Ever thought of keeping koi fish in your backyard?

A relaxing backyard often has a beautiful water feature, and adding koi to your backyard pond can bring joy all of its own. Fish tanks are often put into places where stress levels can be high to help combat that stress. Fish tanks can be featured in many dentist offices for just that reason! Bring that relaxation to your home without the stress of having to deal with the upkeep of a fish tank. A fish pond does require some maintenance to keep it running efficiently, but can be combined with your normal backyard routine.

The Optimum Koi Pond

The optimum koi pond has several features. It should be built in an area that is accessible. It should be some place where you have easy access to it not only to maintain it but to enjoy it. An average pond needs to be about 23 feet by 12 feet with a depth of about 3 feet. This will hold about 15 to 20 adult fish in a healthy environment. Some hobbyists prefer a deeper pond or one that is not perfectly rectangular, which is okay, but it is important to know the volume of the pond to have the right amount of filtration. Three other features of an optimum koi pond are bottom drains, filtration, and a heater. Heaters are the go-to for some pond owners in colder climates while others let their mature fish acclimate to the cold of the water in a dormancy state and may just run aeration to keep the pond from completely freezing over.

Koi Selection

When it comes time to select your koi there are a few things that you should remember. One is that quality over quantity. It may be better to buy one nice healthy fish than buying several fish that are not as vibrant. You may also want to consider if you are going to show your fish (yes, there are koi fish shows!). The fish should have a full body shape, and look healthy. If you are considering investing in show quality fish, it can be helpful to do your homework on desired coloring to maximize your investment. If you are just purchasing koi to enjoy in your backyard, pick small fish with color and patterns you enjoy. When it comes to the number of fish to purchase, it may seem as though your pond has plenty of space for more koi, but remember that might not be true when they are full grown. Overstocking your koi pond can lead to environmental problems where none of your fish will thrive.

Koi Care

Caring for your koi is as simple as following a routine. Test your pond water once a week or more if you are experiencing any problems. A water testing kit can help you determine your pond’s pH and other levels. The water should have a pH level somewhere between 6.6 and 8.4 with a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 being the ideal range. Ammonia and nitrites should be zero. If you find that your ammonia or nitrite levels are high, you may have a poor filter or your pond may be overstocked. You may need to do a partial water change to reduce these amounts. You should only feed your fish the amount of food that they can eat in five minutes. So, if you feed a particular amount per fish and find that there is uneaten food still floating after the five minutes are over, you will want to reduce the amount. During the warmer months, you will probably feed your koi about two to four times a day because that is when their metabolism is high. When the water temperature is low, you may feed your fish only one time a day. When it drops below 50, stop feeding your fish as their metabolism will slow as they go into dormancy.

Koi Sickness

Koi can become sick due to environmental conditions or from infectious diseases. It is vital to identify what is making your koi ill for proper treatment. Some examples of environmental problems that can cause sickness include toxins, poor water quality or lack of proper nutrition. Improving the environment is often enough to take care of the koi that had been sick. Infectious disease can sometimes be harder to deal with, and may require you to quarantine sick fish to prevent them from spreading it to your healthy fish. Quarantining new fish is very important for this very reason. Check with your local vet or fish supply store to see if they can help you identify the sickness that you are dealing with in your fish if you become stumped with the problem. Some fish supply stores offer free water testing in the case of environmental problems.

Koi can be a beautiful and relaxing addition to your backyard. They may take a little to adjust to caring and maintaining your pond, but will become just as routine as fertilizing your plants. The key is to educate yourself and stay true to your maintenance routine.