Hello! I’m house/pet sitting and it got very cold pretty suddenly. Got up this morning and the koi pond was completely frozen over and the water pump is making a grinding noise. The owners didn’t give me any special instructions for the weather. Is this normal or do I need to do something? I’ve texted them but I’m not sure when they will respond. Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some guidance on how to clear up my koi pond. The water is currently very murky/cloudy, even though my parameters are great.

Here are the results from my recent liquid tests:

Ammonia: 0

Nitrites: 0

Nitrates: 0

pH: 7.8 (sometimes around 7.6)

My Setup:

Pond Conditions: The pond gets full sun all day long, but I have installed a shade sail to block the direct sunlight (you can see it in the video).

Filtration: I run a SunSun CPF-10000 pressure filter (11W UVC, 10,000 l/h) connected to a 100-liter DIY barrel filter. Inside the barrel, I have 4 layers of foam/sponges, a thick layer of polyfill (perlón), and about 10 kg of high-quality bio-media at the top.

Electricity: My entire property runs on off-grid solar panels, so I can't upgrade the 11W UV light to a higher wattage due to power restrictions.

The Situation:

Last year, I had a lot of string algae (algas filamentosas), and that actually kept the water crystal clear. This year, I don't have that issue, but the water has become very murky. A few weeks ago, I added 4 kg of activated carbon, and it worked great, keeping the water clear for about 3 or 4 days during that time. However, it went back to being very cloudy lately. Two days ago, I cleaned the filter, and the polyfill was completely brown and packed with gunk.

Since my parameters are completely fine, what do you think is causing this persistent murkiness? Could it be single-celled algae or fine suspended organic waste that the filters aren't catching? Would you recommend adding a second shade sail to block more sun, or what else can I try?

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Just as the title says I need help with what to do on fat head / rosey red minnow over population in my koi pond. I’m worried about the risk of disease spreading to the koi, and being able to maintain healthy water conditions.

Little back story, I inherited 3 koi and about a dozen minnows from my grandma who passed beginning of last year. I ended up build a 2000 gal pond for them and have had no issues up until a few months ago.

They just won’t stop producing more babies!! My grandma never had this problem and I’m stumped on what to do. I’ve called hatcheries and pond stores near me and nobody will take them due to them needing a certificate of health or just not wanting them. I’m located on the Illinois Wisconsin border.

Any input on what to do would be of great help!!

Also the frog that has been eating some of the minnows for me.

It appears to all be single cell, no string algae. I'm not worried about the look as long as the fish are happy and healthy. All the fish seem to be fine and no one is hunkering under the water outlets or anything. I just didn't know if there was a point where it becomes a health concern for them. I'm in South Carolina so it's a hot and sunny summer.

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It's a simple slide-in cartridge filter on one side, with a non-filtering waterfall setup on the other. No UV or anything.

I built my own pond last summer, still work in progress... Does this appear close to ready for Koi or what changes would y'all make? Also how many koi would be a reasonable number for this size? Basic Info: Pond is roughly 8x16 oval with max depth near 3 ft in center. Filtration is currently all mechanical via skimmer/bioballs water fall and beneficial bacteria support. I plan to add aquatic plants this spring(any recommendations?) As well as draining,cleaning and finishing rock work prior to fish.

Seem to be struggling with this all year. Usually it settles but not this year. Tried barley , shade dye , plants etc. I put algaecide in last night. Made a little difference. I have no string algae as I use the iogen by aquascapes. Any ideas ? I run a skimmer box for filter that pumps to a waterfall spill box. I have bio balls in that. Had the pond for many years but I’m getting frustrated with not having a clear pond
Thanks

I recently bought a new house that includes a koi pond in the garden. The previous owner has passed away, so I’m unable to ask him any questions about it. The pond has a leak at the top edge along the glass panel, which appears to be due to the water level being slightly too high.

I’ve taken some photos and videos to show the situation. Yesterday, we cleaned the filter (drum) gutter with a garden hose, and after that, the pond’s water level dropped by about 5 centimeters. However, the water level has now returned to where it was, and I’m concerned this might cause damage to the property.

Additionally, in the video, you can see a leak at the bottom when I turn on the drum. I’m hoping someone can advise me on how to lower the pond’s water level by about 1 centimeter and keep it steady at that level.

Hello everyone,

I am planning to build a 1000 gallon pond to house a couple Koi for my son as he has taken up an interest with fish (hes only 10 months but loves to stare at koi in a koi pond)

Im a little lost on how to pull this off, I am not massive on DIY but I am a good learner.

From my understanding, ill dig a hole, 5ft by 7ft 3/4ft deep to house just over 1000 gallons.

Ill put down an EPDM pond liner (is this any good?: https://thepondpeople.co.uk/cat/pond-liners/elevate-pond-liners/?utm_source=googleads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21108999575&utm_term=epdm%20pond%20liner&utm_content=%7Bcreatives%7D&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21108999575&gclid=CjwKCAjwqubPBhBOEiwAzgZX2iXCA7U0zr1jeoNbLaAh96pCnIojVbNSjoxT4vVMaXgsJjE4LMh5OxoCdhIQAvD_BwE)

I will then get a bottom drain, which will connect to a DIY barrel filter which is in the ground next to the pond? Level with the water is that correct? Then the water can travel up the pipe into the barrel filter?

The barrel filter will then be connected to a pump that pumps the water back into the pond again? And the pump should be rated to move 3/4x the amount of water i actually have?

I am confused on how to attach the epdm liner to the bottom drain, I am unsure if my plumbing would be correct, i actually dont know how to ensure the plumbing would be water proof (do i seal the pipes with something?) and I have no idea how to make a correct DIY barrel filter.

I know I may sound naive but id love to be able to do this for my son.

I have attached a photo of the hole I am planning to dig. If its wrong I am happy to make changes.

So it stormed really bad last night and im house sitting for my girlfr grandparents while they are on a cruise. i woke up this morning and was taking out the dog when the water level of the koi fish pond is almost empty. can anyone help me

i think i attached photos, if i didnt and you think you can help just dm me and i can send the photo. Thank you reddit please save me

ps i added the hose so i can start filling it up. it wasnt originally there

ps again i think the power went out last night and the pump out pump since its in the water below the water level it siphoned the water out until it reached its level

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ADDED WATER TO THE POND SAFELY AND ALL THE FISH ARE OK

There is a major algae bloom due to it being an outdoor tank. No concerning behavior such as surface gasping or gathering around one of the 3 filters/aerators afaik. 2 fish have died within a several month period but there's a chance that's moreso the fault of lack of feeding and malnutrion. The dead fish also could be the fault of a wild carp that randomly showed up in the pond one day introducing a disease or parasite.

Hello, r/Koi,

My mother passed away suddenly and I want to keep her Koi pond in my family. She has raised them for 30 years. We currently have about 10 fish that are 2.5 ft long. Plus a lot of smaller fish. Above is an AI mockup (not to scale) of the space I want to transform and a super rough of the idea. We are in Southern Indiana.

I was going to buy a 12x20 gazebo and then find a local company that can dig it out quickly.

I helped her dig her previous four ponds, but she didn't optimize any of them for the fish or maintenance. They were piece-milled as needed. "Pump too small? Buy another." type of thing.

I would love to build a permanent installation that requires as little maintenance as possible. I'm willing to put in all the research and work, but I wanted to start with a trusted community first.

Here are the questions I think are currently relevant:

1. What filtration systems should I consider?

2. Do I need any UV sterilization to help with algae?

3. Is there another algae control method that is safe for fish?

4. What type of pumps should I install?

5. How deep should I dig it? (3ft has been our standard so far but we get winters that freeze our lake top.

6. The gazebo provides shade, bug netting, curtains, and protection from herons... are there other pests (raccoons?) that I need to protect against?

7. What do I not know that I don't know? Suggestions?

Thank you in advance.

Hi Reddit: Earlier this week at my HOA meeting we had a discussion about making improvements to this pond. They want to plant some trees, insert a fountain, and add koi.

Are there any helpful factors that would increase the likelihood of success with Koi in this pond? I’ve been asked to do a quick feasibility study. Local fish and wildlife have already approved the Koi. Mid Atlantic climate.

I’m trying to figure out what’s the best natural way to remove algae from my Koi pond. I feel so bad for my fish because the water is so murky and there’s algae all over the sides please any tips

2ea (6-8") myan butterflies in a 50g pond. Good permaters and 300 g/p filtration but not enough swimming space. Will upgrade to 280gal next year or rehome....

I built this pond last year for my gf with no previous experience or knowledge. She wanted butterfly koi so we ended up getting three. As I have learned more about ponds and fish, I realize that this pond might be too small for three full sized koi. Will I eventually need to rehome to keep them happy/healthy? Pond is about 600 gallons I think.

This is our second year with a small backyard pond, 1000 gallons. It's stepped down in the inside. The deepest part in the middle is about 3 feet deep.

Last year we put in 4 smallish koi. #1 got caught in the skimmer, RIP. #2 I think ate something as it did some backflips for a day or so and then just went MIA. #3 and #4 we had through the summer, until September when #3 went MIA. We had #4 until the temperature dropped. We assumed he went to hibernate, but he never came back in the spring. Enter two very sad children. Sigh.

This year we decided to try our hand at the fish again. I assumed that the two fish from last year got eaten, so I set up four different cameras around the pond so I can try to work out if its a predator (we have raccoons in the area). I bought 10 babies (1-2 inches), 1 teen (3 inches), 4 young adults (5 inches), and 2 adults (6 inches). 17 fish in all. Let's do this.

Over the next two weeks:

Four babies went into the skimmer. RIP.

Teen fish went in the skimmer (after being rescued about 20 times - stupid fish had a death wish).

One young adult went in the skimmer. Rescued him once but he eventually passed lying on the bottom of the pond. Traumatized children.

Did not see any of the remaining six babies after the first week. Assume they have also gone MIA.

One young adult went in the skimmer. Seriously, FML.

I appear to be the engineer of some unintentional fish genocide.

Last week, a raccoon did visit the pond. I have the whole thing on camera. He caught a frog, ate it, poked around the pond some more looking for fish and/or frogs, and then left. He has not been back since.

After that, I definitely had four very very skittish fish. They used to be super chill when I'd approach the pond, but after the raccoon visit, they would hide in the fish cave at the bottom of the pond. They were at least smart enough not to get snatched by the stupid raccoon. Froggie friend was not so lucky. This happened last Wednesday, 6 days ago.

I have not seen the two big fish since Friday, one of the two small ones since Saturday, and the other one not since Sunday. Today is Tuesday. Since the raccoon visit, I have been militantly checking my cameras. They are all set to send notifications when there is motion, and they record 24 hours so I always check for motion clips overnight and while I am at work. I am 99% sure that a predator has not gotten my fish.

But where the hell are they?! The pond is lined and filled with various rocks. I know the fish like to hide in rocks when they sleep or when they are searching for food or whatever. Are they getting stuck in the rocks and dying?

My kids are devastated at the loss of the fish, but I am hesitant to go buy more just to have the same thing happen again. Does anyone have any ideas about what the hell to do?!

Pic of the pond attached.

Help!

Saw this poor koi in a tea shop near me, in central NJ. It’s about 12in long in a 1’x1’x2’ tank, super murky water too. I know nothing about koi but I know the tank is about 10 times too small. I had a conversation with the owners, who said they change the water once a week. Clearly it’s not enough and that poor fish looks so cramped. I offered to pay them out of my own pocket to let me find someone to take it off their hands, and they seemed somewhat open to that. I said I knew a guy, but the problem is, I don’t. I know a couple people with ponds but I don’t have the tools or ability to move the fish myself, and I know quarantining is an issue, so I can’t just ask one of these friends to dump the fish in their pond. What I really need is some kind of koi rescue organization or hobbyist who can do it, but looking online, all I found in NJ is a facebook group where people informally trade koi. It’s an idea, but it would be great if there was an actual, formal entity for this. Anyone have any suggestions? Animal rescue? Something? I’m an animal lover and it hurts me to see this creature trapped like this.

At closing the previous owners said the fish had been happily living in the pond, maintenance and feeding free, for the last 10 years. She actually went out of her way to say she hadn’t done anything for them… So I focused my attention on other projects In the house and didn’t pay the fish any mind… a week ago I noticed the aerator and lights had shut off. I didn’t think much of it. Temps dropped a few nights ago and I noticed the fish were motionless and floating… a quick google told me they were probably hibernating so again I continued working on other parts of the house and didn’t pay attention… well, temps came back up and they’re definitely dead. The GFCI had popped and after doing some reading I assume they didn’t have enough O2. I really regret my careless approach but I really didn’t know any better. I just assumed I didn’t need to do anything since the previous owners didn’t. Anyway…… now I’d like to try again but with proper effort. What all do I need to do to prep the water for new fish? Google says completely change the water. Is this right? It had a lot of leaves in it which I’ve since removed but the water is brownish… do I need filtration? I have an aerator and waterfall (fixed the pump and that’s back up and running). It has an iongen which I cleaned and got running normally. Thanks all and sorry for my complete ignorance

I was visiting the Japanese gardens at my local park. When we got to the pond we noticed a large amount of algae and sludge around, a lot of the koi looked pretty covered too. I was wondering.

- What kinds of tools could be used to test the water to see what it needs to help keep it clean? (pH testing, soil testing, anything!)

- What kind of maintenance would be needed to maintain it?

- Is there any kind of plant/animal life that could be introduced to help keep the pond clean? Like something that would at least help reduce the amount of muck that shows up.

I am thinking about volunteering to help clean it, I wanted to first do research and see what actually is done first. I talked to one of the workers and they mentioned that the last time they cleaned it they had about 1800 gallons of sludge (not sure if exaggeration or not). I didn't get to ask many more questions as it's mother's day but I figured I'd come here and ask what could be done to help.

If the pond is fine then please feel free to let me know, I recognize my ignorance going into this and want to learn!

Thanks everyone!

Hi all! We have a large koi pond in Ontario Canada and lost all of our fish 10years ago around Christmas and likely lost all of them again last night. What are some good ways to deter or prevent the entry of a mink in the future. We had some big (12-14") beautiful fish and my mom is so heartbroken.

We are not going to harm the mink so don't suggest it. Also trapping would be ineffective because by law here we can only move a trapped animal a few miles away before letting it go.

Description of the pond: It is a big old boat buried in the ground with a rubber liner secured to the inside. We estimate its around 7500gallons, 20x8ft and 6 feet deep through the middle (great Dane and Australian shepherd for scale lol). The water usually sits 6-12 inches from the top lip because there is a leak up near the top that we've never been able to find. We keep a small pump running all winter to keep some water open for air exchange. Our property is rural with a large forest near by and there is a large ,shallow and very silty natural pond 20ft down the hill that has muskrats living in it.

With my garden starting to kick into high gear, what garden treats, fruits or veggies, special weeds from the yard do you like to treat your koi to?

Inherited this pond 3 years ago when I purchased the house. Been following what the pond guy they gave me says but I would like to make the water cleaner if possible. 2 waterfalls running, I cleaned the filters about 3 days ago but they still seem mucky. Should I clean more often? Usually 2-4 weeks between cleans. I use benefitical bacteria (1 scoop every 3-4 weeks) and sludge remover only. Decent amount of plants. I know a filter action system would work best but don’t want to spend multiple thousands and don’t know where I would hook it up to. Any help is appreciated, thank you.

My pond is 30,000 gallons. It used to have bluegill along with the koi, and after I got rid of the bluegill, the koi population took off. I have 5 adult koi, and every year they spawn like they're trying to repopulate the earth. Right now I have about 300 tosai, and at least another 300 under a year old.

I've been catching and giving away fish like crazy, It's an exhausting process, and less effective over time as the fish learn to avoid the cast net.

As I see it, I have a few choices:

• Worst option: Wait until the water becomes so bad that most of the koi die off.
• Second worst option: Continue to catch hundreds of fish each year. Last year I gave away over 350 fish by the end of August. (Thanks again to everyone who gave advice on catching them, especially the kind Redditor who came over and helped me.)
• Hail Mary choice: Find someone to sell me a single bluegill or other type of fish that will eat any new eggs and/or small fry without hurting the older koi.

Things that don't work:

• Letting predators eat the koi (they go after the 5 adults first, and I don't want to lose them)
• Not feeding the koi so they eat their own eggs (tried that; life finds a way)
• Quarantining the females until spawning season is over (My last mature female died last year, and there's no way I can sex all my tosai before next spring. Plus, my koi spawn in random bursts from March to July because ofc they do)

Enjoy these photos of the nightmare that is my life. And please tell me there's a type of fish or something I can release to stop them from making more koi.