Maximum Number of fish per size of pond

[cl2smith]

This suddenly became a software post lol, I've been told one full size koi per 250 gallons you would hate to buy great koi just to have decide which ones to give away

i love watching koi grow so i will be giving them away except for the first one i bought for this pond.now if i get to build a new one 3 times the size.(i hope to do after a year of succes with this one) i can keep them.i think though with the pumps i have i can have a few big ones we will see.

 

[sissy]

Fish have babies ,lots of babies and they have babies .I have already tore apart 3 abandoned ponds here .The properties were foreclosed on and no one new what to do .I ended up taking on a job I did not want but someone had to do it or the fish would die .I sold off some of the koi to a pond and garden center ,who has professional places they sell koi too .The prized ones they keep the rest they sell to these big pond owners .It's not a hobby for them it is love I guess

 

[cl2smith]

i had babies few years ago 4 survized but of course i killed them along with 3 others :lol:
was my biggest fish disater and my fault.mine spawned this year but so far i havnt noticed any could be to soon still.

 

[Smile]

I recommend no more than 1 inch of fish per 20 gallons of water, But, keep in mind, Fish grow, So if you buy 2" goldfish and stocked at half that rate you would be HEAVILY overstocked at the end of a single season. If your stocking Koi 1 fish (4-6")per 100 gallons is about the max I would go. and again, If they all grow at regular rate you would be overstocked in about two years. For better health, ease of maintenance, more enjoyment, and more balanced pond stay way below these #'s. Overstocking may look good until a problem starts, then all of a sudden, Overstocking doesn't look so well when fish are getting sick, dying and your out there cleaning the pond twice a day everyday.

Can I ask the best way to reduce fish numbers? I have goldfish / shibunkin mix but there is now a lot of small black fry appearing. Should I just net them out or hope the larger fish will eat them? Does that happen? Regards

 

[j.w]

Can I ask the best way to reduce fish numbers? I have goldfish / shibunkin mix but there is now a lot of small black fry appearing. Should I just net them out or hope the larger fish will eat them? Does that happen? Regards

Give them away to friends or put add free on Craigslist, Nextdoor.com etc. People w/new ponds would love to have them. Maybe a pet store near you would too?

 

[BenB]

I've been lambasted in this site for telling how many fish I have in my 300 gallon pond, but I've been doing it for almost 20 years now. No sickness, no disease, no dead fish. Might have to clean out the filter more often but that's about it. Anyway, I have around 15 Koi in it, 5 of them are about 6 inches long the rest are smaller and I have something like 30 goldfish of varying lengths no longer than 5 inches. Plants, biofilter and a good filtration system and I use a sterilizer to keep excessive algae out. So that's at least 45 fish in there. The caveat is that when they get too big, I trade them out for smaller fish or sell them outright. Or give them away, just that Koi are pretty pricey and I'd rather get something back in return for growing them that large.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I've been lambasted in this site for telling how many fish I have in my 300 gallon pond, but I've been doing it for almost 20 years now. No sickness, no disease, no dead fish. Might have to clean out the filter more often but that's about it. Anyway, I have around 15 Koi in it, 5 of them are about 6 inches long the rest are smaller and I have something like 30 goldfish of varying lengths no longer than 5 inches. Plants, biofilter and a good filtration system and I use a sterilizer to keep excessive algae out. So that's at least 45 fish in there. The caveat is that when they get too big, I trade them out for smaller fish or sell them outright. Or give them away, just that Koi are pretty pricey and I'd rather get something back in return for growing them that large.

So, you continually remove the koi as they grow larger than 6"? Most people aren't really able (willing?) to do that level of culling. A six inch koi really isn't all that 'large', and if you remove them at that point, your situation isn't really comparable to what most people have to deal with. A closed system will eventually reach its breaking point when it comes to the amount of bio-load it can support. Good for you that you've found a way to have koi in what is absolutely a "too small" environment. Most of us get rather attached to our pet fish & don't wish to have such a constant turnover once they reach a certain size. If you don't, and what you've been doing (and obviously intend to keep on doing?) then I guess it's a matter of 'whatever works for you'.

 

[GBBUDD]

Could someone tell me what would be the maximum number of fish that could be maintained in a 2300 gal pond and would the size of the fish effect the figure? My pond is starting to get congested. Thanks a lot..

Id go with a half dozen choice gold fish and 30 minnows that school

 

[Jhn]

I've been lambasted in this site for telling how many fish I have in my 300 gallon pond, but I've been doing it for almost 20 years now. No sickness, no disease, no dead fish. Might have to clean out the filter more often but that's about it. Anyway, I have around 15 Koi in it, 5 of them are about 6 inches long the rest are smaller and I have something like 30 goldfish of varying lengths no longer than 5 inches. Plants, biofilter and a good filtration system and I use a sterilizer to keep excessive algae out. So that's at least 45 fish in there. The caveat is that when they get too big, I trade them out for smaller fish or sell them outright. Or give them away, just that Koi are pretty pricey and I'd rather get something back in return for growing them that large.

Seriously doubt you have been lambasted on this site. Just because someone told you it’s not a good idea to pack all those fish in a small pond, doesn’t equate to being lambasted. Good for you that you figured out a way to be successful at keeping your pond the way you do.

 

[Lisak1]

Lambasted? Or just questioned? You aren't stocking a pond - you're raising fish to sell/give away. The fact that you have no koi over 6 inches long is the key - none of them have lived in your pond for the 20 years you've been doing this.

Most people who ask about fish load on this site are stocking a pond with fish they intend to keep until they are fully grown and beyond
- surely you can see the difference. If not, go ahead and let your fish continue to grow in that 300 gallon "pond" - see what they results are.

Can I ask the best way to reduce fish numbers? I have goldfish / shibunkin mix but there is now a lot of small black fry appearing. Should I just net them out or hope the larger fish will eat them? Does that happen? Regards

Giving them away is the best option. The larger fish won't eat them, but they will eat eggs. Learn to recognize the signs of spawning and stop feeding your fish while it's happening to help control the population. That "gallons per inch" rule is outdated - check out this chart to see why:

Koi Length and Weight - Ammonia Produced, and Waste Produced

This chart also lists koi weight by weight and how much ammonia and waste they produce. Koi get heavier as they grow and produce more ammonia and waste.

russellwatergardens.com

As you can see, goldfish are a far better choice as you can have lots of "inches" of goldfish with far less waste produced than the same number of "inches" of koi. Biomass is more complicated than how long the fish is.

Those small black fry may grow out to be pretty fish, if you have the room to keep them!