First, unless you have a large amount of knowledge in outdoor landscaping, fish keeping, and construction, it may be a good idea to leave the pond building up to a professional. While some people think that building the pond yourself with save you money, this could not be further from the case. If your pond is not build properly the first time, you will end up spending a large amount of money on fixing the problems that come up. Not only that, if your pond is not properly setup, you may not even be able to keep fish alive.

Remember when you hire a professional, it is their job to give you what you want. They can give their knowledge when it comes to decision making, but ultimately, they will do whatever you want them too. Because of this, you cannot blame them if your pond fails do to location, size, or other factors. However, beware of extremely cheap quotes as they may cut corners that could potentially cause you problems later. While quotes will come in different, there should not be a very dramatic difference between them.

Koi ponds, are by no means, swimming pools or animal water troughs. This is the reason why so much care must be taken in planning and building your pond. It may cost more money then building a typical swimming pool, but the rewards are much greater. Be sure to keep all children and other none fish pets out of the pond, as they can cause problems. If your children swim in your pond, not only could they cause a chemical imbalance, but they could also cause major problems such as leaks. While it is typically ok to have other pets around your Koi pond, some pets may get the idea that is fun to mess with your filtration system or chase your Koi around.

Remember, the majority of Koi ponds are permanent once they are built. This means that you cannot decide in two or three weeks that you do not want you Koi pond in the front yard, that you would rather have it in the backyard. Carefully plan each and every aspect of your pond, because once it is built, there is little you can do to change it. Remember such things as size requirements, and placement.

Finally, remember that maintaining a Koi pond can be a substantial amount of work. Make sure that you will have enough time to carry out the everyday needed maintenance, and remember that, like with any other pets, issues will arise that require extra special attention. Vet visits may be needed, or you may need to take some extra time out of your weekend to clear up an algae infection. Have a plan, and make sure that if you are going to be going away, make sure someone with enough knowledge to properly maintain you pond is available until you return.

Koi are raised for purchase in countries like Japan, Singapore, Israel, and in the warmer American states such as Nevada and California. Koi can be purchased at most local pet stores. If they do not have stock on hand, typically they can be ordered. Ordering Koi has its advantage and disadvantages. You have more options when ordering Koi, since you do not have to pick from the stock on hand, but the disadvantage lies in the fact that you will not be able to pick specific Koi.

Your pond should be complete before you even look into buying your Koi. The size and amount of Koi you buy should be highly based on your pond. Be careful, overstocking will cause problems right away with your pond, potentially killing many of the Koi you purchase, causing you to loose time and money. Talk with your local dealer about your setup so that they can inform you on the amount of Koi in which you should have in your pond.

Most fish owners understand that most fish will only grow to the size of their enclosure. Koi, unlike other fish, will grow until they are the size of their specific type. You must be able to accommodate the amount of fish you purchase in the future.

Koi are none-aggressive fish. Koi do not have teeth, so you will not get bit if you decide to attempt to feed your Koi out of your hand. This even allows you to get smaller children involved. Smaller children will be delighted by the beautiful colors and gentle nature of the Koi.

Koi, like any other wild animal, will naturally be afraid of you in the beginning. Instincts tell them to be afraid of you, which is what keeps them alive in the wild. You must build up trust with your Koi, and this takes time and patience.

Koi are omnivorous fish, which means they will eat both meat and plants. This means that their diets are very versatile. Koi will eat pretty much anything that you put in the pond with them, no matter if it is good for them or not. Since Koi do not have a sense of what is bad and good for them, as their owner you must control their diet.

Koi Have Personality

You would not believe that Koi actually have personalities similar to other animals. They are social, and can even be trained to eat directly from their owners hands. The more time you spend with your Koi, the more you will notice each Koi individual characteristics and traits.

Koi have been known to live for up to 200 years at time, but generally the average lifespan of a healthy Koi is about 30 years. So if you are looking for along time pet companion, Koi may be a good choice.

There are a few ways to help prevent overpopulation. While you are never guaranteed that it will never happen to you, following a few simple steps will greatly reduce you chances.

Do Not Overstock

A common problem new Koi pond owners run into is over stocking. When you first go to buy your Koi, it may come down to deciding between a number of Koi that is equally beautiful and playful in the spirit of saving your pond from over stocking.

Talk with your Koi dealer or Pet Store professional about the specifics of your pond. You should tell them information about what type of filtration systems you have, what total size your pond is, and where you are planning on placing your pond. With this information, a professional will be able to adequately predict the right amount of Koi you can have in your pond successfully. Do not worry if this number seems small, because the professional will also be taking into account the fact that Koi grow fast and get rather large.

Some people run into the problem of not being able to turn down Koi from others. When accepting fish from sources such as other Koi pond owners, take into account why they are giving you the fish. Chances are they are giving away fish because they are having issues with over population as well. Turning down fish does not mean that you are causing any damage to those fish, it simply means that their owner will have to find a different person to take the fish.

Once Overpopulation Has Occurred

In the event that overpopulation has already occurred in your pond, there are several ways of removing babies from your pond.

One way is to stop feeding your Koi the minute you realize that spawning has occurred. You should stop feeding your Koi for no less then three weeks. Do not worry about your Koi starving, as they will focus more on natural foods if you are not feeding them daily. This natural diet includes their young. Koi are not cannibalistic animals by any means, but they will eat their young when they are still eggs or if they are small and resemble insects. Once the baby Koi actually resemble real fish, and the adult fish recognize this, they will no longer see them as food, so it is important to start this process as soon as you notice spawning or babies.

While this is a process of nature, you may still find this method to be cruel or unusual. Another way of removing unwanted babies from your pond is to give them away.

First, check with your local pet store. Many pet stores have programs in which they will accept unwanted animals and give them good homes. Some may even pay a certain amount for each fish since they sell them, but do not count of this. Local Zoos may also have programs.

If you know of a local Koi society, you may let them know that you have unwanted babies. Alternatively, you can find a message board or group online and post messages there. Who knows, you may even start another person on a Koi keeping hobby.

Recent events such as Hurricane Katrina have shown us that having an emergency plan could mean the difference between saving your pond, and total destruction.

Smaller Storms

Preparing for smaller storms, and storms that you have more notice on is somewhat easier then preparing for a large storm. Taking a few simple steps will help guide your pond through the storm.

1) Stop feeding your fish. Your pond contains enough natural food sources that your Koi will not starve for a long amount of time. If the storm does any damage to your filtration process, not feeding you fish will cut down on the chance of any ammonia problems later on.

2) Do as big of water change as possible to your pond. In the case that something goes really wrong and you are unable to attend your pond right away, your Koi will have the freshest water available to them. Also, leave out several inches of water to make up for coming rainfall. This way, there will be less chance of your pond overflowing. If you have some type of drainage system, make sure to clear it of any debris so it will work at its full potential. If you pond is ground level and high waters are expected, you can add protection by sand bagging around the area. If nothing else, this may keep your koi confined within the area if flooding occurs.

3) Net over your pond to protect it from any flying debris. Using the same net you use during the fall to keep leaves out should suffice, as long as you properly secure it down.

4) Remove anything that could potentially blow over, away, or fall into your pond. A good rule of thumb, if you can push it over, so can the wind. Items that could blow away should be completely removed from the area and placed indoors.

Large Storms

Large storms like the recent hurricanes prevent any type of preventative measures from being successful. The only real way to save your pond in these types of events is completely remove your fish from the pond.

First, it is always a good idea to have all the equipment needed to transport your Koi on hand. If you are having an emergency with your Koi, you may or may not have time to make a trip to your local pet store to gather what you need. The equipment needed to bag and transport Koi is small, and easily stored when not in use.

Bags- You must have the proper bags on hand to transport Koi. Do not attempt to transport your Koi in trash or regular plastic bags, as they are not designed for this, and may cause damage to your Koi. Unless you remembered to keep the bags you brought your koi home in originally, you will have to make a trip to your local pet store. Make sure to get bags sizable enough to hold your Koi.

Rubber Bands- You will need quite a few rubber bands for each bag you buy. Make sure that your rubber bands are good quality, as you do not want the pressure from the water to pop the rubber band in the middle of the transport.

Net- You will need to have a net sizeable enough to compete with your Koi. You will never need the net to pull the Koi out of the water with, but you will need it to lead and direct your Koi into the place you want them. Nets can potentially damage your Koi, especially as the larger they get.

Paint Bucket- A paint bucket is a better option for catching your Koi, as they cannot hurt your Koi like a net can. Make sure that your bucket is sizable enough to hold your Koi.

Koi will eat pretty much anything that you put in the pond with them, no matter if it is good for them or not. Since Koi do not have a sense of what is bad and good for them, as their owner you must control their snack diet. Another potential problem is over feeding treats. Again, Koi do not have the knowledge to know when to stop eating, and weight issues may come from overfeeding none nutritional foods.

However, if you feel that your Koi deserves treats, there are many types of foods that are available that may contain nutritional value, and will not harm your Koi in any way.

Natural Koi Treats- The best type of treat to feed your Koi is what they would find naturally in their pond. Things such as earthworms, tadpoles, and bloodworms are found in ponds, and may be eaten by your Koi without your knowledge. The best way to find out what natural treats are available is just to look around the pond. Once you know what it out there, then you can either dig up the treats from the ground around the pond or buy similar products at your local store.

Prawns- Prawns are edible crustaceans which are similar to shrimp, but are usually larger. Prawns are actually very good for Koi because they are high in Protein. You can find prawns at a number of places including your local pet stores, department stores, and feed stores. Prawns are available in regular and frozen, but be sure if you buy frozen to completely thaw it out before giving it to your Koi. Prawns are also one of the best treats to promote hand feeding.

Lettuce- Lettuce is high in essential vitamins and minerals, and it quite healthy for your Koi. There is no need to tear the lettuce in smaller pieces as the Koi can find joy in doing it themselves.

Fruit- Koi will eat a wide variety of fruit. When feeding your Koi fruit, make sure to break the fruit up into small pieces. Fruit should only be fed to your Koi on special occasions, as most fruit contains high amounts of natural sugar, which can be bad for Koi in large amounts.

Bread- One of the cheapest treats available is Wheat Bread. Take a piece of bread, break it up, and roll it into small balls before throwing it into the pond. Be sure to avoid all types of white bread, as it may contain small amounts of bleach and other chemicals that can potentially be dangerous to your Koi.

No matter what type of treat you decide to use, it is still very important that you do not over do it. To many treats and interfere with their diets, and cause more harm then good. Just do not get carried away, and you will be set.

You should pay special attention to the certain foods such as corn, beans, and grapes, as they contain an outer casing, which cannot be properly digested if swallowed by Koi. If you must feed this type of foods to your Koi, be sure to completely remove the outer casings before giving it to your Koi.

As a new comer to this hobby, you may simply disregard this information. For whatever reason, whether it is that you feel removing unwanted babies is cruel, or if you believe that the more fish the merrier, you will quickly realize that keeping all the babies that are born could be a potentially harmful situation to both your pond, and the original parent fish.

Why Are The Babies Harmful?

What is so harmful about having more fish the your originally started with? Well a number of harmful situations can happen.

First, Koi can and will grow to us to three feet in length. Koi, unlike some other fish, will grow, no matter the size of their habitat. This will turn a beautiful pond in a wasteful, extremely overpopulated pond. Not only will to many fish cause damage to a smaller pond, but they will not be comfortable in their habitat.

When you originally setup your pond, surely you set the filtration system up for a specific amount of fish. Adding extra fish without adding more to your system will ultimately cause a surge in unwanted gases and chemicals in the water that is dangerous to your Koi.

Getting Rid Of The Babies

There are several ways of removing babies from your pond.

One way is to stop feeding your Koi the minute you realize that spawning has occurred. You should stop feeding you Koi for no less then three weeks. Do not worry about your Koi starving, as they will focus more on natural foods if you are not feeding them daily. This natural diet includes their young. Koi are not cannibalistic animals by any means, but they will eat their young when they are still eggs or if they are small and resemble insects. Once the baby Koi actually resemble real fish, and the adult fish recognize this, they will no longer see them as food, so it is important to start this process as soon as you notice spawning or babies.

While this is a process of nature, you may still find this method to be cruel or unusual. Another way of removing unwanted babies from your pond is to give them away.

First, check with your local pet store. Many pet stores have programs in which they will accept unwanted animals and give them good homes. Some may even pay a certain amount for each fish since they sell them, but do not count of this. Local zoos may also have programs.

If you know of a local Koi society, you may let them know that you have unwanted babies. Alternatively, you can find a message board or group online and post messages there. Who knows, you may even start another person on a Koi keeping hobby.

Higher Temperatures Cause Less Oxygen

During the summer months, the oxygen level in your pond actually decreases. Proper precautions should be taken, especially if you live in an area where temperatures stay high for the majority of the year. If you witness your Koi hanging out towards the top of the water, and they seem to be gasping for air, this may be a good indication that your pond does not have a high enough concentration of Oxygen.

One way to keep oxygen moving in your water is by installing water features such as waterfalls and fountains. The more the water is moving, the more Oxygen is available to your Koi.

If water features are not available, frequent water changes will give your fish the amount of Oxygen they need to survive.

Watch For Evaporation

Higher heat will cause your water to evaporate at a much higher rate. Pay close attention to your water levels and do adjustments as necessary. Remember, you must remove all chlorine from the water you add.

Summertime is Parasite Season

Not unlike other situations in life, heat brings on potential parasites and illness. The majority of parasites are not seeable by the naked eye, so instead, you must watch your Koi for signs of illness.

You may notice strange behaviors in your fish such as rubbing against objects, scratching, shaking, or shivering. Each symptom could indicate a different type of illness, so it is important to watch closely.

It is especially important to pay attention to your Koi if they start developing noticeable spots or changes on their body. They may also knock fins off.

If any type of change is noticed, contact your local vet, pet store, or Koi dealer as soon as possible. While some parasites will cause little damage, some illnesses such as KHV or Koi Herpes Virus have a high mortality rate, and should be treated as soon as possible.

Feeding Your Koi

To remain healthy during the summer, you fish will need food high in the types of nutrients that they need. During the summer you should feed your fish a food that in low in protein at least one to three times a day. If you fish still seem hungry after feeding, you may want to increase feeding slightly.

Feeding your Koi small amounts of food at a time will prevent food from spoiling. If you feed in larger amounts, some food may remain uneaten, and it can spoil in a very short amount of time. Fish will only eat what they need to survive, and will leave the rest. Spoiled food can cause water quality issues if close attention is not paid.

Feeding your Koi actually causes less Oxygen content in the water. During the summer this can especially be an issue, as Oxygen levels deplete in high temperatures. You can remedy this by feeding your fish in the cooler hours of the day.

Summer presents a special time to hand feed your Koi. Children are out of school, and the weather is usually perfect for being outside. Get the kids involved as they will remember it for years to come.

Your Koi pond will literally come to life at the first of springtime. The Living organisms in your pond have spent the previous winter in a proverbial hibernation, and are ready to come to life at the first signs of warm weather. This is the perfect time to begin maintenance on your pond before the fish, plants, and other pond life come back to live from their winter slumber. As the days begin to get warmer, your pond will start drastically changing. If you are not careful, you may miss this much needed opportunity to perform maintenance. Generally, watch for temperatures around 50 degrees, as this is the perfect time.

The maintenance needed on your pond will largely depend on what happened during the previous winter. If the previous winter was hard, chances are you will need to perform more changes, so it may be a good idea to start as soon as you start noticing the weather changes. However, some spring maintenance will have to be completed every year, no matter how harsh or how mild the previous winter was.

Water Quality

You may notice that the water in your pond is extremely clear when the seasons are changing from Winter to Spring. Do not let this fool you, as there are several factors that will actually cause problems once Summer comes if you do not remedy these issues ahead of time.

During the Fall and Winter months, organic material such as leafs and plant material may have found its way into your pond. While the water seems clear at the time, the organic material placed a large amount of nutrients into your pond, which will cause a surge of algae growth once spring arrives. If algae was not enough, the large amount of organic material in your pond will start to decompose, and will reduce the oxygen content in your water.

Since your water is perfectly clear, it is the perfect time to clear all of this unwanted debris and slit from your pond. This can be completed a number of ways.

1) Hire a pond professional from your local dealer or pet store. They will have the equipment needed to vacuum the majority of the debris and slit out of your pond. While this is a more costly option, you will have the assurance that the majority of the problem causing material will be removed from your pond.

2) If hiring a professional is not an option, you may want to consider using a fine mesh net to scoop up as much debris as possible. The only issue is most nets will only stir up the slit in your pond, rather then remove it.

Once you have removed unwanted debris, you must then test your water. Winter seems to cause the pH levels to change. At the start of Spring, your pH level should be an 8. This can be achieved by topping your pond off with treated tap water which is buffered to be slightly alkaline by your local water company.

Maintaining your Fish

Spring time is a very weak time for your fish, because they have not eaten for months, and have may be living on a low level of energy. This cause your Koi to be more susceptible to attacks from organisms such as bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. This makes Spring the opportune time to take all preventative measures possible. Adding a large spectrum of treatment solutions will greatly reduce the amount of disease causing pests and material. Once the temperature warms up, another dose of this treatment will ensure that your Koi will be well protected while they redevelop their immune systems. Once temperatures warm up, your Koi immune systems will be effective enough to protect themselves from disease.

This network can also provide sheer fun and entertainment. Who better to discuss your hobby with then others who find just as much enjoyment out of it as you do? No matter what the reason you find to join a Koi community, you will find that you are glad you did.

The majority of online Koi communities are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are typically free to use. All that is required of you is to go through a sign up process, and then begin reading, posting, and responding to other members posts.

Even if you have never joined an online community before, you will find that it is extremely easy to do so, and the benefits of being a part of such a community is rewarding. In just a few steps, you will be able to start talking with other Koi enthusiasts, potentially all over the world.

1) You must find an active community. While there are literally thousands of communities available online, the vast majority of them are old and outdated, and may not even be visited anymore.

Most message boards have statistics available right on their main page, you just have to look for it. Typical statistics include the number of posts for that day and month, the total number of users that are members, and the total number of members currently signed in to the board. The larger the number is generally better, especially when looking at the amount of members currently online. The higher amount online signals that you will not only be able to post and respond to messages, but you may potentially even be able to talk to other members in real time.

2) After you find a community with the amount of activity suits your needs, then you must become a member of this form. Some message boards do not require you to sign up to post messages. This option is a good idea if you do not plan on posting more then a couple of posts. However, if you plan on visiting the board more then that, then it would be a good idea to obtain a member name and password. This will be your identity.

Once you sign up, you may be able to create a member profile. Only add information to this profile that you would want the general public to view.

3) Once you become a member, you can begin flowing though the various topic boards. Topic boards break different topics into separate divisions, allowing users to more easier find and discuss what interests them. Topics can range anywhere from Koi keeping for beginners, advanced Koi keeping, all the way to specifics such as Koi behavior and health issues.

4) Once you find a board that suits your interests, you can read and post messages. Remember to only post messages on the topic listed to prevent any confusion and the possibility of your post being deleted. Also, always try to follow typical online typing etiquette when posting messages. Do not post in all caps, spell out each word instead of using abreactions, do not argue, etc.

5) Finally, help out! Other Koi enthusiasts or even people that are new to the hobby will find your opinion helpful and will welcome anything you have to say. Providing the knowledge you have may mean the difference between someone elses pond crashing, or making it through an issue.

When it comes down to it, any Koi is susceptible to the virus. The only real way to prevent it is to make sure that your Koi is never exposed to it. As long as you are knowledgeable about the disease, the chances of your Koi catching Koi Herpes Virus is substantially less.

Koi Herpes Virus Facts

Since the first outbreak in 1998, quite a bit has been learned about the virus. Knowing the facts about the virus may mean the difference between potentially infecting your pond, and preventing it.

Once a fish has been exposed to the virus, it will always be a carrier. Even with proper treatment, these fish will never be able to go to a new home. Sending exposed fish to a new home can potentially spread the virus to other fish. Likewise, adding new Koi into your pond could cause the new fish to get the virus, and cause a potentially higher mortality rate.
There is no known cure for Koi Herpes Virus.
Stress does not cause the disease in any way. However, stress can cause the disease to have a higher mortality rate.
74 degrees Fahrenheit activates the disease. This is extremely useful information because it allows for quarantining and testing to see whether or not fish have Koi Herpes Virus.
The virus can be spread a number of ways, including coming into contact with infected fish, water in which infected fish swam in, tools used when handling infected fish, and so on.

Preventing Further Spreading Of The Virus

Once your fish have been diagnosed with Koi Herpes Virus, the only real way to ensure that you do not infect any other fish is to consider depopulation. Depopulation is essentially the elimination of your entire population of Koi. While this might seem harsh, it is truly the only way to completely eliminate the possibility of any other fish from catching the virus.

When purchasing new fish, it is a good idea to quarantine the new fish separately from your current population for no less then 15 days. Knowing that the disease is activated at exactly 74 degrees Fahrenheit allows you to expose your fish to the right conditions for the disease to show itself. Koi that live in the conditions for this amount of time and do not develop any symptoms will have a substantially less chance of having the virus.

It is important to remember that when you quarantine your new Koi, they should remain under total isolation. This means that you should not allow anything to come into contact with the quarantined Koi, especially items that also come into contact with your current population. Separate tools, food, and water should be used, and never under any circumstances, should the tools used for your quarantined fish leave the area in which they are used. Another important thing to remember is proper hand washing procedures when handling both Koi and Koi items within the same time period.