Koi ponds are lovely additions to your backyard. They're aesthetically pleasing, the fish make excellent pets, and the various water features help relieve stress.
Whether you're thinking about adding koi to your backyard pond or are in the beginning stages of deciding to create a koi pond, searching online for advice and tips can be very beneficial.
We're proud to be a great resource for all things koi-related - but we also wanted to shine the spotlight on additional online communities where you can sometimes communicate with other koi pond owners.
But where do you find these resources? We've gathered some of our top koi pond online communities and resources for you to take a look at.
Garden Pond Forums is a website that encompasses several different forums where people discuss everything about backyard ponds, aquatic ecosystems, fish, and more. They have a specific forum named Fish & Koi Talk that's more directed at koi fish and their habitats.
When you join Garden Pond Forums, you're requested to post in an introductory forum so you can begin feeling like you're part of the community. From there, you can post and read in various forums that are relevant to what you're looking for.
In their Fish & Koi Talk forum, there are over 30 pages worth of various conversations on all things koi fish. There are pages where people are looking for health advice, habitat advice, or simply looking to connect with other koi pond owners.
The best part about this forum is that it's very active. You'll see older threads, but there's plenty from 2021 and even yesterday. Participating in an active thread or forum is vital when looking for an online community.
You need to check out The Koi Pond Water Garden Podcast if you love podcasts. This entire koi pond podcast is dedicated to everything about the species, koi ponds, water gardens and features, and everything else aquatic. Hosts Mike Gannon and The Pond Hunter make this podcast interesting with their banter and knowledge on the topics.
There are over 50 episodes you can choose to listen to over a period of time or binge listen to. We won't judge. Each episode is about something different but listening to the hosts speak about different water habitats and fish is fascinating. Plus, podcast communities are special and create a unique bond with people.
Some of their specific episodes on koi fish and koi ponds are what happens to them in winter, how long koi and goldfish live, how deep and large the ponds should be, and so much more.
You can listen to this podcast on various outlets. Apple Podcasts and Spotify are the two primary sources for this podcast, but you can also listen to them on iHeart Radio and by Google searching the name and clicking on any of the available websites.
Another excellent online forum to check out for all things koi related is Koiphen. Koiphen is the official chat board, or discussion board, for the Worldwide Koi Club (WWKC). Once you've created an account on the platform, you'll be able to post and comment on other users' threads.
We love that, on Koiphen, the website managers break the threads down by category. The first one you'll see is the beginner's thread. If you're new to owning a koi pond or haven't yet started your journey, this is a great resource to get advice from other members.
They have threads where you can learn about koi fish health, post if you have questions in an emergency situation, and even judge other people's koi fish. The general forum is another excellent resource for beginning and experienced koi pond owners.
Some of our favorite threads are the ones about pond creation. There's information about the proper water filtration, the size, and an entire page about DIYing a koi pond from your yard.
Koi-Bito is one of the koi pond forums that are based in Japan. According to Koi-Bito’s website, this forum is for serious hobbyists. As one of the oldest and longest-running koi discussion boards, they know a thing or two about building a fish pond and raising koi fish.
Even though the website advertises it's for serious hobbyists, anyone who has a passion for koi fish and their ponds can read and participate in these discussions. Their main forum offers different threads about general koi fish care and pond maintenance. They have over 180,000 posts in that one form alone.
While the rules of the website state that most new discussions and response posts need to be in their main forum, they have other categories that make excellent resources. There's one specifically about pond construction, a collection of their best threads, threads for koi fish breeders, and more.
One of our favorite threads is the welcome and birthdays thread. This is the area on the website where you'll find the best sense of community. People introduce themselves when they join and are encouraged to greet new members when they do. You can share birthday wishes with other koi fish lovers here.
Koi magazines are great resources for information. Luckily, there's a magazine entirely online and dedicated to everything koi. Koi Magazine is the premiere koi pond magazine. It's relatively new to the online community but still offers some resources that you may find handy.
They have several magazine entries discussing topics surrounding these tropical fish. One of the most interesting ones is how long the koi typically live. When considering adding a koi pond to your yard, you'll want to know how long you're committing to these creatures. That entry can help you better grasp what lies ahead.
Koi Magazine offers a few entries all about breeding koi fish. Even if you're not sure if you'll breed your fish, learning about the process and what it's like having a koi farm is fascinating. On the other hand, if you do want to breed them, you'll want to make sure you're doing it with their health and care in mind.
These beautiful fish need the proper habitat to thrive and live a long life. The resources on Koi Magazine can help ensure you're providing that for your beloved fish. They have entries discussing what types of aquatic plants they like, how large the pond should be, and more.
We will say that the one downside to Koi Magazine is that it doesn't offer you the opportunity to connect with other koi fish owners. Unlike forums where you can interact, the magazine is for reading only.
Another excellent option for a koi pond forum is on Houzz. Houzz is an online platform with several different types of discussion boards for all different kinds of hobbies and topics. While it's not entirely dedicated to koi fish, their koi discussion board is a fantastic resource.
When you open the page, most of the threads available on the forum discuss how to build the pond and use the proper water filtration system. Even if you're past this step in your process, there's still valuable information to find.
Something we've noticed about this particular forum is that many people resort to posting here when they have a sick koi fish. The sense of community is comforting in stressful times, like when you have a sick animal, and they can't tell you what's wrong.
