Koi Fish
- Thread starter ElCue
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j.w
I Love my Goldies
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Well if you stick around and read a lot of the posts and idea's here you will find out. Koi need a large pond to start with. I only have goldfish. They don't need as much room as they don't get as big and they are cheaper to buy.
Mmathis
TurtleMommy
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Hello and welcome!
The first thing you need to do is learn all you can about ponds and the Science that is involved with that ecosystem. Learn about the nitrogen cycle.
Picture the fish swimming around in an artificial environment. Then picture a group of people confined to a small room without doors or windows and limited washing and bathroom facilities (maybe one or more is even a smoker). There is no way to get rid of food containers or uneaten food. It won’t take long before the place is just nasty. The air at first, is stale, then it becomes toxic. The food becomes contaminated. The immune systems become weakened and the people start getting sick…….
Sorry to put it that way, but I think people often forget that the environment a fish lives in does equate to the environment that people and other animals live in.
The first thing you need to do is learn all you can about ponds and the Science that is involved with that ecosystem. Learn about the nitrogen cycle.
Picture the fish swimming around in an artificial environment. Then picture a group of people confined to a small room without doors or windows and limited washing and bathroom facilities (maybe one or more is even a smoker). There is no way to get rid of food containers or uneaten food. It won’t take long before the place is just nasty. The air at first, is stale, then it becomes toxic. The food becomes contaminated. The immune systems become weakened and the people start getting sick…….
Sorry to put it that way, but I think people often forget that the environment a fish lives in does equate to the environment that people and other animals live in.
- an understanding of the environment (in this case, the nitrogen cycle)
- adequate ventilation through water movement, aeration, and filtration
- adequate physical space
- precautions for protection against the elements (shade if there is too much sun) / depth if the water might freeze)
- an environment that gives them a feeling of safety and security against predators — real or imagined (places to hide)
- a healthy diet
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Welcome to the forum!
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The words "koi pond" have become a universal description of a garden pond.
Most people don't realize until it's too late that koi get huge, excrete an awful lot of waste and need a LOT of room.
So, to the question....how to keep a "koi pond" healthy.
At least 1,000 gallons for the first koi and 250-500 gallons for each additional koi.
You can buy a water counting device for around $20-$30 that screws onto your garden hose. Knowing you water volume comes in handy in the future.
If you don't have the room for an actual "koi pond", you should check out shubunkin. They are in the goldfish family, don't get too big, are colorful and have beautiful long flowing fins.
Patience! This is very important. Nothing happens overnight. It can take days or sometimes weeks for changes to happen.
Adequate filtration.
Lots and lots of plants.
Lots and lots of plants. Yeah, I repeated myself because we can't stress enough how plants are an intricate part of you pond's ecosystem.
Lots of water flow and aeration, especially surface agitation.
Never empty, scrub, powerwash or aggressively clean out the pond.
Every surface of your pond will grow an important biofilm on it. This helps the ecosystem with filtration.
Never use any chemicals....ever, especially algaecide. only dechlorinator if your home's water is treated.
Dont waste your money on store bought beneficial bacteria. Your pond will grow it's own.
The same for barley straw or barley extract. Not neccessary.
Don't overfeed.
Don't add too many fish. They will certainly multiply resulting in poor water quality due to overpopulation. Too much fish waste for your filter to handle.
Use either an EPDM liner or HDRPE. DO NOT USE A PVC LINER. The liner is the very base of your build and if you choose to use a cheap liner you will be taking everything apart very soon.
Don't let any of this discourage you.
We are here to help.
We don't want you to make the same mistakes we made early in our ponding.
Most people don't realize until it's too late that koi get huge, excrete an awful lot of waste and need a LOT of room.
So, to the question....how to keep a "koi pond" healthy.
At least 1,000 gallons for the first koi and 250-500 gallons for each additional koi.
You can buy a water counting device for around $20-$30 that screws onto your garden hose. Knowing you water volume comes in handy in the future.
If you don't have the room for an actual "koi pond", you should check out shubunkin. They are in the goldfish family, don't get too big, are colorful and have beautiful long flowing fins.
Patience! This is very important. Nothing happens overnight. It can take days or sometimes weeks for changes to happen.
Adequate filtration.
Lots and lots of plants.
Lots and lots of plants. Yeah, I repeated myself because we can't stress enough how plants are an intricate part of you pond's ecosystem.
Lots of water flow and aeration, especially surface agitation.
Never empty, scrub, powerwash or aggressively clean out the pond.
Every surface of your pond will grow an important biofilm on it. This helps the ecosystem with filtration.
Never use any chemicals....ever, especially algaecide. only dechlorinator if your home's water is treated.
Dont waste your money on store bought beneficial bacteria. Your pond will grow it's own.
The same for barley straw or barley extract. Not neccessary.
Don't overfeed.
Don't add too many fish. They will certainly multiply resulting in poor water quality due to overpopulation. Too much fish waste for your filter to handle.
Use either an EPDM liner or HDRPE. DO NOT USE A PVC LINER. The liner is the very base of your build and if you choose to use a cheap liner you will be taking everything apart very soon.
Don't let any of this discourage you.
We are here to help.
We don't want you to make the same mistakes we made early in our ponding.