If you are looking to jazz up your water garden, one of the best ways is to add some Black in there. One great type of fish that go well in almost any water garden is the carp, or as it is known in Japan, the Black Koi.

One thing to remember however is that before you add any new life into your pond, a little bit of research will go a long way. You need to make sure that Koi will be right for your pond, and that you can take proper care of them and ensure the proper ecosystem within your pond.

Delving a little into the background of the black Koi, you will find that Koi are also known throughout the world as carp, and are a large variety of fish originating between Central Europe and Asia. Even from the beginning, there were many different species of carp, and they were even used as a major food source in Asia. They were promptly domesticated by the Chinese and South East Asians. When the fist made its way over to Japan, it became known as the Koi. This fish can easily withstand different water types and conditions as well as different climates. It is very hardy and resilient, and as a result of this, carp easily propagated all throughout Japan and surrounding areas.

If you want to add a little serenity to your life, you can do it with a Koi Garden. You would be quite amazed what a Koi garden can really do for the area around your home or business. That is because anyone coming in contact with your garden will absolutely love it. They will stop to admire it. They may even take pictures of it. But it is a matter of you finding the right supplies, the right fish, and having the right location for your garden.

The first thing we need to focus on is the location of your Koi garden. It is very important that you know where it is you want to place your garden so that it gets the attention that it deserves and so the garden is in a location that compliments your home or your business. Many decide that the front of the structure along a walkway is the best place for it. And if your budget allows for it, you could create a bridge that connects pieces of your walkway and place the garden right below it. That way individuals, including yourself, can stand on the bridge and look down at the Koi swimming around, the plants, and the other items that you have. This brings a sense of peace to everyone’s passing by.

If you are looking for ways to improve your garden, to make it even more lovely and inviting, you might want to consider adding a Koi pond. Koi are so beautiful and decorative and they are simply delightful to watch. And it is not as difficult to maintain a Koi pond as you might think. If you build and maintain the pond correctly the Koi fish can live in your garden for decades.

Choose an area where you can build a pond large enough to allow your fish to reproduce ant grow in size. They like elbow room so be sure you have plenty of room for them to swim easily. It is not a good idea to have the fish so crowded that they are bumping into each other at every turn. Of course you will want to be sure that you do not have more room than you need. Filtering the water and adding medication if you need it can be very expensive, especially if you are working with more water than you actually need.

Once you have your Koi pond set up you will need to be sure that you have all of the Koi supplies you need to keep your fish healthy and happy. With Koi supplies, you will need to be sure that the water is clean and parasite free and your fish are well fed and safe from predators. If you are diligent in the care of your Koi, you will have large brilliantly colored fish that will live in your garden for many, many years.

One of the most helpful Koi supplies you can have is the auto fill device. The water in your Koi pond can evaporate over time and it is important that you maintain a consistent depth in your pond. However if you introduce too much water at one time, you may risk adding too much chlorine to the pond. And chlorine can be deadly to the Koi. The auto fill device recognizes when the water level drops and automatically refills the pond. Because it is not adding a large amount of water, you are less likely to add too much chlorine.

To remove the buildup of waste products and other harmful substances in your Koi pond, a good Koi pond filtration system is a necessity. To keep your Koi healthy and thriving and to insure their long life make sure you use the right equipment – if you don’t bad things can happen.

Poor Koi pond filtration can quickly result in an unhealthy, even deadly environment for your fish. The lack of filtration results in that ugly green looking pond scum. It becomes a breeding ground for deadly parasites and other creatures, and soon is foul smelling and a health hazard.

Take some simple steps and properly plan for a good Koi pond filtration system. A poor system can ruin an otherwise spectacular pond if it doesn’t work when and how it should. You’ve made a big investment in your pond so don’t risk damage to it as well as endangering the health of your fish.

Most Koi pond designers would say a filter system should be able to handle 1/3 the volume of the pond. That means a pond with a total volume of 3000 gallons would need a system that could handle 1000 gallons. Never have a filtration system that can handle less than 10% of your pond’s volume.

How fast to Koi grow? This is a question we hear often. A Koi’s grow the rate is dependent on the feeding pattern and several other factors. The key determinates are the water temperature, water quality, number of fish in the pond and the basic genetic background of the fish. Some types just grow faster than others.

They need food that contains various elements such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. These elements are essential for all animals to maintain healthy bodies, grow and reproduce.

The type of food and quantity that you give them is dependent upon the size of your fish. Make sure that the food you use can be eaten by the smallest fish in the pond. If it won’t fit in their mouth, they can’t eat it. If the is an assortment of both large and small fish, make sure there is both large and small foodstuff. You’ll need to make sure that the small Koi receive enough and are not kept from the dinner table by the larger fish.

Like most other major projects, planning ahead will save you time, money and loads of frustration. Well planning your Koi pond design is no different. Take the time to plan out the project in detail before you turn the first shovel of dirt.

Decide on the shape of your Koi pond. There will always be constraints on the design that you can’t control – existing landscape, slope of the ground, other structures, etc. Lay out several shapes for the pond using lengths of rope or garden hose. Make sure you check out the design from all angles. Don’t forget to look at the design from inside your home. If you have an upstairs, look down on the designs as well.

Plan for the proper depth of your pond. Tree roots or rocks on the property can be a problem. Koi when grown will be big fish. They need room to swim vertically and laterally. Your pond should have a minimum depth of four feet and ideally closer to 6 – 8 feet deep. A deeper pond allows for better water temperature stabilization – cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Many Koi owners don’t realize how important the right level of dissolved oxygen in their pond is to the health of their fish. As a result Koi pond aeration is something that is often neglected. They think, because they have an outdoor pond, oxygen is something they don’t have to worry about.

Monitoring the oxygen level in your pond is important for several reasons. It goes without saying that proper oxygen levels are necessary for the fish. But having the proper oxygen level is also necessary for any vegetation you may have in the pond. There are also important chemical processes that go on in the pond that require good oxygenation. Every pond is different in the amount of oxygen it needs – this is called its oxygen demand. It is constantly changing and is affected by things such as the number of fish you have, the size fish and by the amount of plant decomposition going on.

There is just so much oxygen that can be absorbed into water at any given time. It depends on factors such as the temperature of the water, movement of the water (aeration) and salinity. Since we’re talking about freshwater ponds here, salinity is not a factor to worry about.

Deciding to build a Koi pond is a big decision. Koi pond construction is not something to be undertaken lightly. But done correctly, it can be extremely rewarding, a beautiful addition to your home and garden and the perfect place to keep your Koi fish.

If you’re good at construction projects like this, you can choose to do it yourself. If you do, you’ll want think about using a pond kit. A good kit will provide all the basic components and get you started quicker. But make no mistake about it, there are several advantages and disadvantages you should think about before you jump into doing the project yourself.

Professional builders usually charge a premium for their expertise, so using a pond kit to build your own Koi pond certainly saves you a lot of money. But, if you damage the materials required or install it improperly, you will have turned this advantage to a disastrous disadvantage.

Creating your own Koi pond brings enjoyment and the satisfaction of knowing you have done something with your own hands. You can brag about it, get your family involved in the construction, and do the job exactly as you want it done.