We currently employee about 15 people full time. As a seasonal business, this number can fluctuate throughout the seasons.
Quick FAQs Archive
What measures do you take to ensure the health of your koi and goldfish?
All of our ponds and holding facilities are monitored constantly for parasites and signs of health issues. Any affected fish are treated accordingly and withheld from sell until we can verify that they are healthy. Additionally, all fish are quarantined for a minimum of 14 days before being shipped. Check out our Health and Bio-Security page for more information.
How did Blue Ridge get started in the koi and goldfish industry?
Our family got its start in the fish industry when E.W. Berry, great-grandfather to the current owners, began raising tadpoles and goldfish in the 1940’s. You can find more information at Our History.
Where are you located?
Our shipping facility is located in the town of Kernersville, in Central North Carolina. All of our production facilities are located within an hour drive of our Kernersville farm.
How densely can I stock my tank or pond and still keep my fish healthy?
This is a difficult question to answer, and there is no single correct answer. It all depends on multiple factors, including:
How strong is your filter system? How often do you do water changes? Are your filters fully cycled?
Koi and Goldfish don’t mind being crowded, IF the water parameters are at the correct levels. We generally recommend two hundred gallons of holding space for one box of fish. However, they can be stocked at a higher density if the ammonia and pH levels remain consistent and healthy.
How much salt should I keep in my pond or tank? What about if I have plants?
We recommend keeping your salt level between .3 and .5%. However, this level of salt will be harmful to many pond plants.
Are butterfly koi a cross between regular koi and long-finned goldfish?
Absolutely not. Being closely related, koi and goldfish can actively cross breed. However, the resulting progeny are usually unsightly and sterile. Butterfly koi are the result of a cross between standard fin koi and a type of long-finned Indonesian carp. Many strains of butterfly koi in the industry today were started and developed right here at Blue Ridge. You can read more about our development of butterfly koi at The Butterfly Koi Story.
When should I discontinue feeding?
We recommend that you discontinue feeding your koi and goldfish whenever the water temperature drops below 50 degrees.
How often should I feed my koi and goldfish?
As a general rule of thumb, you should feed your koi and goldfish once per day, no more than they can eat in 5 minutes. If there is still uneaten food left after 5 minutes, try feeding less next time.
The amount of food required by koi and goldfish will vary widely depending on the season and temperature of the water. During the spring and summer, when the water is warm and the fish are very active, they will need more food. In the cold winter water, koi can go weeks without eating.
How large can koi grow?
The largest koi in the world top out at around 36 inches in length. However, many factors, including pond size and stocking density, will determine how large a koi can grow. Most koi will stop growing well short of 36 inches.