written by Hugo J. Smal

Koi keeping is keeping water quality

Goyang Koi farm breeder Kim Young Soo and I are constantly attentive to the water quality in the Koi house. We believe that maintaining Koi is synonymous with maintaining water quality. We may not measure it frequently, but we observe it meticulously. We examine the water’s color, ensure the surface is not hollow, and determine whether the water looks natural or slightly chemical.

Additionally, we inspect the Nishikigoi’s skin. The shiroji (white skin) should be pure white. A red, burnt-like color often indicates an issue with the water. While we rely on observation, regular measurement might be more prudent. With our extensive experience in Koi care, the Koi house is our sanctuary, and the ponds are like rooms to us. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend regular water testing for your pond. A perfect pond is of course the starting point. You can find all the information about this on reliable Koi pond

A Koi can only reach its full quality if the water quality in which it swims is optimal throughout its entire life. Certainly, everyone who has Koi must be aware of this at every moment of the day.

The composition of water is very important. In the pond, there are constant interactions between chemical and biological processes. To be able to control these properly, it is important to understand the various main players in these processes. I’ll list them.

Water Quality essential 1: Temperature

Koi can live in water temperatures between about 4 and 32 degrees Celsius. Large fluctuations in short periods disturb the digestion and all kinds of other processes in the body of the fish and lead to stress. Keep in mind: stress often leads to illness. Getting used to a different temperature should be done as gradually as possible. As guidance; Bridging a maximum of five degrees (gradually) upwards per day and a maximum of two degrees downwards.

Water Quality essential 2: Oxygen (O2)

Oxygen is necessary for the conversion of fuel into energy. Fuel + Oxygen (O2) form Energy, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Waste. To make this combustion (oxidation) possible, a sufficient level of oxygen is necessary.
Oxygen is also important for the filter bacteria to do their job. Please note that these bacteria are not only in the filter but also attach themselves for example to the pond wall. Hot water may contain less oxygen than cold water. Therefore, you have to aerate your pond and filter sufficiently. This certainly during the warm months of the month. Keep in mind that there is never too much oxygen.

Oxygen is measured in absolute value (milligrams per litre or parts per million (ppm)) and in relative value (per cent saturation at a given temperature). The absolute value is important to control the minimum amount of oxygen. For carp, this is around 5.5 milligrams (5.5 ppm) per litre. The relative value makes the oxygen content comparable over a longer period and says something about the effectiveness of your system.

Water Quality essential 3: Ammonia (NH3)

In addition to energy, the combustion of food also creates waste. This waste ends up in the pond environment in the form of faeces (organic pollution) and is broken down by bacteria into ammonium. A large part of the waste (up to 75%) enters the water as ammonium via the gills of the fish.
Depending on the acidity, some of the ammonium forms into ammonia. Ammonia is an extremely toxic gas dissolved in water. Ammonia is already harmful at 0.1 milligrams per litre (0.1 ppm). The higher the pH (acidity), the more ammonia is formed! This also applies to the temperature. The higher the temperature, the more ammonia is formed!

Water Quality essential 4: Nitrite (NO2)

Fortunately, some bacteria convert ammonium/ammonia into nitrite. A good biological filter does its job. One problem: Nitrite is also poisonous. Fortunately, other bacteria convert the nitrite into the more or less harmless nitrate (NO3). Nitrite at 0.2 milligrams per litre (0.2 ppm) is already harmful in the long term. The lower the pH (acidity), the more toxic nitrite becomes!

Water Quality essential 5: Acidity (pH)

The pH of a Koi pond should be between 7.0 and 8.0. An acidity below 5.0 and above 10.0 is deadly. Strong fluctuations are also not good for Koi. Koi can not tolerate strong fluctuations in pH. Rather a stable pH of 8.2, for example, than fluctuations between 7.0 and 8.0. The pH scale is logarithmic, which means that a pH 5 is ten times more acidic than a pH 6, and 100 times more acidic than pH 7!

Water Quality essential 6: Carbonate hardness (KH)

The KH is also called the buffer of the pH. The KH stabilizes the pH. The KH is expressed in degrees DH and measures the number of bicarbonates in the water. Acid (H +) is continuously formed by the conversion of ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. Acid can also get into the pond through rain and decomposition processes of organic material. So you would expect the pH to drop to dangerous depths. However, the bicarbonates (HCO3-) in the water neutralize the acid (H +), preventing a drop in pH.
When the KH is been “used up”, there is a danger that the pH will drop to dangerous depths (pH crash)! It is therefore important to have KH between 6 and degrees.

Water Quality essential 1: Koi keeping is keeping water quality

Yes, these are the protagonists and you have to keep an eye on them all. If something goes wrong, everything will fluctuate. There are all kinds of products for sale with which you can make adjustments. We at the Goyang Koi farm are not in favour of this. When the pond is properly constructed, a good filter does its job and the water with which you refresh has the correct values, then changing water is always better.

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written by Hugo J. Smal

Beautiful Korean Koi

Starting a Koi Hobby became my live. The fascination with koi has lasted more than thirty years  years now. I bought two carps and tipped them into my natural pond. From that time on, my conversation about the fish started. It soon went wrong. After all, a natural pond is not suitable for carp. The animals survived, but not my natural water feature. Looking back, I realize how many mistakes I have made. But also how I learned from it. With this story, I hope to help you on your way a little faster. Starting a Koi Hobby with a positive basic attitude.

Ochiba and Goromo come gently.

Keeping Koi requires three things that are all equally important. First of all, there is, of course, the pond. After all, it is absolutely impossible without water. Then something to keep this water good and healthy. A good biotope is necessary. And of course, beautiful fancy carps!
But most important: love and attention. This is called fishy fingers in the Anglo Saxon countries. And finally a positive basic attitude.

No fish mortality

The first two koi came from Israel.  In those times this means they did not really show quality. I am still glad that we started with these fishes by accident because they are stronger and could withstand my ignorance. Soon I built a real koi pond of ten thousand liters with a properly functioning filter. Then I introduced our first fruits and bought some more Japanese ones.

By changing a lot of water many times, I did not experience massive fish mortality. Occasionally I lost one. At home the hobby split. I concentrated on the water quality and my girlfriend at the time was responsible for taming the fish. She saw intensive contact with the fish as the most important thing for success. I also studied the quality of the koi. Of course, I wanted real prize winners. But first: Starting a Koi Hobby with a positive basic attitude

Starting a Koi Hobby with the pond.

Ponds natural environment.

Make it as large as possible. The larger the water volume, the easier it is to keep its quality. If you can dig two meters deep, do so. Three meters is even better. Depth and surface must, of course, be a bit in proportion.
With a narrow and deep well, the water in the deeper regions will heat up slowly. It naturally follows that it is very difficult to build koi ponds in very small gardens. In those situations, you can try to get the neighbour’s koi crazy and do something together. If that fails then a goldfish pond can be a reasonable alternative.

Don’t risk your fish while Starting a Koi Hobby.

The pond must be lit by the sun for around six hours a day. Ideal when this is not done during the hottest hours. Koi can get sunburn. Shadow spots are extremely important at those moments.
Never economize on the quality of the foil. Normal pond liner can leak. You shouldn’t take that risk with your fish. Rubber foil is almost indestructible. But to do that, you need to dig a little deeper into the money bag. It is strange, of course, that some koi enthusiasts invest in expensive koi, but that the fish swim in a pond whose canvas does not yet equal the price of one Koi. Security Is everything!

Professionals.

The walls of a pond can also be bricked up and then waterproofed with polyester. A concrete pond is also possible. However, building these types of ponds requires a lot of craftsmanship and personally, I would rather leave this to professional pond builders. If you make the pond in sandy soil, you must tilt the walls slightly to avoid the danger of collapse. This is less necessary on heavy clay soils. Always place bottom drains in a concrete bed. It often happens that things are subsiding and as a result, the pipes break down.

Starting a Koi Hobby with good water.

It is very easy to suffice with the optimum water values ​​under this heading. Temperature between 4 and 28 degrees with as little fluctuation as possible on one day, pH preferably at 7.5, nitrite 0, ammonia 0 and nitrate as low as possible and the dissolved oxygen as high as possible. I could also state here that you have to filter to keep these values ​​and that you have to be careful with feeding because otherwise, you will contaminate the pond too quickly.  The fish will also eat when they are satisfied, but will no longer digest anything. The expensive feed returns to the pond unused.

I already told you that I had a real koi pond of 10,000 liters and that it had a decent filter. This pond suffered from the heavy fish occupation and I could only keep it healthy with lots of water changes. The result was that water and fish did not well.
Later I had a pond of 30,000 liters of water, less koi and a combined bacteriological / plant filter with substantial sedimentation. The fish did a lot better in this pond. So they gave me the positive basic attitude

Starting a Koi Hobby 5 essential tips:

1. Create a Proper Pond: Ensure your pond is large, deep, and well-maintained with quality liners to provide a stable environment for your koi.
2. Maintain Water Quality: Regularly monitor and adjust water parameters, including temperature, pH, nitrite, ammonia, and nitrate levels, to keep your koi healthy.
3. Introduce Fish Gradually: Start with a small group of hardy fish and let them acclimate to the pond before adding more to ensure a strong and healthy fish stock.
4. Use Consistent Signals: Train your koi to come to you using consistent signals, like knocking or snapping fingers, to build a bond and make care easier.
5. Avoid Stress Factors: Protect your koi from predators and minimize stress by providing shaded areas and maintaining a clean, well-filtered pond environment.

Water needs fish!

I want to emphasize the positive role of fish in water quality. It is stated that when a pond is put into use, bacteria must first be inoculated and only after a few weeks the fish must be introduced. In my opinion, this is not correct. This is because the bacteria live on fish waste and die when not fed. So they need pooping koi.

When the amount of fish and the pond content are matched, the number of bacteria in a balanced amount will also populate the pond. The nitrate that these industrious workers produce from the water is absorbed by the plants. Algal blooms stay away. Algae blooms are not bad at all. Well, you don’t see the fish and you have to aerate extra in the evening but on the other hand, the fish swim around in free food. You can hear them grow in such a moment.

My pond task did consist only of keeping the settling area clean, pruning the marsh plants (draining nutrients) and topping up when too much water has already evaporated. Large water changes are no longer necessary. This means a considerable saving.

Nishikigoi’s life.

In carp nature, carp life actually takes place in a very special way. The survival strategy is as many young ones as possible. A few will always remain alive. They swim together when they are smal.
The weak brothers and sisters fall prey to predators so that only the strongest survive. As the fish grow larger, they increasingly live as solitary living animals. Cyprinus Carpio is a very strong fish with fewer natural enemies as it grows bigger. Ultimately only the man with the fishing rod can be fatal.

It is, of course, important to also get a healthy and strong fish stock in the pond. You cannot do that by buying koi at all kinds of different stores at the beginning. It is best to buy a larger group of smaller fish at the start of the hobby and leave it in your pond for a few years.

How did it fare for us after starting a koi hobby.

In mid-May 1996 I had to make an insurance report because a now-no longer existing koi farm, was burned down. At the same time, quite a few boxes of koi arrived from Japan.
All top-quality Carp. A box was set aside. There was something about the fish according to the koi farmer and he didn’t want to put them in the leftover show basins. “They have to be finished,” he said. Of course, we found that pitiful. We got them home to see if we could cure them. Their we could lean on a pond with excellent water and about ten healthy fish.

“On the way home, she expressed her firm judgment: “The first five years, no new fish will come into the pond. We will first ensure that these fish grow up well. “

The problems with the fish were not too bad at all. We lost a few but the rest grew up well. Most are of top quality and could enter a competition. What did we learn from this adventure? First, let a group of carp grow in the pond for a few years until they are mature. You then have a strong fish stock that makes introducing new fish a lot easier. I recommend you: Start your Koi hobby with a positive basic attitude.

Taming fish ease up starting a Koi hobby.

My girlfriend’s job, I already wrote, was to tame the fish. She concentrated on the largest one, an Ochiba Chigure. This is a variant of the Chagoi: a brown carp with grey markings. She started feeding the Koi by knocking on the edge of the pond. Then she threw food on the water and left her hand there while the fish ate. After a few times doing like this, the knocking became the call signal. A knock and all the fish shot to the feeding place.
Then she started playing with the fish. Little Komunryu swam on her hand. She lifted them out of the water and let them jump back. The fish swam in a circle and then begged to be lifted again. We could lift all the fish out of the water piece by piece. We no longer needed a landing net.

When the carp are tame, starting a koi hobby becomes a lot easier.

After all, you know exactly which fish has eaten and which has not. You can also easily check them for possible damage or even worse: diseases.
My girlfriend at the time stated that every koi has its own character. One is a bit shyer than the other. A very dark brown carp, for example, which had been swimming in our pond for years, could hardly be tame and kept a lot of distance. Our Magoi, the Japanese wild carp, got her food very wildly while our six-step Ai-Goromo did this very sweetly. It is very important you use the best koi food.

Because she recognized this, she also noticed a behavior change within the shortest possible time which always made the alarm bells ring. But we usually decided not to do anything and certainly not to treat. Of course, this attitude sometimes cost us a fish, but we preferred to let nature take its course in our koi pond.

natural pond

For us, it became a very relaxing hobby. The fish, the pond, The Fishy fingers of my girlfriend and my concentration on water quality ensured that our fish could be enjoyed for years. They were very strong. So strong in fact that we good introduce new fish to the pond.
The fish that we lost during our time was weak brothers and sisters, and although they were sometimes very beautiful, we kept in mind that nature will also take its course in the koi pond. While feeding, the fish provide a bubble bath and we looked at it very relaxed.

At the moment I’m helping to take care of the fish at the Goyang Koi farm as a professional. But keeping Koi remains a fascinating hobby to me. I realize that a lot has changed in terms of hardware! However, the basis remains the same: get to know your fish and enjoy! Start your Koi hobby with a positive basic attitude!

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written by Hugo J. Smal

Not Only for the Fish but for the Total Environment

I don’t know what’s more fun: buying or feeding Koi. I’ve already written about purchasing these beauties in the story Assessing Koi is more than adding up. Now, I want to focus on feeding. Choosing the best Koi food is vital because your daily quality time with your fish is crucial for monitoring their health. Good food significantly contributes to their well-being. In this article, I’ll explain what “good fish food” actually means.

The Theory of Feeding

What fish don’t eat immediately starts to spoil in the water, and what is consumed excessively isn’t properly digested, contributing to poor water quality. This leads to fish swimming in their own waste. Therefore, it’s crucial to use the best Koi food. Otherwise, ponds become polluted, pathogens thrive, and the fish’s resistance decreases. Large filter systems must convert this waste into nitrate and phosphate, often causing excessive algae growth. Feeding should never turn into overfeeding. Highly digestible food with the correct proportions of amino acids is essential.

Koi are large, long-lived fish, and I would compare them more to pets than typical pond fish. Koi have character and can evoke strong emotional connections—sometimes people even separate or come together because of them. Koi enthusiasts recognize this deep bond. These magical creatures deserve the best food, and the Koi food manufacturers strive to meet that demand.

Recognizing the Best Koi Food

So how do you recognize good Koi food? What requirements should it meet? There are many types of Koi, each with different nutritional needs, according to current philosophy. However, Koi are simply colored carp—smart fish with specific needs. Years of selective breeding have made them more vulnerable than common carp, so nutrition and water quality play a vital role in their care.

In nature, carp eat a varied diet of small living organisms, seeds, and soft plants. For Koi, their diet should consist of 80% animal material and 20% plant material.

Factors Affecting Koi Digestion

Like any living creature, Koi must eat to grow, reproduce, and swim. To achieve optimal growth, it’s essential to understand their metabolism. Digestion is the process of preparing food for absorption into the body, and in Koi, this process includes mechanical reduction, chemical breakdown, and nutrient absorption.

Koi are poor digesters since they lack stomachs, so much of their food remains unused. However, their pond companions, like sturgeons, can benefit from these leftovers. Thus, choosing the best Koi food is key to maintaining a healthy pond environment.

Preparing Koi food

Nutrition and Growth

The digestion process directly influences growth. The more nutrients Koi can convert, the faster they grow. Their nutritional needs are highest when the water temperature rises above 15°C, especially during the summer months when young fish experience rapid growth.

Water Quality and Food

Poor water quality negatively impacts growth, as Koi may eat less or stop foraging altogether. Additionally, poor water quality can disrupt digestion, further limiting growth. A well-balanced pond with the right food ensures healthy growth.

Seasonal Energy Distribution

Several factors affect Koi growth, including genetics, feeding regime, water quality, temperature, and the number of fish in the pond. It’s essential to align these factors to avoid problems. The best Koi food will help maintain water quality and prevent overloading the pond with waste.

Highly digestible protein is always recommended, but not all proteins are the same. Cheap feeds often contain indigestible proteins, causing water pollution and algae growth. Proper amino acid balance is critical for muscle growth and minimizing waste.

Conclusion best Koi food

The vitality of Koi is closely linked to both water quality and good food. High-quality proteins, particularly those from LT (low temperature) fish meal, are 90% digestible by the fish, making them ideal for Koi.

What Do You Expect from Your Koi?

Young Koi need easily digestible proteins, vitamins, and minerals for strong body and bone development. Adult Koi, while growing slower, invest more energy in their body and color development. At every stage of life, it’s essential to provide Koi with the best food and maintain excellent water quality for their health and development.

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Written by Hugo J. Smal

We were young men.

Naïve men who ambitiously organized The first Holland Koi show. With our feet in the wet blubber of the show grounds of the first Nishikigoi exhibition on the European mainland. The rain fell steadily and soaked us to the bone. We did not care because we had a task: In every garden in the Netherlands a pond filled with the Empress of pond fish: Nishikigoi! The “All European Koi show” would have to take care of that.

Okay at The first Holland Koi show.

We were doing well. The Kasteeltuinen Arcen was a beautiful location. The traders were set up on the tournament pitch. The British Koi Keepers Society (BKKS) supported us with seasoned jurors and above all a lot of knowledge. The East Pennine Section of the same club had sent their competition vats and Dutch, German and English hobbyists (26) and traders (180) from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and England had put their most beautiful Koi in it.

Changeable weather.

During the construction, it was again very changeable. Between the showers, we found the infrastructure. Tent builder Manders put down the stands. The surface of the show was still small so we thought that water change could be done with separate hoses. We placed the 18 competition vats in a circle in the middle of the lawn. “Anyone could get along well”, we thought. The stands of the ‘Nishikigoi Vereniging Nederland’ and my former magazine ‘De Watertuin’ were close by so that ponders and future koi addicts could go with all their questions: in the land of the blind, one eye is king.

The first Grand Champion.

And then it started to rain.

From changeable to plenty. We held our hearts. Would there be visitors on The first Holland Koi show? Would it go well with the fish and the traders did not revolt. When Pluvius and Zeus conspire to make it as difficult as possible you do not think: “We have done our best and so it will all work out.” We were already stressed and tired to the bone before the show started.
Leen Wijngaard acted as host and ensured that everyone knew where he was supposed to be. John Gieles was involved in the competition. Rene Krüter kept an eye on the water quality and I made many rounds along the traders to see if everything went well.

Before I went into a stand I always pushed the awning upwards so that the water that had accumulated in it would run out. Of course, I always sent the visitor below it today. My shoes and pipes were soaked. The boss of “Selective Koi Sales” called me. “Hey, why are you chasing my customers?”, It sounded with a broad smile in English. “Let me give you two recommendations: every time you pass by you drink with me a” Pint of Lager “and buy” a pair of Wellington boots “.

Pluvius and Zeus The first Holland Koi show .

Slowly the entire competition ground flooded. The grass was almost impassable and the paths muddy like a swamp. An additional problem was the power supply. The catering for the traders was not really well looked after so they put their own coffee makers and kettles. That was too much of a good thing! Every time the power went out, which made us even more stressed. The pumps in the race also fell out. The gardener of the Kasteeltuinen fortunately always managed to save us. He and his director also decided to fly in driving plates so that at least the paths could be walked on.

The weather and the power supply were not the only problems. The race did not go well either. We had never heard of benching and so the BKKS jury members had to do that. That would be cursing in the church now. They brought back the number of varieties from 13 to 10. We also thought we would get away with 1 winner per variety and of course the Grand Champion. The jury members agreed to “tongue in the cheek”.

In the middle: Sponsor Thomas Reeside who died a few years later, Grand Champion winner Wayne Smit, nobody knows of his whereabouts. On the left René Krüter and on the right: Hugo J. Smal.

According to many, the best show!

Or at least it was the most fun and memorable, according to all the people who participated. I saw women in suits and on high heels cluttering the muddy lawn. They had to and would see the fish. Among the volunteers, the umbrellas went from hand to hand and one of them had the idea to bore fish bags at traders so that they could be put on the shoes. They were only wipes for bleeding but it did bring atmosphere. The same atmosphere that still prevails among the volunteers: always cosy and one is never too bad to help the other. Koi shows are organized world wide. You can find one in your neighborhood on our Events

professionalized The first Holland Koi show

Of course, the show is now much larger. There are more traders, the number of visitors has risen from 5000 to now about 25.000 and main players Koi are now certainly 190 exhibition barrels. The competition area is now drained and the power supply Up to date. The Holland Koi show, formerly known as “The All European Koishow” is a professionalized show; well organized and praised worldwide. On the mud field in Arcen, in the year 1993, the first stone was laid for this.

Young men at the The first Holland Koi show.

We were young men, naïve men who ambitiously entered the Koi world with our feet in the wet blubber. We were naïve because we could never have imagined that we would put down this wonderful show within a few months. Naïve because we could not imagine that “The All European Koi Show” would grow to the Holland Koi show as it is now. The choice of the original name was very ambitious, but let’s face it! In retrospect, it appears that this is actually the only correct name.

Published in the program brochure of the Holland Koi show 2016

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Written by Hugo J. Smal

A good start is half the work.

There is a lot to discuss on how best to build a koi pond. Every advanced koi lover has his thoughts on this (which, incidentally, are quickly elevated to dogmas) and tricks that are often worth taking over. Visiting many koi ponds is therefore recommended. Most enthusiasts are proud of their pond and will be happy to have it viewed. Save all information obtained and choose your starting points. Remember that every pond is different and will develop differently. I will therefore only give preconditions and no blueprint. But with this, we help you to get a reliable Koi pond.

For a more ecological approach to pond keeping, see also Sustainable Koi Pond Design.

Water quality can also be improved through design. Our page on sustainable Koi pond design looks at plants, substrate, and natural filtration.

To my knowledge, a definition of a good koi pond has never been given. I attempt: a good koi pond is a water feature in which large carp can live in a safe, healthy and happy way. The beauty of the design is of secondary importance. After all, the carp do not care whether they swim in a golden or a bronze pond.

Preconditions reliable koi pond.

Safety, health and happiness are the preconditions. It is very important to realize that just like a filter, a pond must mature. Building a new, even better pond every year may be fun for construction enthusiasts. But it is downright bad for the fish. They prefer to stay in their familiar pond all their lives. That is why it is necessary to think and plan everything well in advance. It is even better to postpone the construction of the pond for a year and to save more money than not to start well prepared. Haste makes waste! This also applies to your water garden. A membership in a Koi club is always a worthwhile investment. Discover the clubs affiliated with Zen Nippon Arinkai here: Zen Nippon Arinkai.

A reliable koi pond means safety!

Although the three preconditions overlap, everything also has to do with water quality, I still want to treat them separately. By safety, I mean protection against external hazards. Herons, for example, love a beautifully coloured snack and will not remove a large carp from the pond, but will damage it considerably. So take measures against this. Sharp objects (an iron hose clamp, for example) can also cause damage. So always choose ti-reps when something needs to be secured.

Even if leakage occurs, the fish can be endangered. They simply don’t do it on dry land. That is why it is necessary to always choose the best materials. Cheap alternatives always turn out to be the wrong purchase afterwards. 

Best materials for reliable koi pond

Foil is a good example of this. Some people believe that a good and safe pond can be built with agricultural liner (sometimes they use five layers). Forget it. Even the PVC film specially made for the pond cannot be trusted.
A koi pond in which expensive fish swim around should be constructed with at least a rubber-based liner. It lasts a very long (unlimited) period, has no adverse effects from the UV rays of the sun and also throughputs and bottom drains are easy to realize. Where a heron sometimes pierces PVC, this material has high impact resistance.

Leaks can also occur in filter systems. That is why it is important to place or secure the pump in such a way that the pond can never be completely emptied and a layer of water of at least 30 centimeters is always left behind. Exaggerated warning? You will have to give those hobbyists a pint, who after a well-deserved holiday or even a short night’s rest, find their beloved fish in a dry tank. It may also be an exaggeration to warn against unsafe power consumption. But here again… you will have to give them a pint.

Beware of Poisoning

It is also important to point out the dangers that some garden plants can pose to fish. The leaves of Yellow rockets (Laburnum anagyroides) and willows, for example, contain tannic acid and can cause paralysis in the fish. The will destroy your reliable Koi pond. So with every garden plant, you have to ask yourself whether it should be allowed near the pond.

Healthy carp in a reliable koi pond.

The most important thing here is the water quality. This is kept up to date with a filter that is marketed today in all shapes and sizes. Good information from a koi specialist or an experienced hobbyist is indispensable when purchasing a system.

Here I will list the requirements that a good filter must meet. First of all, a compartment in which bulky waste can settle is of great importance. This dirt must simply be removed with a drain. Subsequently, a compartment with brushes that also collects coarse dirt will considerably reduce the pressure on the compartments with a substrate. In these latter compartments, ammonia and nitrite are converted into nitrate. This is why I have called a filter a “plant manure machine”.

Nitrate is food!

Nitrate is the nutrient for floating algae and is in the filter produced on a large scale. This is why many koi ponds struggle with green water. You can, of course, burn the algae to death with a UV lamp, but remember that the nutrients remain in the water. Alternatives to the UV lamp are a swamp pond or regular water changes.

Plants in the marsh pond are a direct food competitor for the floating algae. So remove the nitrate from the water. You do the same while changing water. This does have two disadvantages: tap water has its price tag and is also different from healthy pond water. If you choose the last control method, it is important to make provisions. I did struggle with a garden hose for many years while a fixed pipe should not be difficult to install.

The aeration of the pond and filter will also greatly improve the water quality and thus the health of your fish. A good aeration pump (and I don’t mean a wimpy aquarium aeration pump here) is good to use. Air stones in every filter compartment (except the sedimentation area) and in the pond are indispensable. It is very important to ensure that water cannot stand still anywhere in the pond or the filter. Here too, standstill means deteriorating, namely in terms of water quality. After all, standing water does not absorb oxygen and becomes dead water.

The four most frequently asked koi pond questions:

1. How big is the pond? As big as possible.
2. How deep? As deep as possible. Pond under 1.20 meters…. turn it into a natural pond.
3. How much water? As much as possible.
4. How big is the filter content? At least one-third of the pond content or the operation of the filter must be intensified with ingenious techniques. That’s makes a reliable koi pond.

Beware that a properly working filter costs at least 1000 USD and the price of a better working filter can be up to 3000 and higher. Cutting back on this is the stupidest thing you can do. Nowadays, the long disappearance of the Nishikigoi under the ice is considered to be equivalent to Kamikaze koi keeping. That is why it is important to also take pond heating into account.

Lucky Koi in a reliable koi pond

A discussion can be started about whether koi are lucky or not. When we describe happiness as well-being (besides health)  koi must be happy. Some adjustments to the pond are also required for this. For example, a feeding place where you can easily touch the koi. It will promote the happiness of your fish. This contributes to the luck of both the fish and their caregivers.

A feeding place means a shallow area where the fish can safely go. 

Yes, feeding is quite a spectacle in itself and if it is not done in a safe place it can cause damage. So do not place stones on or near the feeding place. I know someone who regularly puts a mirror on the bottom of the feeding place so that he can check the bellies for damage and parasites without catching the fish. 

Plants in the koi pond will also contribute to the happiness of the fish. “But koi are turning plants around,” you will say, and you are right about that. You just have to say it differently: Koi are fish that like to toss and play among aquatic plants. 

Therefore, do not choose small and delicate plants, but for example yellow iris and reed varieties. So-called mother plants of water lilies are also available from some aquatic plant growers. When these large healthy plants are placed in a tub with clay (covered with coarse gravel) they will grow faster than the fish can eat. Besides, the koi will leave the plants alone if you feed them properly and sufficiently.

Playing koi in a reliable koi pond.

I recommend that you occasionally put floating plants in the koi pond. You will see that the fish will spend hours on the water lettuce or water hyacinths. It costs something but it gives hours of fun for both the koi and the caretaker. You will experience this even better when you put some food balls on the floating plant.

As for luck, another anecdote: Once a koi dealer called me about a problem. He had bought a large koi that was healthy but was still a bit bored on the bottom of the pond. This is always an attitude in which the alarm bells should ring for you.
Naive when I was then, I asked him if the fish in his home pond had a friend, a carp he often swam with. He did and once it was bought and brought into the pond the fish became happy. With this anecdote in mind, I dare to say that both a frequently changing pond (increasingly better mooring) and a strongly changing fish stock will damage the luck of the fish.

tenacity makes a reliable koi pond

Koi enthusiasts are known for their stubbornness. They all have their dogma philosophy when it comes to the construction of the pond and the filter. In terms of construction, the experience is a result of bad planning. After all, you get to experience by doing something often! That does not speak to their advantage.

So make an inventory of what you want and how you should approach it. Get your experience through drawing paper and not backache from any digging. Also, draw in the required water currents so you can see what is happening in the pond. Get advice from experienced hobbyists but make your plan. Numerous koi specialists around the world can supply you with a ready-made product. They give you a guarantee that your fish will live safely, happily and healthily in your pond. It is a bit more expensive but the price tag will turn out small if you compare it with the luck that your own wonderful Nishikigoi will give you.

Still unsure? We will help you to build a reliable Koi pond.

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Written by: Hugo J. Smal
Images Mickey Paulssen

Is there a manual for buying koi?

Buying Koi is difficult because assessing koi is more than just adding up. Working at the Goyang Koi farm means that I’m not buying Koi. I must help to sell them. For us, that means that we must help you with buying them. We must give you the information needed to build a beautiful Koi collection. If these Koi come from the Goyang Koi farm we would be very proud. But first: learn how to buy Koi.

Buying koi is perhaps the most pleasant side of the hobby. It is one big Koi knowledge test. Do you have a view on quality and do you not pay too much? The price of a koi is not determined by purchasing + costs + profit margin + VAT only. There are elusive things like taste and expectations for the future and that makes buying not only fascinating but also exciting.

You often see them at the koi shop: people who – hung over a basin for hours – watch the fish. They think and weigh: would that spot develop like that or would it grow that way? Is there still black under that skin or will that black mark disappear? Questions, questions, questions. The koi enthusiast has a hard time solving them.

When I still bought Koi, I didn’t hang for hours above the basins. I always looked at which fish caught my attention in the large amount in the tank. Which Koi stood out.

Future expectations are a bit like ‘gambling’. But let’s gamble with a strategy! Let’s learn how to buy Koi.

Still a guideline

When you talk to experienced koi buyers, you find out that they are not walking in the dark. They have a guide, some even pull it out of their inner pocket and stick to it with every purchase. They are rules that, when properly applied, indicate that at least the base material is good.

I will indicate the basic rules of the guideline here. You will need to get experience  by looking around a lot. By talking to grown up koi buyers and by regularly visiting a show. In the long run, you will come to a description of your own taste. That is the moment when you can also call yourself an experienced koi buyer.

However, keep one thing in mind: an experienced koi buyer does not have to be a good koi keeper. There are hobbyists who know everything about buying carp. Simply because it is the only way for them to keep fish in their pond. Rule one of the guidelines should, therefore, be: only buy fish if you are sure that you can also give them a long and happy life. For the real enthusiast, dying a koi, because it ends up in bad water, is the same as cutting a knife in ‘Who’s afraid of red, yellow and blue’. You just don’t go to jail for it. Koi is not only a living creature but also art!

Perfect koi, forget it

Every koi has a less good side. Even Japanese show winners can be criticized. For example, the Kohaku who won the All Japan Koi show 2014 had a red mark on the head that went across his eye.  As a ten-centimeter fish, I wouldn’t have given it a penny. Now as a Jumbo prize winner it turned out to be invaluable. That is why the judges only look at the strengths of the fish. Only when the Grand Champion is selected, and only when two fish have exactly the same number of points and are exactly the same size, a shortlist of weak points is compiled. So approach Koi positively.

Learn how to buy Koi, look from above.

You should always judge a koi from above when it swims towards you. The harmony between health, body shape, markings and character can then be best guessed. Keep a close eye on how the fish swims. A large koi must steer majestically with gentle strokes of the tail. Small fish shoot through the water and are therefore slightly more difficult to judge.

In any case, make sure that the fish has no visible defects, such as torn or missing fins, bends, holes, missing gill covers, etc. It is pathetic, but leave them where they are. The fish that are already swimming around in your pond will not benefit from the extra load these less fortunate ones will put on the water. In addition, damaged or incomplete fish are weaker, therefore more likely to be sick and therefore a real threat to your own fish.

Quarantine is a must!

Invisible defects must be revealed during the quarantine period. Anyone who buys new fish and introduces it directly into their pond is a fool. There is always a risk of disease creeping in and must be avoided at all times. Quarantine is the only means for this. The installation in which this takes place must be a fully-fledged reception facility. So a basin or an aquarium. Or even better if there is room for it: a second pond in the garden. Naturally equipped with a mature filter.

Common Mistakes When Buying Koi

1. Rushing the Purchase: Don’t be tempted by an impulsive buy. Take your time to inspect the fish thoroughly and consider if it suits your pond and experience level.

2. Ignoring Health Issues: Check for visible health problems like fungus, torn fins, or discoloration. Healthy Koi have clear eyes and vibrant colors.

3. Skipping Quarantine: Never introduce new Koi directly into your pond without a quarantine period. Quarantine helps detect any diseases or parasites before the fish join your main pond, protecting your entire collection from potential outbreaks.

4. Overlooking Water Quality: Ensure your pond is ready for new fish. Poor water quality can quickly harm even healthy Koi.

5. Choosing the Wrong Variety: Start with popular Go-Sanke varieties like Showa, Sanke, and Kohaku, which are easier to assess.

6. Buying Deformed Koi: Avoid fish with visible deformities, such as bent spines or missing fins, as they are often weaker and more susceptible to disease.

Females body shape is better.

The shape of a female or male koi is very different. A man is a torpedo or cigar-shaped A woman has a full body with beautiful curves. In young koi, the distinction is difficult to make. Only when the fish are about four to five years old, the true body shows itself.
Males only have a chance in the smaller classes of competitions. The top prizes always go to the females.

However, they have a drawback. When a pond is too shallow, the females will quickly get a belly and that is rejected. But when they reach full maturity in a proper pond, females are really at the top. Several factors play a role in this. The main thing is health. When a koi is in top condition will have a beautiful health shine.
The colours should be bright and of equal intensity all over the body. And the markings must be nicely distributed over the body. They have to carry the eye from front to back, as it were.

How to buy koi? Concentrate on Go-Sanke.

Always choose koi with large markings. Small markings will make them less and less impressive as they grow. The markings must absolutely refer to the variety to which the fish belongs and are not an indistinct mix. The contours must be sharp and clear. Delve into the details and discover the process of purchasing Koi fish. That’s how to buy Koi.

A young koi will have a kind of baby skin. When you see this in an adult koi, you really have to do with quality. Always choose fish that show their colours clearly. A yellowish haze over white skin rarely goes away. Orange almost never turns red. Wait until you have enough experience before buying juveniles of varieties like Ai-Goromo. Predicting the quality of this koi species is very difficult.

Focus on the go-Sanke classes: Showa Sanke, Kohaku and Taisho Sanke. These are the fish most known about. The rules with which they must comply are virtually laid down. The colours are easy to judge. Moreover, when you hit it, they are the ultimate in koi keeping.

This explanation is only a brief introduction into how to buy koi. They are no more than a useful guide on how to buy Koi. When you apply them you will not be making too big blunders. In addition, your own taste plays a major role. So let that prevail. Only you decide which fish you want to swim in the pond. And remember that buying a Grand Champion is the same as a lottery ticket.

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written by Hugo J. Smal

How to befriend Koi?

That is the ideal of every koi hobbyist: to build a close relationship with your ornamental carp, a relationship that provides mutual pleasure. Many koi keepers are happy and proud to say that their fish are ‘tame’. Tam? Are they tamed, like a tiger or other circus beast with reward and punishment? How befriend Koi? Teaching them reflexes.

Reward and punishment do not fit in a relationship based on respect and love. Instead of the words ‘taming’, the process that leads to a bond between humans and fish, we can also use the term ‘conditioning’. And that brings me to the reflex theory of the Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov.

Pavlov reaction and Koi friends.

He was professor and director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St. Petersburg and renowned for his research into the reflexes that lead to changes in the secretion of the salivary glands, stomach and pancreas. He showed that in addition to innate reflexes (such as responding to a smile) we have also taught reflexes, which are first associated with natural stimuli and which can later independently influence organ activity.

I was very interested in that in the 1960s. I thought it would be a good idea to apply those conditioned reflexes in my own life. After all, Pavlov (1849 – 1936) received the Nobel Prize in 1904. He had never heard of koi carp, of course, and neither did I during those turbulent hippie days. Nobody, anyway, with some people in Japan excepted. Nevertheless, I will let the Russian show up here because we can learn from him how to build a good relationship with our fish and how to befriend Koi.

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Seven tips on how to Befriend Koi Fish

1. Condition with a Signal: Use a consistent signal, like ringing a bell or snapping fingers underwater, to train your koi to come to you.

2. Create a Comfortable Environment: Ensure your garden and pond are pleasant and well-maintained to reduce stress for your koi.

3. Avoid Stress Factors: Protect your koi from predators and avoid stressful situations to keep them healthy and tame.

4. Teach Reflexes: Apply Pavlov’s theory of conditioned reflexes by associating feeding times with specific signals.

5. Gentle Interaction: Slowly introduce your hand while feeding and avoid sudden movements to help your koi get used to human contact.

6. Play with Your Koi: Once tamed, you can gently lift smaller koi out of the water and let them jump back in, or stroke larger koi on their heads.

7. Recognize and Respond: Spend quality time with your koi to understand their behavior, and they may start recognizing and responding to you individually.

For whom the bell rings and sounds how to befriend Koi?

When you ring a bell while feeding your fish, they learn to come to you even if you don’t feed them. If that bell sounds very loud, it will also condition your neighbours, so you better choose a different sound. As long as it is always the same. This is about the principle of recognisability. The fish will ad the ringing of the bell or any other sound to the pleasant feeling the fish get when it eats.

Wilfried van der Elst once told me, ‘I went into his garden with a proud koi hobbyist. He asked me to stop against the wall, clapped his hands and threw food on the water and shouted: “Look, they are all tame already.” Wilfried stepped forward. The young carp dove into the depths and stopped eating. The man didn’t know what “to be tamely” meant. 

A modern definition.

I will try to give a modern definition of the word ‘tame’. ‘Modern’, because I think that tame in the sense of ‘dependent on people’ is too blunt. I put it this way: an animal is domesticated when there is a mutual relationship between humans and animals, which makes each other’s lives more pleasant and from which they both reap the benefits. Koi make our lives enjoyable because of their beauty and their cuddliness. The koi hobbyist, in turn, provides the animal with food and a good pond.

Avoid stress for your Koi friends and see how to befriend Koi!

Koi lose their beauty when they swim around in ugly surroundings. That can create a barrier between your fish and yourself. Bad water conditions mean that the fish are not having a good time. They do not get tame. If the garden looks neglected, you will not feel at home in it and that is another blockage.
To achieve a good relationship with the animals, you have to create a garden in which you feel comfortable and a pond in which the fish are having a good time. They must be in optimal condition if you want to achieve results.

Keep predators away let them not learn how to befriend Koi?

Factors that cause stress should also be eliminated as much as possible. After a visit from a heron, you usually lose a fish for good and a number for a few weeks. Because they hide between the plants or in the seams of the foil. White spot disease can soon break out. To protect the pond well against predators, which unfortunately also includes a part of humanity nowadays.

Because I had ‘a little’ too much koi, I gave some of my fish to my back neighbour. A few weeks later some misfit had been fishing in a neighbour’s pond and had run off with a Kohaku of about two feet. But worse, Bear, my first koi (Israeli Ogon of questionable quality), had also been caught. It probably fell, because it was open on both sides. We couldn’t save him. Moreover, the other fish in that pond will have lost their tameness.

Cuddly your Koi friends and feel how to befriend Koi?

They have to get close to that to get some in. Do not make any busy movements or try to touch the fish. That will take some more time.
Snapping with the fingers quickly triggers a conditioned reflex. Immediately after the signal, the fish will rush towards you.

The food is no longer necessary. After a while, even the finger clipping is unnecessary. They come when you appear at the edge of the pond. They even swim along when you walk around the water feature.
The curious thing is that they don’t do that to everyone who walks by the pond. Somehow they know who to fear and who not. I am convinced they recognize your body odour. They don’t see well.

Tip to how to befriend Koi. use the best Koi food. 

Playing starts and you learn how to befriend Koi?

Once you’ve tamed them for a few months, you can start playing with them. Just lift the little ones out of the water carefully by hand and let them jump off. In my pond, they even come back to do the same trick again. Stroke the bigger ones over their heads, push them back a bit and see how they react. They love it.

Everything will be easier from now on. Catching doesn’t have to be a hunt anymore if you let them get used to the landing net. So replace the clipping of the fingers by carefully moving the landing net back and forth. Once you have done this, they will swim towards the net if necessary, for example for a check. This way you can teach your koi all kinds of things.

A different way of dealing with Koi friends.

Is a way to teach koi things (the ‘building in’ of some conditioned reflexes) the same as tame? No, of course not. But it is fish keeping different style. It takes time to Learn your Koi reflexes: quality time for the carp and the caretaker.
The learned reflexes make it easier to keep the fish in optimal condition. Stress factors are much less impressive than before. On a good day, you suddenly notice that you deal with koi differently. That is the moment you can step up to better koi.

How to befriend Koi?  Opening up.

It seems as if they are opening up as if they are going to see you as one of them. They suddenly surprise you with their games. The carps show better and better what they like. They are affectionate and somehow show that they enjoy when you pet your Nishikigoi gently on their heads.

I have managed to get the older animals to respond when I call them by name. Perhaps many a reader is now shaking their head in disbelief. I can’t prove it unfortunately because they did not do it when there are others in the yard.

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