A Proper Koi Pond is Different From a Regular Fish Pond

A Koi pond is different from a regular fish pond containing goldfish and a few small Koi carp. It is much more expensive to build and maintain. Breeding and Keeping these fish to professional breeding standards is a very expensive business and necessitates the need for professional filtration equipment, not to mention a large pool, usually in excess of 10,000 gallons.

The first real difference between the professional and the hobbyist is the difference in time and effort needed to grow and care for Koi. These large fish require a lot of extra care and specialist filtration equipment to maintain clear, pure water. They will consume vast amounts of specially developed food and produce a lot of liquid and solid waste, as a consequence of their healthy appetites.

The following pointers will explain some of the major differences:

* The pool size is a major factor. Exercise is important for the correct development of shape and form on Koi. In order to be able to exercise they need a lot of space in which to swim around. Also bear in mind that there will be quite a few fish and not just a single individual.

* The water depth is another factor. The average fish pond is between 2 feet and 3 feet deep. A Koi pond needs to be significantly deeper than this and will normally be between 5 and 6 feet deep. The minimum depth would need to be at least 40 inches.

* Specialized biological filtration systems are needed. A typical box type filter with bio balls or other low cost biomedia will not cope with the work load. Fluidized bed filters (bead filters) or vortex filter systems are needed, in order to quickly break down the build up of high volumes of ammonia and solid waste. These systems alone can cost several thousand dollars.

* The last thing that is needed is a large development of green water, caused by algae blooms. It is critical to use a correctly specified, high powered UV sterilizer, to destroy the algae bloom and to sanitize the water by killing pathogenic micro organisms, including bacteria and viruses. Excess algae interfere with the pH; a high pH makes even small quantities of ammonia, potentially lethal. Algae blooms also increase the levels of carbon dioxide and starve the water of oxygen at night time; worst case scenario you end up with dead fish.

* Koi are sensitive creatures that prefer warmer water. In the Northern US states, Canada and Northern Europe many breeders use a mechanism for heating the the water, to maintain an ambient temperature for these sensitive fancy fish. If you want to encourage maximum growth and prevent stress and death then it is important to be aware of this factor.

* The heart of any water garden is the pump. Whilst small submersible models are ideal for the average garden pond they will be no where near powerful enough for professional systems. Ideally the volume of water needs to be turned over at least every couple of hours. In a large system with a volume of 10,000 gallons or more this will necessitate the need of a much more powerful pump. External centrifugal pumps are commonly used. They have been designed to handle large volumes of water and high flow rates.

* A pump and biological filter need to be working constantly in order to provide a continued supply of oxygen and water to the nitrifying bacteria, responsible for converting toxic ammonia and nitrites into much less harmful nitrate. What would happen if there was an electricity cut, leaving you without power for some time? A backup electricity source would be required, which would need to kick in as soon as the main power supply was interrupted.

* You will be totally amazed at the number of people who spend a fortune on their water gardening equipment but then try to save a few dollars by purchasing inferior Koi fish food. They need proper nutrition, containing the right balance of protein, trace elements, vitamins and colour enhancers to develop properly.

* In a typical Koi pond there is no such thing as too much oxygen. Large volumes of oxygen are needed. A air pump is a great way to ensure maximum oxygen saturation.