Resolving a water leak is costly, time consuming and frustrating. Build your pond correctly the first time around.
Koi 911 has an extensive “check list” of technical and design considerations that will be presented and discussed with you prior to construction. A Pond design diagram in our Portfolio section explains each component of a well-designed pond.
Koi 911 understands that a pond is a long-term investment and a permanent feature, that the koi keepers needs to live with it long after the pond builders has left. Building a well-designed pond that would be cost effective, ease the maintenance and provide a healthy habitat for Koi and pond life to flourish is the objective.
Before you think we only have concern for the technical aspects, Koi 911 has an extensive library of beautiful ideas and great in conceptualizing aesthetic themes adding interesting elements i.e. vertical gardens, water plants and “hardscapes”. We work close with architects and landscape artists should that be a requirement. We have built 17 new ponds , often over incredibly terrain and equally challenging new pond owners but have somehow always achieved a balance between the owner ideas and the technical aspects.
Koi 911 will once the pond is constructed assist the new koi pond owners in introducing their Koi and plant life to their pond and will assist the Koi keeper with maintenance aspects to ensure that it is an exciting and enjoyable experience.
Koi 911’s focus is to ease the task of the koi keeper and to ensure the Koi and pond life has a habitat to flourish.
