In taking care of your Koi, you need to take the necessary precautions when faced with those storms, both small and large scales. No matter where you are located, you'd be bound to come into contact with at least one extreme weather condition throughout the year.

We have all seen the destruction bought about by Hurricane Katrina, and this have shown us that having an emergency plan is the best way to avoid the results of total destruction.

Preparing For The Small-Scale Storms:

Preparing for such small-scale storms is quite easier than preparing for the large ones. These few simple steps will guide your pond through such storms.

1) Stop feeding your Koi. Truth of the matter is that your pond has enough natural sources for food for the fish to feed on so that they won't starve for a long period of time. If you have an undamaged filter, not feeding your fish will reduce the risk of ammonia problems in the future.

2) Make big water changes to your Koi pond. If the time comes that something goes really wrong and you're unable to take care of the pond immediately, your fish will have the privilege of getting the freshest water that's available to them. Leave out several inches of water so as to make up for the coming rainfall so that there will be lesser chances of overflowing.

If you got a drainage system, make sure that it's clear of any debris to make it work very well. Now, if your pond is at ground level and you'd expect high waters to occur, you can add some protection through sand bagging around the area, which will keep your pets confined within the area if the time comes that flooding will occur.

3) Place a net over your outdoor pond in order to ensure its protection from those flying debris. The same net that you have used for the fall to keep out the leaves will do, as long as it is secured very well.

4) Remove any object that can blow over, away or fall into the outdoor pond. Remember this: if you can push it over, so can the wind as well! The things that can be blown away by should be completely removed and you can place them inside your home.

Preparing For The Large-Scale Storms:

Large-scale storms prevent any type of preventative measures from being effective and successful. To completely save your pond from the storms, remove all of your pets completely out of the pond.

First off, it's good to have all the equipment that you need to transport your fish readily. The equipment that's needed to bag and transport the fish is really small which can be stored easily when not in use.

You must have the proper bags ready to transport your fish. Never try to use trash bags or regular plastic bags for this, because they aren't designed for the task and may even damage your Koi. Make sure to get bags that are big enough to hold and store your fish.

You'll also need rubber bands for each of the bag that you buy. Choose those that have good quality, in order to not let the water's pressure pop the rubber band out as you're transporting your fish.

You need to have a net that's big enough to compete with your fish. Although you won't need the net to pull the fish out of the water, you'll need it to direct your fish to the place that you want them to go. Just take proper precaution in handling the net, because it will cause damage to your fish, especially those large ones.

If you also want to give the best care possible for your fish, use a paint bucket to catch your fish, for it won't hurt them unlike the nets. Make sure that your paint bucket is big enough to contain your Koi.