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When deep cleaning your koi pond, transfer fish to a clean, uncontaminated container at least one foot deep, like a large bucket, tub, or kiddie pond. Fill the container with their existing pond water to avoid shocking them, and place the container in full or partial shade. When it’s time to reintroduce them into the pond, slowly add the new water to the container before adding the fish and container water back into the pond.

While they’re popular and have a lot of pros, the cons of river rocks include the following:

• River rocks don’t break down or provide nutrients to plants. 

• These stones can get hot and scorch nearby plants. 

• River stones may heat the surrounding soil to inhospitable temperatures. 

• Rocks can block rainwater from seeping into the ground if installations are too thick or tightly packed.

Most downsides occur when using river rock as mulch in gardens and flower beds. However, you can still incorporate river rocks into your landscape as long as you use them in the correct ways.

The average pond maintenance cost is $2,000. But how much you pay to take care of your pond depends on multiple factors, such as the size of the pond and whether fish live in it. Your area's climate also affects the overall maintenance cost, as you may need to winterize your pond to protect it and any aquatic life in it during the colder months.

Though there are a lot of factors that go into caring for a koi pond, the most important maintenance you can do is frequent water checks using a koi pond test strip that checks the water for dangerous conditions.  In addition to regular pond maintenance costs, you’ll also need to winterize your koi pond if you live in a colder area.