Koi

[Dercola]

Hi all. Just a quick question, The last few weeks I have been trying to decide if I should start a watergarden or a goldfish pond. Then a few nights ago I thought why not a koi pond. I just want to know do I have to dig to 4ft deep or is their anyway I could get away with something shallower? I live in the south of Ireland and the winters are after getting alot milder over the last few years and it doesnt really freeze anymore. Anyway, if I have to dig to 4 ft, how many fish do you think it would be capable of holding. The pond will be about 10ft x 10ft x probably 4 ft deep. Thanks

 

[GoldLenny]

10' x 10' is not big enough. Koi grow to 36" and need lots of swimming room. You are better off sticking to long-bodied goldfish like comets or shubunkins which only grow to 12"+. The 4' depth is good so the fish can take advantage of geothermal warming/cooling during temperature extremes.

If it's not 4' deep all the way through the pond and say it only averages 2' deep, your pond would be around 1,500G US. With good filtration and ecology, you could keep 15-30 goldfish... depending on their size. You want at least 50G per goldfish for long-bodied goldfish.

Read this 4-part article for lots more info... http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/ponds/..._1Goldfish.html

 

[Dercola]

Ok, thanks a million, and thanks for the website. Very helpful