The Joy of Koi

Filling your pond with beautiful orange fish isn’t as easy as digging a hole and adding some water – find out how to proceed

By Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

Back in 1968, Burt Ballou visited a Koi fish dealer in Gardena, Calif., searching for a goldfish for the pond he was building.

“The dealer said, ‘You don’t want a goldfish pond. You want a Koi pond,’” Ballou says. “I said, ‘What’s Koi?’ He gave me a Shusui Koi as a gift. That’s how I got hooked.”

Nearly 40 years later, Ballou still has the same Shusui Koi. While dogs, cats and other pets may live for only a decade or so, Koi – and the hobby of raising them - can last generations.

“The oldest Koi on record was 227 years,” Ballou, Fountain Valley, Calif., says. If you create the proper environment, “fifty to 70 years is not unrealistic.”

Experts say planning your pond and learning the hobby are the keys to successfully owning and enjoying Koi.

“Most people who go into the hobby uniformed will make major mistakes: lose fish, the pond won’t work, they’ll get green water or string algae and that discourages them and they bail out of the hobby,” Ballou, a past chairman of the Associated Koi Clubs of America (www.akca.org), says. “Before they ever start, my strongest suggestion is to join a Koi club. They get to see a different pond every month in someone’s home. They get to see all the pond designs.”

“Talk to as many people as you can,” agrees Robbi McCleney, a member of the Valley of the Sun Koi Club, Phoenix. “Learn where they went wrong. Learn where they went right. And then build your pond.”

Koi ponds range in size and expense. Ballou has three ponds, including a swimming pool he converted into a 22,250-gallon pond for about $60,000. A beginner might have to sink a few thousand into a do-it-yourself 3,000-gallon pond. But it’s worth the cost – and patience – required to get it right.

“People who go out dig a hole and put a liner in, they’re going to have nothing but nightmares,” Ballou says.

Poor planning leads to poor water quality, which can lead you to the poorhouse if you have to replace your Koi. The fish may run from five to several thousand dollars each.

“With Koi the main thing is filtration or water quality,” says Linda Montgomery, features editor for Koi USA magazine (www.koiusa.com). “If you can keep your water quality good, you can raise fish for a long time. Probably 90 percent of problems with Koi ponds are water quality issues.”

Also vital: Pond depth. Experts recommend a minimum of three feet in most regions; a minimum of four feet in the Southwest, since the fish tend to cool off near the bottom of the pool when temperatures sizzle. The same increased depth may be best in colder climates as well, since Koi go to the bottom to keep warm.

“The depth also protects from most predators,” McCleney says. “Cats and raccoons can’t get down that deep.”

Once you’ve built your pond, it’s time to choose the fish. Experts say there are as many as a hundred different varieties of Koi, although the three main classification of Koi are known as Gosanke. These include the red and white Kohaku Koi; the black, red and white Sanke Koi; and the Showa Koi, a black fish with red and white.

“I would tell people to start with a fish that hits them, that they enjoy watching and looking at, not because it’s popular and it would win at a show,” Montgomery says. “After they get more experience, then they can get into show-quality Koi.”

And while Koi can be costly, they can also be free, especially if you know the right people and join a Koi club.

“You can acquire fish pretty cheap,” Montgomery says. “My first fish was given to me by my parents. I have given away fish that I have spent $400 or $500 on that didn’t do what I wanted to do. I gave them away to other members of the Koi club. I’ve given away probably 50 fish in the 15 years I’ve been doing this.”

That doesn’t mean you should throw unlimited free fish into your pond. Be certain that any Koi you receive or purchase is free from diseases like Koi herpes virus. Ask about quarantine procedures. And remember that small fish will grow, which can put a strain on a smaller pond’s filter. Within one year, for example, a six-inch fish can grow to 12 or 15 inches.

Once you’ve smartly stocked your pond with, it’s time to sit back and experience the joy of Koi.

“Koi are relaxing,” McCleney says. “They’re calming.”

And like all pets, they are individuals that can make for hours of enjoyment.

“They all have personalities,” Montgomery says. “They’ll eat out of your hand. I have fish that will almost go vertical to be petted on their bellies. They follow you around the pond when you’re out gardening. If I even look out the window, they’ll come out to the edge. Koi have really good eyesight. They’re really friendly.”

“A Koi pond is great relaxation,” Ballou says. “I can go out there and sit and look at the fish. It’s very good to reduce stress and strain.”

And it’s a joy that can be shared. That first Koi brought home by Ballou nearly 40 years ago, is the only one in his pond with a name.

“My youngest son named this particular fish David,” Ballou recalls. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him David was a girl.”

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