Koi adventure at Fish Story Aquarium and Rescue, Naples, FL

[thebiggerthebetter]

A 25,000 gal koi exhibit in the making - 50'x14'x5'.

May 2016:

Sept 2016:

July 2017, just before hurricane Irma:

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Current state:

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Where the koi have been for about 5 years waiting...

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I love how the koi start swarming the surface before the food even hits the water, so cute!

Do you know roughly when the big pond will be ready for them?

 

[Chub_by]

Looks good, can't wait to see it when finished! Definitely would love to see a video on the filtration system, 200 koi will need some serious, serious filtration lol

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I love how the koi start swarming the surface before the food even hits the water, so cute!

Do you know roughly when the big pond will be ready for them?

They are piglets. I have never managed to give them all the feed they want. They ALWAYS want more. They come up to you and take food from hand and suck on your fingers and toes if they are in the water. It'd be relaxing if a couple of them weren't too zealous suckers, who start shaking and jerking their whole bodies trying to take your toe with them.

The plan is to transfer the koi into the new exhibit before water starts rising again with wet season rains in June... Because right now I can drain the pond and catch them. When the water is high, I cannot do either.

But then I also thought I'd open for business in 2012, then in 2013, then in 2014, then 2015, then 2016, then 2017... You get my drift (pun intended).

Looks good, can't wait to see it when finished! Definitely would love to see a video on the filtration system, 200 koi will need some serious, serious filtration lol

Wet/dry PVC-liner lined wood+plywood column, 8'x4' footprint and 6' tall, with 5 shelves loaded with 7000 nylon mesh pot scrubbers. The planned flow is about 50,000 GPH, for starters. May need to be upped later on.

The plan is to keep the biggest, 2' and bigger and adopt out the smaller ones over time.

 

[MrsE88]

Haha, love the video. I should teach mine to come to stomping. I can’t wait to see when the new pond is done.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Do u have any favorite varieties?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Do u have any favorite varieties?

Not really. I love them all and their overall variety. It's a shame Americans don't cull their koi like Japanese do. 99.9999% or more of American koi would not be considered koi worthy of keeping in Japan, it seems to me. But I still enjoy them.

My favorite kind is the one that has the right pattern, the brightest colors, the greatest contrast, body and fin symmetry, and health, and grows to 3' or larger

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

Nice, I wish Maine would allow us to have Koi. I never really had an interest in them until a few years ago, but have really started to appreciate their beauty!

 

[MrsE88]

Nice, I wish Maine would allow us to have Koi. I never really had an interest in them until a few years ago, but have really started to appreciate their beauty!

Wow, I didn’t know koi were illegal in Maine How very sad. I understand why, but still sad.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

Wow, I didn’t know koi were illegal in Maine How very sad. I understand why, but still sad.

Yah, I understand why, but it stinks for those of us who are responsible.