Check out our Koi & Ponds this Season!

However, koi tend to thrive best in temperatures ranging from 60°F to 75°F and do not react well to being cold as it inhibits their immune systems.  Because they are so bright in color, they require a bit of creative protection when kept in the outdoor pond.  Be sure that there is at least 5 feet depth minimum to ward off cold as well as possible predators, along with some tree-shaded areas and a pump and filtration system in place to keep the water clear.  As with any other aquatic pet, it is key to make sure that proper oxygenation, pH stabilization, temperature, and feeding amounts are kept in check.  With the right care, koi can live anywhere from 25 years up to 60 years or more (some have been recorded to live over 200 years of age) and grow up to 3 feet long!

Koi are mostly omnivorous and will eat a selection of foods from typical koi commercial foods, vegetables like peas or lettuce, and insects.  Koi will actually begin to recognize those that feed them and become excited and gather to see you during feeding times.  They can even be carefully trained to take food from your hand!  

In Japanese, koi is a homophone for another word that means "affection" or "love"; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan.  They are sometimes even passed down from generation to generation, and to those who receive them as gifts are believed to bring good luck!

Pond season is coming to a close soon, so please be sure to come in to an Uncle Bill's near you to check out the live Koi ponds (at our Greenwood, Fishers, or Fort Wayne stores) and possibly take home a family heirloom, and new friend, yourself!  You can also see a few of our Koi and other pond fish in some underwater action in a video on our YouTube channel.