| $ $ Annual Maintenance: $1,7K - $3,8K | $ $ $ Building A Koi Pond: $5,1K - $15,5K |
Koi ponds have become popular in the last few years, and once you’ve seen one, it’s easy to know why.
Koi are large, colorful, and peaceful fish that are symbols of prosperity, perseverance, strength, and good luck in Japanese culture.
Koi fish live long lives (the oldest koi fish is supposed to have lived for almost 230 years), swim against the current, and are not aggressive towards other fish or animals.
They first started as common carp that were selectively bred to get the incredible colors they now have.
Although it is possible to start with a small fish tank if you want to have koi fish, you will eventually need a koi pond.
Let’s review some of the main facts about koi fish, koi ponds, and the cost of having one.
Table of Contents
Is A Koi Pond The Right Choice For Me?
Koi are beautiful and serene fish that can get as large as 3 feet in length and weigh around 35 pounds.
You won’t be able to keep them in a small or regular fish tank.
They generally live between 20 and 30 years, so they should be in the best possible conditions.
Koi fish are very social, needing to live with other koi fish or fish that are not aggressive towards them.
You need to have enough backyard space to build your koi pond.
The size, materials, and supplies will determine how much you’re going to spend on a koi pond.
Another crucial element when defining the total cost is the town or city where you live.
Building A Koi Pond
The size of your pond will affect the overall price, as well as the accessories you’ll have to get to make your koi pond work properly.
Main Supplies
The basic supplies are a water pump, a mechanical surface skimmer that helps to capture debris and filters the water in the pond, and any type of biological filtration.
These could include Lily pads, water lettuce, waterweed, or similar plants that will help keep the water in perfect conditions for your fish.
Snails or frogs could also be an option if you want to have a more diverse ecosystem.
Building a koi pond will cost you from $5,000 to $15,000, for a small or medium-sized pond.
The price will increase if you add underwater lights, waterfalls, streams, or fountains.
Koi Fish
The cost can vary depending on the size and how you purchase them.
There are koi fish available at pet stores from $6 to $50, but there are also breeders that tend to have a greater variety of colors, ages, and sizes.
Buying from a breeder usually costs from $70 to $500, but some koi fish could end up costing thousands of dollars.
Maintenance Of A Koi Pond
Koi fish are generally healthy fish, so you should make sure their habitat is always clean, free of parasites, predators, and other elements that could end up hurting them.
Food
Koi fish need to have a healthy and balanced diet, which could be achieved by feeding them with special pellets made just for koi fish.
These tend to have diverse types of protein, algae, vitamins, and minerals.
You could also give your fish vegetables or fruits as treats.
Koi food costs from $480 to $720 per year.
These prices could increase or decrease based on how many koi fish you have and their size.
Filter Cleaning And Pond Check-ups
The basic maintenance costs are filter cleaning, replacing any parts that have been damaged, and regular annual check-ups.
The cost of this will be affected by the size of the pond and the accessories or supplies it has.
On average, you’ll have to pay from $1,200 to $3,000 per year.
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