The Mud Ponds

Nisei Koi Farm

Each year we set aside a number of mud ponds to grow out the best of each previous year’s production. The mud ponds are stocked with koi within 1.5” of each other's length to ensure equal feeding competition to get the best growth possible from the pond. Due to our stocking by size not age, koi harvest from the ponds may come out with different growth rates. This difference is may not be due to an individual not growing as well as others, but the koi being a year old. We expect to get a large growth rate out of the Nisai, a bit less out of the Sansai, just due to their age. When evaluating the a koi after harvest, each koi is looked at individually and not nessacarily compared to other koi harvest fro the pond.

In spring, we begin stock the ponds with the best koi in each size.  Predicting that only 10% of the spring tategoi will still remain tategoi by the fall harvest, this spring selection is very important. In efforts to get the best results from the koi; growth and body gurth, we here at the Nise Koi Farm, interven in many ways to protect and enhance the koi's envirment in the mud ponds. hru the summer the ponds are protected from preditors by string fishing line across the top of the ponds and fencing around the the ponds. To keep the build up of toxic gases in the ponds, the ponds are walked by staff weekly breaking gas bubbles and stiring the muddy bottoms of the ponds. The koi are supplimented numerous times a day with feedings in addition to the natural food available in the ponds.

Our 2year old koi and older are left to grow other then feeding thru the summmer. But, our tosai go thru extensive culling thru the summer. From 1/4in the tosai are culled to clear out any deformities or poor quality every 30 days. Thru this process we lower numbers from 100,000 koi per pond to about 2000 by harvest time.  Although our farming style is labor intensive, we feel our method in farming style is the best way to ensure we are providing our customers with the best quality fish we can produce.