Bernice Brewster

There is much truth in the adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. We tend to have a warm, cosy feeling about all the treatments we add to a pond and, to be blunt about it, the coloured water often makes us feel better. But, it may not necessarily make the Koi feel well. In the same way that any medicine we take can have unpleasant side effects, most certainly Koi treatments do as well. Some of the medications we use are actually significantly poisonous and overuse can cause long-term, harmful effects. The short answer to the question is definitely no, preventative medication is not a good idea. Regular monitoring of water quality is essential and, in the summer months, increased aeration to the pond is also important. Many problems that arise with Koi health are due to inadequate dissolved oxygen concentration through the summer. Offer good quality feed to the Koi, and in the summer feed little and often. Most of us are probably guilty of not actually feeding adequately at this time of year.