[Auntiesue]

I started as many do in this adventure!! A small water garden as an accent to landscaping. I also have a inner need to be near the sound of running water. Spent much of my youth near the ocean. We started out with plants and a few goldfish then during one visit to Petsmart we saw these cute little fish called Koi. Lots of colors available and pretty babies. They came with no information or care labels!! Once home in our itty bitty pond, they grew quickly. I started reading more about them and their needs online. Then I started dealing with sick fish. My koi health learning curve and proper care took a sudden and quick spiral upwards. Over the next two years I learned about basic proper filtration, a proper koi pond and proper feeding. About this time we attended our first koi show (OKC) and got a good look at fully mature grown koi. JR was the judge that year (thank you JR)!! We came home, took one look at our small water garden and realized this simply would not do if we were going to grow these majestic creatures. I started adding on to that small water garden still attempting to keep plants as well, but the rocks were taken out after the first season. The plants went away once the fish got a bit larger as they enjoyed tearing them up (what a mess that was). I was always upgrading, but never getting where I really wanted to be with that meager start. Finally we took the plunge and dug a proper koi pond with proper filtration and have not looked back since. What happened to that meager water garden start you ask? Well last year it was totally dug up and replaced with a smaller koi pond with even better filtration and much easier to maintain. So now we have two ponds. One grow out pond with soft water and a smaller pond to finish them off with a bit harder water.

So yes, many of us do start out simply wanting a landscaping accent, but soon fall in love with these fish and learn to do better for them. If the passion is within you to move on, you will. If not, then by all means, be happy with your water garden, just don't expect healthy large koi to thrive in those ponds.