How to Care for Koi Fish

There is nothing that adds a tropical element to a water garden quite like the sight of colorful Koi swimming around the pond. Here are some tips to help you buy and care for Koi fish.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Koi Fish
• Koi Food
• River Rocks less than 2"
• UV Filter
• Pond Pump & Piping

1. You will want a pump in your pond

   If you don't already have a pump and skimmer system installed in your pond, you should do this before introducing Koi. Adding a pump and skimmer system will ensure that you keep a clean pond for your Koi to live in.

2. Plan on 1 full grown Koi per 100 gallons of water in your pond. For example, if you have a water garden pond that is 5'x 20'x 2' on average, you would have 200 cubic feet of water. 1 cubic foot of water equals about 7.5 gallons, so your total water is close to 1,500 gallons and would support 15 full grown Koi.

3. Purchase your Koi

   Next, You'll have to find a source for purchasing your Koi. Koi can be reasonably priced and can get very expensive, depending on how large they are. Rare Koi can cost thousands of dollars. If you simply want Koi for the enjoyment of having them, buy small, reasonably priced fish. They grow quite rapidly. If you don't have a local retailer that sells Koi, they can be purchased online. If you have friends that have Koi Ponds, see if they have any they'd like to sell. Many pond owners have to get rid of Koi eventually because they will end up with too many for their pond.

Resources

• Koi Care Resources