Site for beginners?

[koifishgirl]

You have found the best forum. Talking about experience, well its here. I would not leave this forum to go to another as their are many helpful people on this forum that will be glad to help you. The more experienced the better.

Learn all you can about water quality as this is what keeps the fish healthy. After you have learned about this, then you can move to the next step of koi keeping.
The Interpet Encyclopedia of Koi is a very good book it gives alot of good information, like koi anatomy,Pond and filterconstruction, Water quality and filteration, Buying Koi, Feeding Koi, Seasonal care, Landscaping and water gardens, Breeding Koi, Health care, Showing Koi, Koi types. I dont think you would go wrong buying this book as it has help me with area like the koi health.

I can understand where you are coming from when I first started this forum, I thought they are just going to think I am a waste of their time. There are a bunch of very smart guys on this forum and they can take you to the top of koi keeping so stick around and dont waste your time looking for another forum when you have found the best. I just wish i had found this one first. Sometime these guys can go over you head a little, Yes bekko I am going to talk about you a little, then Steve jumps in and then its all down to earth. He is just one of my favorites, and I have only been on this forum for a short time. I hope you stick around because the good people on this forum can take you from A to Z

[Tosai_Sunny]

Hi Tamus,

Welcome to this board! I am also somewhat of a newbie as well. I have joined this board and subscribed to the magazine since its' conception two years ago. Both are excellent source of information for koi. I am on this board daily. There's a whole range of knowledge level on here starting from newbies like you and I to very experienced hobbyists(some even breed their owe koi). Everyone on here are very friendly and helpful as long as you do not keep koi in a water garden pond. :-) Just kidding.

Sounds like you have a water garden feature instead of a koi pond. Your water quality might not be suitable for koi. Maintaining water quality in a water garden feature is very difficult due the accumulation of mums in the bottom of the pond from dead plants and dirt. That could explain why you are having koi health issues. Most people start with water garden pond like you and gradually move to a "true" koi pond which should be deep(at least 4') with bottom drain(s), good filtration and no plants.

If you like koi and want to further your knowledge, I would definitely recommend joining clubs. There are two koi clubs(Oklahoma Koi Society and Dallas Koi Kichi) which are within two hours drive from Ardmore, Ok. I live in Dallas and I am a member of the Dallas Koi Kichi club. We have at least 3 KHV(Koi Health Advisor) among our members who are more than willing to help educate you on koi health issues.

Best Wishes,
Sunny

[Tamus]

My pond is not covered and I am not sure on the water temp it has been in the 70s and 80s here for the last 5 days but it is still droppin into the 40s at night.
Bought a nitrate and amonnia test kits and my nitrates were on the lowest level (bright yellow) and ammonia was yellow two with maybe a hint of green in it should I go get ammonia chips or is there some other option for it when its that slight?

I am about an hour and a half from OKC so I will look into that. Thanks again for the help everyone.

Edit:
Ok Sunny just posted while I was and it seems that I should look into building a bigger pond before looking more into Koi? Would you suggest me keeping the ones I have until then or should I see if I can find a better home for them? Or should I pull the plants out and just leave it with a liner on the bottom?

[Mike T]

Tamus:

I agree with Sunny, however alls not lost...If you have the space keep the original pond and build another "proper koi pond"... As long as you don't take too long you can keep your koi and transfer them to the new pond and swap um out as you upgrade the koi...

Old pond can be kept as a water feature, or better yet as a Q pond for when you start bring in new koi...beleive me you'll be getting new koi...

Aloha! Mike

[dick benbow]

I saw your post Tamus this morning but didn't have time to respond before dashing off to work. I knew "sooner" or later we'd get a representative from OK

and you are welcome!

One of the enemies your facing with a tiny pond is water temperature fluxuations. A covering ( it still has to breath to degas) or ability to heat will help your immediate position.

another good quick effort is to run a trickle of fresh water in 24/7. this will change the water enough to help with the readings. Always remember you can cut back on feeding koi. Most people kill them with kindness and over feed. a trickle from a well is fine, a trickle from city water with clorine needs to run thru charcoal to be elimnated. A spray from a nozzel will help dissipate
it.

proper filtration is the key. the olde expression of learn to keep water and the koi will keep themselves has a lot of truth to it.

always keep in mind that no one here started as an expert. It's a learning hobby, and I can tell you after 25 years, I'm still learning! I hope you'll continue to ask away. It's fun to share knowledge and i find from teaching I';m reminded of certain truths, one needs to keep in mind!

[Tamus]

A real koi pond would have to be in a different location as their isn't enough room to really add a whole lot to it or I should say add a whole lot to it in a managable way. What would an estimate on the costs on making a modest koi pond be? Unfortunately I am not financially gifted and this would have to be saved for which as I am learning more from all of your help is probly a good thing because it will give me time to learn more and make better decisions regarding my pond.

As atm what do you think I should do with my water garden feature to make it work as best as possible?
Heater...what kind?
Cover...Something to basically shade it while still allowing some light to get in?
fresh water trickle...it would have to be city water so what kind of equipment would I need?
Like I said in my first part about building an above ground pond next to my regular pond with nothing in it but the few koi I would like to keep? Maybe have that feed into the in ground pond with all the plants and stuff? Something like 3x6 and 4 foot deep shouldn't that be ok for a few 10 inch koi? How much should I be feeding them I have been feeding them once a week during the warmer months with no feeding once the weather was in the 40 for a week. As to the haste to move them I don't know the 6 Koi I do have have been in there since last fall, but you all know more than I do so I will go with those more knowledgable.
Its funny because before learning from you guys I thought my little pond was in pretty good shape overall just needed a few improvements. My limited time learning from you all has already been vastly helpfull and I can only believe it will only increase as I learn more and am able to learn through the building of knowledge.
Thanks again,
Todd
Oh yeah and BOOMER!

[Mike T]

Tamus:

You're going to find that most of us started as you, made some mistakes then moved on...

When I completed my pond renovation in 03, I thought I had the greatest pond...900 gallons shaped like a B, 17' long x 6' wide at the top of B and 8' Wide at bottom of the B, 30" deep...with a bridge over the middle leading into a Japanese garden complete with 6' waterfall...

Then I found the NI board.. www.koi.mag.com and found out that my pond was marginal at best and that only 3 koi would fit into it comfortably 5 if I wanted to squeeze them in...When I put 3, 15" koi into it, it looked empty, added 5 more... Then they started to grow, at 20-27" pond got crowded so had to build a second pond...

My advice is this: find a thread started by Akai san, click on his name to get his profile, then go to "threads by Akai San" and click on that, you'll a lot of questions about building the proper pond from Concrete footings to Filtration...Take you time and read the responses...

Re: Estimated costs: For the average pond say 1-4k gallons, filtration will be the biggest cost factor at about US$2-3000...After that it's the labor and materials...If you can pour concrete and lay block you can cut 40% of the total pond cost...If you're handy, you can learn...

You'll have to decide on an above, in or a combo of above and in ground pond...I have an in ground Japanese garden pond and an above ground pond...Aesthetically the in ground pond looks better, however, for koi appreciation, an above ground pond is better, you can sit next to the pond wall, lean you arms and head on the wall go to nose to nose with the koi... A lot better than standing and looking at the koi 5-6 feet away...

Hope this helps, just remember, take your time and ask as many questions that come to you, there are no dumb questions...

Aloha! Mike

[bekko]

Sorry to be blunt, but here goes....

I share your wife's love for aquatic plants and am also developing a fondness for goldfish. The pond you describe sounds perfect for plants and goldfish. As a koi pond it will work for keeping a few koi for a year or so. However, you are just setting yourself up for trouble and heartbreak by trying to keep koi in that pond for the long term. Koi will out-grow the pond, proceed to uproot and eat all the plants, and eventually the pond will crash because it cannot handle the feed input needed for a bunch of large fish. You will have a constant parade of disease, death and replacement koi. To keep koi, you need something with a larger foot print, much deeper and a robust filtration system.

My suggestion would be to either (1) forget the koi and stick to a goldfish/plants water garden, or (2) build another pond for the koi. Both options can bring a lot of enjoyment and success.

-steve hopkins

[Tamus]

Thank you I preffer honesty to sunshine I have been thinking about it since last night and am figuring that a true koi pond may be a little out of my reach at the moment so I will look into giving my koi to someone here in town or just take them back and see if they want them. I have a 3 and a 5 year old and the risk of having 4 or more foot deep water source scares my wife.
For the water garden I do have what about Soroso? Spelling I am sure is wrong they are red and white I don't think they are koi, but would they work out better in what I currently have or would it be more of the same?
Gold fish are we talking about fantails and celestrials etc?

[Bern]

I don't see why you can't keep all three, Koi, plants and Goldfish.

Several ponds I've seen here in the UK have vegetable filters, i.e, a planted chamber which the filtered water runs through before returning to the pond.

A pond I visited in CA in 1990 had goldfish in one of the filter bays, albeit a large one.

So how about a vegetable fitler/goldfish pond as part of the system?

I would suggest that you have someway of isolating/bypassing it as some Koi treatments may be detrimental to Goldfish and/or plants.

good luck
Bern