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Written by Kirk Rogers
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Monday, 04 August 2008 |
There are many reasons for heating your Koi
pond,maybe you just want to see your enjoy your pond in all seasons.Whatever
your reason we just want to give you some insight to make it easy to accomplish.
There is now new technology, energy efficient heaters being developed for pond
heating.Therefore we recommend electric Koi pond heaters, submersible
heaters, heat exchangers and floating pond heaters.
Pond heating Considerations:
First you must determine whether you want to de-ice or actually heat your pond
to a specific temperature. Deicers melt the ice to provide an opening for
harmful gas exchange only. Heating your pond to obtain a
specific temperature can be a bit technical, so if your not sure about the
heater sizing we recommend that you contact our Koi pond heating specialists.
The outside low temperature is the key to your kilowatt requirements and
unfortunately it can vary. Your heater output kilowatts are calculated based on
your low ambient temperature and if your geographical area drops far below that
normal low temperature a safety factor should be included in the calculations.We
recommend submersible pond heaters for small to medium size ponds and energy
efficient heat exchangers for large ponds.
* Pond Heating: There are conditions that
effect pond heaters and make it more difficult controlling pond
temperature.
* Pond Waterfalls are used for aeration and
beauty,but they cool the water and work against the heating process.
* Pond Water Depth a good designed Koi pond should be at least three
foot in depth,shallow large exposed surface area ponds are easily effected by
wind chill factors and require larger pond
heaters to maintain temperature.
Koi Pond Information: One period when Koi keepers
traditionally have their most difficult time with health problems is during the
transition from winter to spring. As waters begin to warm up, pathogens are able
to multiply at a more rapid rate than Koi can defend themselves leading to an
increase in the likelihood of disease. If a pond is heated over winter, then
this risky period is removed from the Koi owners.
Do not raise the Koi's water temperature too fast.
Parasites and bacteria can also grow more quickly in warm water. The fishes
system takes time to adjust but the disease organisms do not. Raise the
temperature from ambient at 3 - 5 degree intervals every 24 hours to 80 - 84
degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain a stable temperature with less than 2 degrees
variable per day Treat with 0.3% salt and parasiticides or antibiotics during
the adjustment period, and continue with medication if necessary until cure is
affected. Maintain temp. for 4 - 6 weeks after cure, then slowly drop the
temperature to match that of the pond water. This will ensure a stronger Koi and
ease the fishes transition back to the pond.
Kirk Rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. Heating Your Pond , Pond Calculators , Pond Heaters
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Koi Ponds 
