Butterfly Koi

[SRC]

I'm in the process of trying to talk my mom into letting me dig a hole in her yard and make a Koi pond. I know she'd like it once it's there...she's just not so sure about it "just yet" lol..but she'll eventually come around.

I have decided that I want butterfly koi and found a website with great prices...plus it's close enough I can just drive down and pick them up instead of having them shipped. I think they want $250 for 12 fish...that sounds like a decent price to me..for good size fish (they are like 10-14" already).

Does anyone have any suggestions on the size I should get to start with, if those aren't the right size?
What size pond for how many fish?
Does anyone have any firsthand experience with them?
Are they a good breed?
Do they have health problems not mentioned on the sites selling them..you know...that kinda stuff?

I'm used to tropical fish, but I've always wanted some goldfish...and I can't have tanks that big in my house lol...so I figured the next best thing wouldbe a pond outside.

Are these not just beautiful!

 

[Breedon]

I have 2 butterfly koi in my pond and there very nice fish and im hopeing to get a couple more this year, the thing with koi is they produce more waste than gold fish so your filtration would have to cope with that.

Koi need at least 4 feet of depth for the winter, how big would your pond be. Can’t remember the size of mine but it holds 1200 gallons and is over filtered with planets to take care of nitrates.

Butterfly koi are not true koi, they are kind of like hybrids so many true koi owners hate them and think they should not have been breed. You need 11 gallons per inch of fish for a pond so if you over stock have good filtertraion going.

I my self would start of with smaller fish as there cheaper so if any die you wouldn’t of lost lots of money, this Koi website has loads of info regarding koi how to build koi ponds and other great stuff

Edited for spelling

 

[SRC]

Yeah I figured it would have to be deep, if they were to stay out there during the winter. I'm not sure how big it's going to be just yet..and I'm not sure I want that many fish either...I really think just 6-8 fish would look nice..although I do like when they are all gathered up at the park...I just don't think I need quite that many fish lol..you know.

This will have to have many plants..as a good portion of it will be in the sun during the day...I'm sure the fish will need some shade (don't want any sunburnt fish lol).

Thanks for the link...I am going to check that out now...I want to try and get her talked into this before spring..so that it's up and ready for fish by summer lol.

 

[Breedon]

yea mine is in the sun most of the day in summer time, all so have floating plants for shade and to keep green water under control