When asked to imagine koi fish, most people would remember the vividly-colored ones – the red, orange, yellow and even the white ones. These colors are more eye-catching and certainly have become definitive of what koi fish look like. Only few people would imagine the black koi, and those who do would usually be koi owners who have developed a deeper appreciation of koi over time, and have grown to understand the significance of the black koi. Black koi have a more subtle allure, a mystery that surrounds them, and those who are curious enough to dig deeper will discover their rich significance.
Pond skimmers are necessities for every pond. A skimmer is a type of mechanical filter, where some sort of net, basket or screen is used to capture debris as water goes through the equipment. As ponds are located outdoors, there are many types of debris that can fall in easily, such as branches, leaves, twigs, grass, flower buds, mulch, garbage and all sorts of other waste. These must be collected because they would otherwise sink to the base of the pond and decay, adding excess nutrients to your pond. As a pond is a closed system, unlike a river which constantly refreshes itself with flowing fresh water, there is nowhere it can get a fresh supply of water, hence debris needs to be collected by special equipment known as a pond skimmer. In this article we will introduce to you what you need to know about installing pond skimmers.
Outdoor ponds are so beautiful in a garden, especially with the addition of some colorful koi fish. But the last thing any pond keeper wants is to have predators swooping in at night and snatching up those prized fish! In this article, learn about the more common pond predators and how you can protect your fish from these usual suspects.