Koi Stocking
- Thread starter wow_it_esploded
- Start date
Adult full grown Koi? Not many! More info? Water temp? Filtration? Stocking level would not and should not be based on the size of the pond alone!
I knew not many... I will be more specific
Filtration would be either 3 55g barrels or 4 32g trash cans filled with pot scrubbies. All would be run by a pump (probably reeflo) that would be sufficient to circulate the entirety of the volume at least 4 times, of not 5 or 6.
Heating would be solar, if needed, but I do not think it is needed. I live in south texas and our highest temps are 103* in the summer (about 2 months of this last year), but our old 120 gallon pond use to get to 85* and it was black. Our current 400g pond gets to about 78* in the summer, with a tan bottom and black sides. The ponds I am looking at are the Intex metal framed pools from target. The 10ft dia x 30 in height or the 12ft dia x 36in height. They are blue on the outside and blue+white on the inside. The barrels/trashcans would be painted with white paint, and the outside of the pond itself could be also.
In addition to the reflective white surfaces, the large water volume, and the trickle filters, this should cool the pond quite a bit. Not to mention the partial shade that this pond would get (in the location I have planned).
As for our "winters"... Most of the time around 60-80, but cant get down to 30 at times. This is at the end of November that our winter starts, and it ends anywhere from Jan to Feb. After that we get coldfronts for a while but mostly 90* days.
It starts at around 90-100* during may, and stays that toasty until october and begins to cool down during november.
Sorry for not being too specific... I would probably not do koi if I went with the 1100g pond, just because of the size. With the information you have here, would you be able to give me an estimate?
Filtration would be either 3 55g barrels or 4 32g trash cans filled with pot scrubbies. All would be run by a pump (probably reeflo) that would be sufficient to circulate the entirety of the volume at least 4 times, of not 5 or 6.
Heating would be solar, if needed, but I do not think it is needed. I live in south texas and our highest temps are 103* in the summer (about 2 months of this last year), but our old 120 gallon pond use to get to 85* and it was black. Our current 400g pond gets to about 78* in the summer, with a tan bottom and black sides. The ponds I am looking at are the Intex metal framed pools from target. The 10ft dia x 30 in height or the 12ft dia x 36in height. They are blue on the outside and blue+white on the inside. The barrels/trashcans would be painted with white paint, and the outside of the pond itself could be also.
In addition to the reflective white surfaces, the large water volume, and the trickle filters, this should cool the pond quite a bit. Not to mention the partial shade that this pond would get (in the location I have planned).
As for our "winters"... Most of the time around 60-80, but cant get down to 30 at times. This is at the end of November that our winter starts, and it ends anywhere from Jan to Feb. After that we get coldfronts for a while but mostly 90* days.
It starts at around 90-100* during may, and stays that toasty until october and begins to cool down during november.
Sorry for not being too specific... I would probably not do koi if I went with the 1100g pond, just because of the size. With the information you have here, would you be able to give me an estimate?
I was actually not thinking of upgrades, I hate (with a cold hard passion) stocking for ponds/tanks that I do not already have. Like, having a 75g tank and putting an RTC in it, saying "Oh, I will upgrade soon". The reasons I hate doing that are:Muske;2910398; said:
1) I hate uncertainty, it makes me feel antsy and stresses me out
and
2) Because of my age (13, 14 in may) and inability to get a consistent job (too young) I may financially be able to upgrade in the next month, but the month after that could be a whole different story.
I was kinda hoping to keep them in here full term, not upgrading. Actually, I was thinking along the lines of a bunch of juvies and thinning the stock out as they grow, just because I would have better fish and might be able to make some money off of it, however meager it may be.
Well, according to that, I could have either (water wise) 200 inches or (surface area wise) 680 inches with the 1100 gallon pond. Or 340 inches (volume wise) or 904 inches surface area wise with the 1700 gallon pond. This sounds quite too much, because, considering 36 inches for a full grown koi, we have:hankn;2914692; said:
1100g pond
Water volume: 6ish full grown
Surface Area: 19ish full grown
1700g pond
Water Volume: 9-10 full grown
Surface Area: 25ish full grown
The surface area answers sound ridiculous, but the volume ones sound more normal, from the little that I know about stocking.
Would I be wrong to think that in the 1100 gallon pond, I could stock 25 6 inch koi. Then, when they hit 8 inchers, take out 10. With 15 koi left, I could wait until they were 14 inches, then take out 5 more. I wait until they hit 21inches, then take out 2. When they all hit 26 inches get down to my final stocking of 6 by taking out 2 more. Then, the 6 remaining, and best, koi could live happily ever after in the pond? Sounds like a plan?
Water changes would be made when necessesary and would be as much as I could do while keeping the fish comfy.
Also, with proper aeration in the filtration (wetdry) could I keep the outflows from filtration submerged? I would like to keep the surface of the pond as still at possible for better viewing and pictures as those are the 2 reasons I like koi so much. They are purty, and I can show them off
Even with vigorous aeration in the filtration, would I still need to aerate the actual surface? If so, what would be a way to keep viewing and picture taking ability to the max?
Thanks for the help guys, I like that website and will be doing some more reading, thanks hankn.
Having the surface ripple helps with oxygen/CO2 exchange. In a wet/dry that is achieved, but with the stocking numbers you are starting w/I would try to get as much as possible. When taking pictures, just turn off the pumps. I think you could start with the numbers you have in mind as long as WC are scheduled and preformed religiously. For both the health of the fish and the filter.
I would actually just start out with something more affordable, something around 10 fish.
Because of our nice sun we get (the pond would be in a halfway shaded location) some aquatic plants would be nice... Any ideas? I was thinking some tall grasses and some submerged ones. We cant have water hycianth (sp?) or water lettuce because they are considered "noxious weeds" in texas and are illegal. What floating plants would you recommend for the pond? I definately want some floating ones to cut down on algae in the pond. A bunch of plants would help with nutrients in the pond.
Also, would there be a way to install another hole with bulkhead on the bottom side of the pond? I would like to be able to drain from here (ease of water changes) and attach a hose so that I can vacuum the bottom also. I also want to be able to route all the water around the yard, so I would need a real bulkhead fitting for that... Would just a regular bulkhead fitting work?
Thanks for the help guys! What would you do to aerate the water, hopefully inexpensively...
Because of our nice sun we get (the pond would be in a halfway shaded location) some aquatic plants would be nice... Any ideas? I was thinking some tall grasses and some submerged ones. We cant have water hycianth (sp?) or water lettuce because they are considered "noxious weeds" in texas and are illegal. What floating plants would you recommend for the pond? I definately want some floating ones to cut down on algae in the pond. A bunch of plants would help with nutrients in the pond.
Also, would there be a way to install another hole with bulkhead on the bottom side of the pond? I would like to be able to drain from here (ease of water changes) and attach a hose so that I can vacuum the bottom also. I also want to be able to route all the water around the yard, so I would need a real bulkhead fitting for that... Would just a regular bulkhead fitting work?
Thanks for the help guys! What would you do to aerate the water, hopefully inexpensively...
Areation can be as simple as using a couple of large (2"+ round airstones).
Frog Bit may get you some coverage, but lilies would be better. The lillies can be planted into a heavy duty pot w/gravel topdressing. The Koi will not be able to burrow into them. Check that, not be able to burrow as easily as if they were not topped w/gravel. If starting w/a bulb or small plant. You should place the pot on a stand (cinder blocks work good) closer to the surface. As the plants grow, you can move them to deeper water, eventually on the bottom. Submerged plants could be a problem for the filters if the fish like eating them, or worse, they might just like rooting around in them and chewing on them.
Tall grass like plants can be Bull Rush, Acorus (Sweet Flag), Cat Tails, some Iris get 24-40" tall, some Reeds get tall.
A regular bulkhead will work. I would put a nipple from it to a Ball Valve. That way you can attach your hose to the valve and open it and water away!
Frog Bit may get you some coverage, but lilies would be better. The lillies can be planted into a heavy duty pot w/gravel topdressing. The Koi will not be able to burrow into them. Check that, not be able to burrow as easily as if they were not topped w/gravel. If starting w/a bulb or small plant. You should place the pot on a stand (cinder blocks work good) closer to the surface. As the plants grow, you can move them to deeper water, eventually on the bottom. Submerged plants could be a problem for the filters if the fish like eating them, or worse, they might just like rooting around in them and chewing on them.
Tall grass like plants can be Bull Rush, Acorus (Sweet Flag), Cat Tails, some Iris get 24-40" tall, some Reeds get tall.
A regular bulkhead will work. I would put a nipple from it to a Ball Valve. That way you can attach your hose to the valve and open it and water away!