Indoor Koi Ponds

Many commercial enterprises have built indoor Koi ponds within their business outlets to attract customers as well as enhance the interior landscape of their premises.

There are quite a few unique challenges that come with keeping Koi inside because their usual stamping ground is an outdoor environment and to enable the fish to maintain this type of lifestyle, certain accommodations must be made for them.

The total number of these fish living in indoor Koi ponds should be restricted. A good rule of thumb is to have no more than one inch of fish for every one cubic foot of water. This will give each fish the room it requires to move around in the water freely and will not over burden the food system.

Koi do not have a stomach, rather a single vein extracts the nutrients from the food as it passes through its body. Surprisingly, over feeding Koi is still possible. This is because, with no stomach, they do not know they are full. This will result in ammonia building up in the water and will cause the pond to start smelling. This odor is never noticed in the outdoors due to the natural ventilation.

Also, the coloring on these decorated carp is enhanced by the suns natural light and keeping them in indoor Koi ponds may keep them from natural light. This could cause their coloring to appear faded or dull. Windows and skylights can provide at least some natural light, but nothing will keep their coloring as bright as living outdoors. Some food additives have now been developed which can help them with color retention. These have moderate success but it too does not replace the natural sunlight.

Accommodations To Make Fish Feel At home

With each indoor Koi ponds holding a massive 240 gallons of water per fish, obviously a top quality filtering system will be required to keep the water clean and the bad odors away. Even with quality hardware it will still be necessary to change the water on a regular basis. About half of the total amount of water needs to be changed every single week.

Additionally, a dehumidifier will probably be needed in the room to combat the excess humidity due to the open water. Without a dehumidifier the humidity can lead to the possibility of mold growth so if one isn't used, it will have to be monitored very closely.

Filtration systems can be noisy and cumbersome so some commercial businesses opt to position them away from any open areas with a tubing system carrying water to and from the filters. Even with adequate filtration measures for indoor Koi ponds in place the need to change the water will soon become evident. When a pond is new monitor it to see how dirty the water becomes and how soon it smells. After a while a cleaning and water changing schedule will be established that should be stuck to religiously.

The area around indoor Koi ponds should be remodeled to keep the occasional fish from jumping from the pond. If one gets out and no one notices, apart from the bad odor it will cause over time, it could also be a safety hazard if someone were to stand on it!