How many koi should i have

A Koi pond with poor circulation will have a lot of trouble at higher stocking densities. Ideally you want to shoot for moving all the water through your filter two times an hour. A bottom drain pick up is the best way to prevent poor circulation. Skimmers can be used together with a bottom pickup but not recommend alone.

As then only the top water from the ponds will be going into the filter. So feeding heavily with cheap food means you need to keep a very low stocking density. This is not to say you should not feed the Koi. But rather if you want to feed heavily to get maximum growth and development you need to use only high quality foods. Beware of the Dangerous Rules Of Thumb surrounding this question. Eric Triplett The Pond Digger. Related posts. DIY or Pro — Make the call with confidence!

Read more. Aerators- The Easiest, quickest way to improve your water quality Read more. Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Koi are carp, like their goldfish cousins, and most have the genetics for extreme growth.

But how do you know? You have to give them the room! Not only will it make your fish happier, it will make your filtration happier too. Ready for the worst part? Well, I heard some people hit the floor and others shouting at the top of their lungs, but hear me out.

As a general rule, cut the number of gallons the filter says it can filter in half, and even then keep the stocking density low. But you can have Koi in gallons IF the filter is large enough to handle the waste produced Basically a filter designed for a gallon pond The key to deciding if you are over stocked is water testing.

If you have ammonia that simply won't go away, or waste and debris in the water, then you are over stocked for the size of the filter. To correct this you need to either cut back on feeding, reduce the number of fish or increase the size of the filter. Another major consideration is circulation. A Koi pond with poor circulation will have a lot of trouble at higher stocking densities. The reason is the filter cannot treat waste it doesn't come in contact with.

You need to circulate the ponds entire volume every hour. And that does not just mean a gallon pump for a gallon pond. You need to make sure there are no "dead spots" in the pond where water does not flow properly. If you notice certain areas of the pond have more debris settling then others, then you need to correct the circulation. A bottom drain is the best way to prevent poor circulation.