I have two young boys, a cat, two goldfish, a plecostomus, three koi and a wife. I started with a wife, the gold fish and plecostomus came when my older son wanted a pet. I told the five year old that he was not ready to walk a dog or feed a cat so we'll start with fish. After the death of about 12 goldfish, several catfish and numerous crayfishes, we settled on Dad taking care of them in his office.
The day when Dad decided that he wanted a koi pond was a day of planning and deliberation. Our youngest was now five and the cat was still a kitten. Mom laid down the rules of safety and the family had to adhere to them. The following are the 6 rules for keeping the family and the koi from killing each other:
1) Children's safety comes first.
There is to be no playing around the koi pond. Our pond holds three beautiful Japanese koi that are each about eight inches long. They are very expensive and very friendly. Our boys are used to them now and vice versa. When they were younger, they were not allowed to hang around the pond without supervision. Young boys tend to be attracted to fire and water. I built a fence to keep them out when they were younger and it now prevents visiting kids from potential danger. The fence also keeps the cat honest and the koi alive.
2) No electrical appliances in the vicinity without supervision
I've secured all electrical wires in PVC pipes and grounded the connections. All filters and pumps are inspected each spring and fall. Any outdoor appliances such as radios, computers or anything else are plugged into a grounded outdoor receptacle.
3) Nothing goes into the koi pond
Nothing, absolutely nothing is thrown into the koi pond without permission; that means food, toys, or anything else. We have a very strict rule when family, friends or anyone else comes over. The pond is protected from the air as well against birds that will spot the beautiful colors from the air. If we have little kids over with their family, they encounter a locked gate over at the koi pond.
We want to enjoy the pond for years to come but we also realize the potential danger to others that open water often inspires. If you have an outdoor koi pond, please take the necessary steps to secure the area against what could be a disastrous situation when you lease expect it.
Dennis is a koi fish enthusiast who finds peace in tending to his koi fish pond. You can get free practical information and personal observation on caring for koi at http://didarticles.com/koi
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