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.

We recommend keeping your salt level between .3 and .5%. However, this level of salt will be harmful to many pond plants.

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.

We recommend that you discontinue feeding your koi and goldfish whenever the water temperature drops below 50 degrees.

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.

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.

Believe it or not, the oldest documented koi on record was a Japanese koi named Hanako that lived to the ripe old age of 226 years.

Of course, Hanako was an extreme outlier. However, koi that are well cared for can regularly live to 20-30 years of age.

Unfortunately, koi and goldfish will eat aquatic plants that you may have in your pond. However, keeping your fish well fed with fish food will minimize the amount of plant material your koi will go after.

Absolutely! Both koi and goldfish are very docile creatures and will not harm each other in a pond or aquarium.

Koi can be more expensive than others of the same size because of many different factors, mainly color and pattern. The colors on a more expensive koi will tend to be deeper and more vibrant. A koi that has deep red or jet black will be more desirable than a koi with fading red or light grey spots. This can also apply to the pattern of color. The pattern must be evenly distributed throughout the body, without too much color concentrated on one end or side of the koi. Usually, an expensive koi, as compared to another the same size, will have a visually pleasing and balanced pattern, with deep, dark colors.