Prepare to seriously laugh, but its ok.

[lildude]

Ok guys, do you want to see the hoopty pond that got me started? I didnt do exactly the greatest job installing it, but it definetly got my passion started, after all I was only 12 or 13, lol.
I was rereading a lot my posts to see how my koi hobby has gone to. I almost broke my jaw from it hitting the ground. All I can say is, I was a pretty immature kid back then, and I am still now. ok back to why I posted this thread.

I look back and say...wow. My poor koi. Another statistic of that pond, every single koi that ever lived in that pond, died. I can never thank those koi enough for being the brave little guinea pigs that they were. Thank you my little koi.

Does anyone else have stories about their first ponds, whether it be really good, or really bad.
Thank god I am getting a new pond again.

[koiczar]

Eric

Not what I would really classify as a "koi pond"!? Looks like you should have called RotoRooter to clean that thing out. It's too bad, but you wouldn't believe how many customers we get who tell us they have a "koi pond' and really don't have more than an AS type toilet bowl - albeit a little larger than yours. But, we all started someplace. My first pond was done by my dad and I when I was 10. About 6x8 and maybe a foot deep. Just goldfish for the first couple years til I made it about twice as big for a couple more years and then got introduced to koi when I was 14. Been hooked ever since!!! Keep on going - I promise, it gets better, but be patient my friend - good things come to those that wait!!

Mike

[koicluboftheair]

Quote: Originally Posted by lildude Ok guys, do you want to see the hoopty pond that got me started? I didnt do exactly the greatest job installing it, but it definetly got my passion started, after all I was only 12 or 13, lol. I was rereading a lot my posts to see how my koi hobby has gone to. I almost broke my jaw from it hitting the ground. All I can say is, I was a pretty immature kid back then, and I am still now. ok back to why I posted this thread. I look back and say...wow. My poor koi. Another statistic of that pond, every single koi that ever lived in that pond, died. I can never thank those koi enough for being the brave little guinea pigs that they were. Thank you my little koi. Does anyone else have stories about their first ponds, whether it be really good, or really bad. Thank god I am getting a new pond again.

Yep, my first pond wasn't too much bigger than that, which I still keep stocked with goldfish. It is by a concrete wall that is covered with ivy that we built a large waterfall behind. Too bad I didn't engineer the waterfall properly for the splash to fit the pond or inversely too bad I havn't expanded the size of that pond to accomodate the splash. Everything is a work in process it seems.
I'm curious lildude if you have any other friends in school who keep koi and if you know of any effort in any area schools to start an in-school koi club that might possibly be affiliated with an existing AKCA or ZNA club?

Merry Christmas

[Russell Peters]

Ha!!!!!!!, My first pond was smaller than that and I put two Koi in it. Mike is right we all have to start somewhere.LOL

[tranquility]

LOL lildude...But, at least you had some sort of filtration....I can not begin to tell you how many of my customers have no clue as to what filtration is(they seem to think it is the little foam sponge attached to the pump) so you were still up on most of my customers of course after they leave here they are aware of what both mechanical and bio filtration are.....as for my first pond it was 3x3x6 hole in my yard that I lined with a pool liner and had no filtration, no pump and housed only squeeter fish, cattails and a lily...I didn't even know what a koi was untill about 7 years ago....
Lawanna

[lildude]

Just for the record book, and my rep. This is not my current pond. No way would I keep koi in that thing anymore. besides that koi bucket was a sushi bar.

[lildude]

Quote: Originally Posted by koicluboftheair Yep, my first pond wasn't too much bigger than that, which I still keep stocked with goldfish. It is by a concrete wall that is covered with ivy that we built a large waterfall behind. Too bad I didn't engineer the waterfall properly for the splash to fit the pond or inversely too bad I havn't expanded the size of that pond to accomodate the splash. Everything is a work in process it seems. I'm curious lildude if you have any other friends in school who keep koi and if you know of any effort in any area schools to start an in-school koi club that might possibly be affiliated with an existing AKCA or ZNA club? Merry Christmas

Uh well, I tell people I like koi, and they think its cool. I really doubt any would really would be intrested in it. I have never known anyone in school that had koi, there are probably some people.

[KoiCCAPW]

That's not too bad li'dude, I've seen worse. Like Lawanna said, at least you had a filter.

My first "pond" was a half barrel with a couple plants and two feeder goldfish. No filter, but at least I did have an air stone. My dad kept an aquarium for fresh water tropicals when I was a kid, so I did know they needed air.
They were OK, lived for 2 years until our dog died, then the raccoons came and ate them!

[lildude]

Quote: Originally Posted by KoiCCAPW That's not too bad li'dude, I've seen worse. Like Lawanna said, at least you had a filter. My first "pond" was a half barrel with a couple plants and two feeder goldfish. No filter, but at least I did have an air stone. My dad kept an aquarium for fresh water tropicals when I was a kid, so I did know they needed air. They were OK, lived for 2 years until our dog died, then the raccoons came and ate them!

What a tragedy. My koi lived at the most for 2 months, then the racoons would come and eat them. Then I would feel bad, and get more koi. Thus the cycle continued. For about a year and a half. Notice the state of the art pool pump????

[tranquility]

another thing to think of is -I wonder what our water perimeters were back then....even after we started getting koi I didn't really know what good filtration was-I was still running mostly veggie filter with a gravel/quilt batting DIY filter.....I had no clue as to what was water testing until I found a few water gardening boards...I didn't find a true koi board until just a few years back....If I have a customer that is having trouble with their pond. the first thing I'll ask is have they tested their water parameters...they usually answer very quickly yes my water is fine....I'll then ask what is your ph, ammonia, and nitrites....9 out of 10 times I get this blank look from them....I had a guy bring some of his water over for testing this year-his water was green, his goldies were still alive but, not eating....by the ammonia and nitrite reading I don't see how anything was still alive in that pond.....We are the handle full that will learn and grow with the hobby.....there are sooo many more that dig the hole throw koi in...when they die add more. do complete water changes every week to clean out the green water only to have it return in a few days....and by next season fill in the hole.....
Lawanna