HOW TO BUILD
THE ULTIMATE KOI POND
The word koi means carp. But in Japan, koi are more typically called nishikigoi, which means “brocaded carp.” This is a more apt title as they do look like living brocade in the colors of a sunset— orange, gold and flame red— as well as black and white. Some koi shine with metallic- like scales that appear to be made of silver, gold or copper. They literally glow in the water. The Chinese kept black carp for food and pleasure as far back as 5 B. C. and brought them to Japan. But it was the Japanese that made an art form of breeding the fish into the brilliantly colored specimens we know as koi. The Japanese began to seriously develop specific color variations in the 1800s with the most popular being the red and white Kohaku. From those initial colors of black, white and red, Japanese breeders were able to create the incredibly vivid palette of color variations we now see. Koi were not widely known until an international exposition in Japan in 1914. Then their popularity skyrocketed throughout Japan and internationally. These gorgeous fish began to be bred around the world as decorative, elegant pets.
Koi became popular not just for their beauty but for their spirit as well. They move constantly. Being river fish they enjoy swimming against the current and can vault rapids ( and also jump out of ponds). Because they are seen as movers and fighters, the Japanese consider them to be a symbol of strength, individualism and perseverance in adversity. They are associated with good fortune, success and prosperity. “Koi no
takinobori” translates as koi waterfall climbing, which means “to succeed vigorously in life.” On Children’s Day ( May 5), families with boys fly koinobori ( carp streamers) outside, and parents make wishes for their sons to grow strong and brave like the koi.
While there are 13 major classifications of koi, with many more types within those classifications, the three most prized koi are: Showa Sanshoku, which is a black koi with red- and- white markings; Kohaku, a white fish with red markings; and Sanke or white koi, with red- and- black markings. There are also the truly elegant butterfly koi, with flowing fantails and gauzy fins. They too come in a variety of colors and patterns, typically shades of white, yellow, orange or some combination of these colors.
Koi are prized as “living jewels” and can cost thousands of dollars for special color variations and mutations. Roughly, 1 in 5,000 koi achieve the highest rank of “premium.” At the koi auctions held in Japan, $ 10,000 for a koi is not an unusual price. Koi Magazine claims that a koi was sold in Japan at auction for $ 2.2 million U. S. dollars. While that is unverified, a recent price of 25 million yen, which equates to $ 350,000 U. S. dollars, is reliable.
Building Your Koi Pond
Kevin Lynch, a landscaping specialist at My Backyard and Beyond, Inc., says, “Koi are lovely and can become like pets. They have distinctive personalities and are able to recognize you and learn to eat from your hand.” Lynch stresses that more koi ponds fail because of too many fish in too small a space. Five average size koi need at least 1,000 gallons of water. A pond that is 6 feet by 8 feet and 3 feet deep would hold about 1,007 gallons of water. So your pond will need to be at least that large with a depth of 4 feet. Depth is important for the fish to be able to withstand variances in temperature. Make your pond larger if you want to have more fish.
He adds that you must create a true ecosystem. “The alkalinity of the water, the amount of nutrients in the water— enough to support plants, but not too much— it’s all a matter of balance,” Lynch says. While most domestic koi grow about 12 to 15 inches long, Japanese koi usually grow 22 to 26 inches in length. While the jumbo- size koi can grow 34 to 36 inches long. They will continue to grow despite the space allotted. Koi can live to over a hundred years in perfect conditions, but a typical lifespan is 20 to 30 years.
The oldest koi on record was named Hanako. She was a scarlet koi and is reputed to have lived 226 years. The age of a koi can be accurately measured by the fish scales. Similar to the way tree rings date a tree, the scales have microscopic zones that reflect seasonal growth patterns. For example, they eat more and grow more in summer, so winter scale zones are narrower. Hanako lived in a residential pond in a stable area and was passed down from generation to generation. Her last owner was the president of a women’s college who claimed she could call the koi by name and it would come to her. Hanako died around 1977.
India Murph, a sales associate at Petco in Fort Myers says, “We carry the smaller ones, 4 to 6 inches and under, but remember these fish grow fast and big, so allot enough space for them.” Murph also mentioned that predators are a threat. Raccoons, osprey, herons find koi an attractive meal, so you will need to enclose your pond with netting and/ or fencing if you have these critters in your neighborhood.
In choosing a site for your pond, you will want to be able to see it from the house. Allow space for small trees or shrubs that can add some shade. Koi do well in South Florida climates but they do like cool water so it’s beneficial if the pond has
Once the pond is well established during the spring and summer, the koi will eat insects, mosquito larvae ( a real plus), plants and algae and
do pretty well with a once a day feeding.
some shady areas. It may work well to site the pond along an edge of your property to take advantage of existing fences or walls to keep the fish in and varmints out. A path of paving stones, gravel or shell winding to the pond will help tie the yard and the pond area together.
A pump or a filter to keep the water oxygenated is necessary, and you should, as with any fish, watch the pH of the water especially when you initially set it up. ( You can buy a pond kit with pretty much everything you need from a home improvement store or nursery.) One or two small algae eaters ( they grow fast too) will help prevent algae buildup. When asked if koi will breed in a small pond, Murph of Petco said, “Yes they are egg layers, but may eat the eggs themselves; you will need plants for them to hide the eggs in and no, we cannot tell the sex of the fish when we sell them.”
Don Thompson of Driftwood Garden Center and Florist, a nursery in Estero, says, “They are not difficult to raise and do well in this Florida climate.” He does not recommend the use of prefab pools because over time they tend to break down. He suggests using pond liners instead. “You can get more creative with your design, and the material is more flexible,” Thompson points out. As to the difficulty of constructing them, “I’ve seen young single moms and 80- year- old men build them successfully,” he says.
When caring for your koi, Thompson stresses not to overfeed the fish. When first setting up the pond you will have to feed them perhaps twice a day but no more than they can consume in less than five minutes. Once the pond is well established during the spring and summer, the koi will eat insects, mosquito larvae ( a real plus), plants and algae and do pretty well with a once a day feeding. In fact they can go for as long as two weeks without being fed. This makes them an ideal pet for those who travel a lot.
Creatures compatible with koi include goldfish, turtles and frogs. If your filtration system is working and you have enough room, you can add them to the pond. And plants are important to provide shade, food and oxygen. Koi will nibble on the plants, so you may want to put them in a pot submerged in the water to protect their roots. Koi are peaceable creatures and while they do eat their own eggs and tiny fry, they do not fight with each other and accept new fish easily.
Local places where you can see koi and get some design ideas are Miramar Outlets shopping center in Estero, which has two very attractive koi ponds; the West Wind Inn on Sanibel Island, which has one with waterfalls and a bridge; and the Naples Zoo, which has a very large koi pond.
So visualize a spot in your yard where you can sit and chill out: cool water tinkling musically and bringing you a sense of peace; green plants soothing to the eye waving gracefully in the wind; and fish, brilliantly colored and flashing in the sun, some with fluttering fantails, gliding through the water. What could be a more welcome image?