Outdoor Pond - Koi

[Fishery]

Hi all,

I haven't posted for a while.

I'm in the process of getting a pond setup in the backyard.. I have a question regarding fish that i'm going to be putting in it. I have been kinda offered Koi from a Indoor pond setup (restaurant), i've looked at the fish and all of them have lost there colour and i suspect haven't see the light of day. My question is.. how much of an impact on the fish when i move them from indoor to outdoors, and will the colour improve with daylight and the correct food?

The final stages of the pond will incorporate shade plants to lesson the impact the sun will have on the pond.

thanks.

 

[Thyra]

I don't really know the answer to your question - never had koi, but I know the cheap little goldfish I put in my out side little pond and also a stock tank have really gotten deep orange. I rarely feed them so that is not the reason, but much of the food sold claim it is "color enhancing". Have you considered predators? Birds and snakes can be a big problem even in a city. Eagles here have pretty much cleaned out some domestic trout ponds and herons have helped.

 

[se7en2686]

My Father Has a Large outdoor koi pond. When they breed he brings in the babies, places them into a tank and lets them grow. He then waits and sells off the Unwanted colors and places the others back into another pond outside. So Id have to say unless they are really stressed i would have to believe they would be fine as long as its not really cold out when moving them about. From Birth the first are outside then brought in then taken back out a year or more later. His also seem to lose color inside the house after a few years. He has a 55 that has 3 or so Koi and in my opinion very boring looking colors. Outside very vibrant.

 

[KcMopar]

Also note that some KOI which can be pond comet mix breed will turn white this time of season. I have three, two of which stay the regular gold/orange color and one that is red and white but, this time of year the red always fades away and returns around fall to winter. This is just my experience with them. I to am working a plan for about a 5000 gallon outdoor pond. I hope to start it this fall as the weather here in the south has been in the 100's for a couple months now, just to hot darn hot!!!!