Question
QUESTION: HI,
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A HOUSE AND WITH IT CAME A POND OF ABOUT 1000 GALLONS, WHICH WAS NOTHING MORE THEN AN EYESORE. AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS OF CLEANING IT OUT, ADDING FILTRATION WATERFALLS ETC. IT AS AWESOME. I HAVE ADDED A COUPLE DOZEN WATER HYACINTHS, DOING GREAY AS WELL AS SOME GRASSES AND LILYS. I HAVE CYCLED THE POND ( I KEEP SEVERAL INDOOR AQUARIUMS, LARGE ONES) AND IT READY FOR FISH. I KEEP READING CONFLICTING OPINIONS OF KOI AND HYACINTH, THE PLANTS ARE WONDERFUL GROWING LIKE MAD AND BLOOMING. WILL THE KOI EAT THE ROOTS AND KILL THE PLANTS. SHOULG WE GO WITH A COUPLE DOZEN SHUBUNKIN OR 6 TO 8 KOI. PLEASE HELP, WE ARE DYING TO ADD THE FISH BUT DONT KNOW WHICH ARE BEST TO KEEPING THE WATER GARDEN PART SAFE. HELP!!

ANSWER: Both goldfish and koi love to nibble on water hyacinth roots.  The smaller the koi are, the less damage they will do.  If you have a lot of water hyacinth that are growing well, a few koi won't do much harm to them.  Koi experts say to have 1000 gallons for the first koi and 100 gallons at least for each additional koi which would mean just one koi in your pond.  I have two koi in my 1800 gallon pond.  If you really love the koi, then get just say two and also some goldfish.  Don't add more than a dozen goldfish though.  Remember, next year, those goldfish will spawn and make more babies.  It's better to understock the pond at least until good bacteria are growing well in the filter.  You will enjoy it more, and the fish will be more healthy.  Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Robyn,
I have another question, because I dont trust the people at the pond stores, who just want to sell you everything in the store. We decided to go with the shubunkin, no koi.
The plants in the pond are taking off like mad, should I add pond salt to the pond, I heard it is great for the fish, but will it harm the plants?
Thanks Again

Answer
Some of the koi "experts" maintain 0.1% pond salt in their ponds.  Plants, snails, insects, sensitive fish, and some other animals don't like that much.  Plants at that level may start to die.  So, I always tell people to stay at or below 0.05% pond salt, and everyone should be fine with that.  You don't have to have salt.  I add salt just in the spring when things are starting up because the parasites, bacteria, and funguses are at their best then when the fish are weak.  Those nasties don't like salt either.  The salt helps control those things but also helps fish with osmotic regulation.  They have to constantly pump water out of their bodies.  The more salt that there is, the less pump work they have to do.  Of course, too much salt can harm them as well.  So, if you buy some pond salt and use what they say for plants with ponds or even just half of that, that should be enough.  Also, see this section on my web site:
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health3.htm#salt

Enjoy your shubunkins!  They're great!