I am curious what everyone thinks about adding koi to my pond. I like to feed the fish and koi seem to be very friendly. No research has been done yet on pros and cons. I want to know what the people of the forum have to say about it.
I put in 6 Koi 4 years ago, wound up with only 4. They are ENORMOUS, and they do reproduce. However, the Perch, Walleye, and Black Crappie devour the babies before they have a chance to grow out.
I have not had a problem with them stirring things up, but I don't recommend putting them in if you already have poor visibility. I have watched the Koi rummage on the bottom for leftovers after a feeding, and I can see where many of them would make a big mess. You will need to have the other fish control the babies, or you will have a management nightmare on your hands.
My water is clear to 15 feet, so those little baby white and orange fish are like a "Eat at Joe's" neon sign to the other fish. I saw that this spring as a cloud of fresh carp were being absolutely destroyed by the perch.
In NY, they are now illegal to stock in a natural pond, only small garden ponds are they allowed. They are considered an invasive species. You may want to see if there are similar rules for you, though NY is known as the nanny state.
I went for it and got 3 koi. I'm not sure if they will survive with the others or not. Will never know unless i try. I could have gotten bigger but boy howdy. People are proud of there larger sizes.
Liquid as those koi grow older and larger 6-9yrs be prepared for more turbid water. If it does not happen for you then you are the 1st one that achieved this in a mud bottom pond.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
They are already doing a remarkable job of stirring things up, especially near the shoreline. Also they eat all the eelgrass they can easily get at, leaving nothing but chara and curly leafed pondweed behind. Since the chara pretty much covers the entire basin except around the shallower areas, they wind up actually improving the bottom near the shoreline by keeping sediment swept off the shallows.
Very luckily my pond water settles quickly, and the effect 4 Koi have is so far, thankfully minimal. I certainly panicked when I first put them in, and I still may pay someone to catch them out as I have had very little luck in the attempt.
Interestingly I put interlocking baby-gate fences in the basin when the pond first filled, and forgot about them. Now I see the impact of the Koi as they cannot get into those areas as they are too large. Those areas are full of eel grass and American pond weed, plus quite a bit more settled sediment instead of a gravelly bottom. So yes, Koi do eat plants on a limited basis.
I figured 3 cant be to much trouble for me. It's already very murky. I just hoping to see them feed someday. They could have just been an expensive snack. Only time will tell.
They are already doing a remarkable job of stirring things up, especially near the shoreline. I still may pay someone to catch them out as I have had very little luck in the attempt.
liquidsquid thanks for confirming my decision to not put them in the pond.
May be cool to have or add a small pond with nothing but KOI.
