Koi Ponds
Koi can be a calming addition to an outdoor water garden. Koi may look like large goldfish, but they are only distant cousins. Koi are actually more closely related to the common carp.
Koi keeping has become an extremely popular hobby among water garden enthusiasts. They add a colorful attraction to any outdoor space and can quickly become a conversational piece due to their quirky and often comedic personalities. Koi are an especially hardy breed of fish, making them well suited to living in just about any climatic condition as long as proper care is taken to meet their most basic needs.
Koi May Change Color Throughout Their Lives
Many of these changes are caused by pigments in their food. Some koi may turn white as they age.
Most Koi Can Live For at Least 20 Years
On average, pet koi will live 20 to 30 years. Some koi, however, have lived for more than 200 years. To enjoy a long life, koi need to be kept in a healthy atmosphere that has good filtration and water quality with no sharp edges on which they can injure themselves. They also need good nutrition, appropriate chemical levels and temperature in a stress free environment. Causes of stress include poor water quality, papasites and crowding.
Koi Love Company
They may be kept with other koi or goldfish, as they are usually very docile.
Koi Can Survive Under a Thin Layer of Ice
However, they need a small opening to get oxygen, and they cannot survive if it gets too cold or freezes too far down.
Koi Can Grow as Long as 2' - 3' Feet
Pond size, food, the number of fish sharing the space, the age of thefish and water quality can all affect a koi’s growth. Before setting up a koi pond, you should consult us to ensure you are setting up the proper environment.
Koi Are Omnivorous
They can be fed commercial koi food, but they also eat shrimp, worms, insects, water plants, fruit, vegetables and even certain kinds of cereals. Koi do not have a stomach, but instead, have a straight intestinal tract that will digest a meal within approximately 4 hours.
Advice
From the Pages of the Mid-Atlantic Koi Club News:
“It seems that the more people that see koi, the more people there are that want to own one (or 10 or 50). But to make the transition from dream to dream pond, there’s an awful lot of information that must be read/seen/heard and assimilated before one has even a chance of success. So to preclude those would-be koi keepers from putting the carp before the horse, here is a logical approach to what can be and in most cases is, a most rewarding and fascinating hobby.
“The first rule is:
— DON’T BUY ANY FISH YET!!!–
“Join a club and actively participate in all of its activities that you can make time for.
“Go see as many ponds as you possibly can, all the while asking questions and storing the data for your future use. After awhile you’ll have some ideas on what your budget, real estate and imagination can handle.”