Interview: Laura Engelsman Lake Ridge Farm Koi Nursery & Water Gardens

Ian
From your website KoiNursery.com it was interesting to read that your Koi hobby spawned (sorry could not resist) into a full fledged, full time breeding operation. So what would you consider to be the biggest breakthrough that you have seen take place in regards to Koi breeding since you started Koi Nursery?
Laura
Going from a hobby to a business is not always an easy transition. The Koi hobby is rich in tradition and mythology that makes for some colourful discussions and adds a lot to the enjoyment of the Koi experience. It does not always serve a Koi breeder that well. Koi breeders have turned from some of the traditional methods, and relied on science and modern aquaculture techniques to better guard the health and safety of our quality breeding stock. An important advancement in the business/hobby of Koi Keeping in general has been the better understanding of filtration and the wonderful equipment now available. Products and systems relied on heavily in the past that were cumbersome, usually submersed, and hard to manage, have been made obsolete these days by new and inventive set ups and systems far more easy to install and maintain, especially at the hobby, or pond and water garden level.

Ian
Because of the price increases in gas last summer I imaging folks are evaluating their travel habits and the logical choice is to landscape their home. I find most homeowners that like to travel to the cottage would want the same cottage type experience at home, so I see watergardening the logical choice for them. So what does the future bring and or the options pond owners have when it comes to Koi selection?
Laura
The varieties of pond fish will always be expanding and growing to meet the demand of a more discerning pond enthusiast. With Koi there is already such a vast number of colours, patterns, fin and scale types, that the possibilities are endless! It is part of the pleasure of the hobby, searching for that "just right" colour or pattern to add to your perfect collection!

Ian
In your retail center you must meet a varied list of new and seasoned pond owners. How do you address water quality and pond maintenance concerns that the new watergarden owners may have?
Laura
With the facts! We pride ourselves on continuing our education so we can do our best to help inform and educate our customers. Again with the wonderful systems available these days we can enhance the water quality of anything from a small tub garden, and go right on up to lake management! An exchange of information is always welcome and we love hearing about our customers' experiences because it helps us expand our knowledge as well. It is a learning curve and there will be those we can teach, and those who can teach us and we welcome everyone!

Ian
Some folks contemplating a watergarden may be confused with the options available to them when it comes to Koi selection, and may not be aware that Goldfish are not Koi. Besides the obvious differences what are the main reasons to select Koi from a specialty breeder?
Laura
Purchasing anything from a reputable knowledgeable source is always the best way to go. Because we breed the Koi on site, or source some of the varieties we are not able to produce ourselves from local breeders with husbandry practices that mirror our own we are able to provide our customers with a Koi that is healthy, and been through a lot less stress than fish that have been shipped great distances. Koi and Goldfish are cousins so to speak. Koi are carp, the traditional Japanese name for Koi is actually Nishikigoi. It means "brocaded carp". Koi can grow quite quickly and to be ethical and responsible not all ponds are suitable for Koi. We do our best to guide our customers to the right decisions when it comes to inhabitants for their ponds. That is why we breed and carry and variety of goldfish so each pond is stock appropriately and the pond's balance is maintained easily and as naturally as possible. Stocking rates can vary and water volume and the amount of filtration that is available, or the customer is willing to provide is a huge deciding factor when the number of fish for any pond is considered. Koi can grow very quickly and it is important to be selective of the individual fish you choose for your pond. The first impulse is to buy lots of pretty little Koi because it is hard to pick with so many gorgeous patterns and colours flashing and darting in front of you. These fish will live for many years, with the average pet Koi easily reaching 30 years in a well maintained pond. They will grow, the idea of a fish growing to it's environment is true, but there is a lot more to a Koi's environment than the size of the container/pond. Larger ponds/volumes of water are easier to balance and do not experience wide temperature and chemistry swings as do smaller ones. So will a Koi grow larger in a larger pond, yes, but it can still out grow a small well balanced pond. Or worse the pond could become fowled by the number of Koi, due to their contribution to the organics and wastes in the pond and the system crashes causing the death of the Koi and other pond fish. Many times we hear about Koi being graded for quality. The most important thing to remember is beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Do not be embarrassed or uncomfortable that you are unsure of the "quality" of the Koi you choose or own, if you are pleased with your Koi that is all that matters. Decorative Koi as apposed to "Select" or "AAA" grade is a personal choice. If you cannot find what you are looking for in a decorative grade Koi you may have to move to a higher grade, or just choose a few younger Koi that have potential and "grow them out" and hope for the best. That is part of the fun and enjoyment. Watching your little Koi grow and blossom, knowing you may have seen a little glimmer of greater things to come is what it is all about for some of us! That is Koi Kichi ( Koi Crazy)!!