Bring our koi with, or leave them when we move?

[sweetbeats]

Greetings.

Not sure if this is the right place for this thread, so apologies if it is misplaced.

We are moving soon and trying to come to terms with with to do with our two koi. They currently live in the monster of a pond that is the subject of this old thread:

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/help-me-please-koi-are-dying.24266/

...a 3000gal pond with a 10,000gph pump.

We are quite attached to the koi but don’t want to bring any potential harm to them by bringing them with us if that be the case. Where we are moving to does have a pond...MUCH smaller. I’m not exactly sure yet the volume...I’ll have a better idea this coming weekend. But there is a tall rock structure for a waterfall...decent potential aeration and maybe in-built bio-filter potential there?

Here is a bad pic of the new pond:

I’ll get a better pic or two this weekend. There is a pump but I’m not sure yet if it is working. Anyway, first question will be if the pond is even big enough for our koi, which are around maybe 7” in length? How many gallons of pond volume should each koi have? And then the next question is what would be the best way to get new pond ready for them, if it is even wise to transfer them?

We ultimately want what’s best for the koi, even if it means the pain of saying goodbye. So hit me with the reality check.

Thanks in advance for any help with this...

We’ve gotten our current pond into a nice state of natural symbiosis...the koi are healthy, they have plenty naturally occurring food to eat, the algae seems to naturally be held at bay, and the pond has drawn several frogs this year too. I’d *love* to get the new pond to be self-sustaining too.

Thanks all.

 

[Lisak1]

It's hard to tell much from the photo, but it does appear that the new pond is a preform and I can say with confidence that there's not a preformed pond known to man (or woman!) that is large enough for koi. I'd say leave the fish with the pond with good care instructions for the new owners and blessings for a long and happy life.

 

[addy1]

i agree that is a preform pond. Agree with @Lisak1 too small for the koi, you would harm them.
Maybe after you move, you could removed the preform and dig in a larger liner pond.

 

[Ronfire]

Might be able to have an agreement with the new owners to be able to pick up the Koi at a later date ( set a time frame )

 

[j.w]

@sweetbeats Looks to me like you would need a much bigger pond in the new place. I would leave them or re-home to someone w/a nice big pond or start digging a big one yourself soon. Are you staying in Oregon or moving far away? @DoDad and many others live in Oregon. I did a search and put in Oregon and Koi and many member threads came up w/people in Oregon. Also there is this and maybe you can contact someone involved in this as is @DoDad http://www.oregonkoiandwatergardensociety.com/events.htm

 

[Stephen Noble]

Agree, your preform pond is probably too small unless it is one of those mega size preform jobs like this: http://www.waterfordgardens.com/Preformed-Fiberglass-Ponds/Giant-LAKE-KOI-Fiberglass-Pond-p-730.html
Are you moving across town or miles away? Cross town is an easy solution. Here is my experience...
I would rehome the fish if the new owners don't have pond keeping as a high priority and experience. Nothing good comes from an 'after-thought' pond. If your move is local you might get them to agree to let you maintain the current pond until you get your new one up and cycled.

 

[CometKeith]

Greetings.

Not sure if this is the right place for this thread, so apologies if it is misplaced.

We are moving soon and trying to come to terms with with to do with our two koi. They currently live in the monster of a pond that is the subject of this old thread:

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/help-me-please-koi-are-dying.24266/

...a 3000gal pond with a 10,000gph pump.

We are quite attached to the koi but don’t want to bring any potential harm to them by bringing them with us if that be the case. Where we are moving to does have a pond...MUCH smaller. I’m not exactly sure yet the volume...I’ll have a better idea this coming weekend. But there is a tall rock structure for a waterfall...decent potential aeration and maybe in-built bio-filter potential there?

Here is a bad pic of the new pond:

View attachment 124839

I’ll get a better pic or two this weekend. There is a pump but I’m not sure yet if it is working. Anyway, first question will be if the pond is even big enough for our koi, which are around maybe 7” in length? How many gallons of pond volume should each koi have? And then the next question is what would be the best way to get new pond ready for them, if it is even wise to transfer them?

We ultimately want what’s best for the koi, even if it means the pain of saying goodbye. So hit me with the reality check.

Thanks in advance for any help with this...

We’ve gotten our current pond into a nice state of natural symbiosis...the koi are two healthy, they have plenty naturally occurring food to eat, the algae seems to naturally be held at bay, and the pond has drawn several frogs this year too. I’d *love* to get the new pond to be self-sustaining too.

Thanks all.

Hi. We moved two years ago and the new owners loved our pond. It was fully mature and had about 50 goldfish. Their son sat by the pond during the showing and I think it helped us get a full price offer. I left about 20 goldfish and the pump and bio filter so it was all set for continued use. About a month later I got a call from the owners if I wanted the rocks from the pond because they were going to fill it in. I went there and it was so unbelievably sad what happened to the pond. The water level was super low and it was covered with leaves. Even though I had given the new owners basic pointers on feeding and the equipment they had no interest or time for the pond. I rescued the remaining fish and took whatever equipment I left. My point is that even though you think you are doing your Koi a “favor” by leaving them there is no guarantee that a new owner has any knowledge or interest in properly maintaining a pond. I would take them and see what you can do over time to improve the pond at your new house.. At least you have the knowledge to know what to do. Most people don’t!

 

[Lisak1]

@CometKeith - you make a really good point. Some people may THINK they want a pond, but the reality may be more than they are willing to deal with, no matter how simple. You have to be the kind of person who will happily wander outside a few times a day to at least glance at the pond. And I've learned that there are people who just.don't.go.outside! I KNOW! So WEIRD! Like alien life forms or something. IF I COULD I'D LIVE OUT THERE! (Well, not this week. The mosquitoes are killer right now!)

I'm going to amend my original answer to @sweetbeats to say "it depends". What level of interest do the new owners seem to have in the pond and fish? Will the new pond support your two koi long enough to let you assess their future needs? Will you have the ability to build bigger if necessary? If it turns out that they are NOT interested, but you feel that your new pond won't be sufficient, a third option would be to find a good home for them with someone who currently has a pond and knows what it takes to care for koi. Perhaps you can even ask them to "foster" your fish until you can get a better set up in your new home.

Good luck with your decision! Let us know what happens!

 

[WaterGardener]

You could take them with you and set up a temporary pond with an Intex pool until you could get a new p. I don't know what you currently have for filtration, but if you could take that, too, you could use it with the pool and maybe even save your beneficial bacteria.

I would be hesitant to leave fish behind if the new owners weren't experienced and seriously dedicated to keeping them. Just my 2 cents worth.