Koi Empire
We have established the koi farm since 1998 making it the biggest Koi Farm in South Africa with over 70 ponds and dams. However, we are 4th generation Koi keepers making us full of abundance in Koi keeping and great knowledge. Our Koi are important from Japan and Taiwan because of its quality. The reason of importing from Japan and Taiwan all because of its Genetics.
Genetically, Japanese and Taiwanese koi are a superior breed to domestic koi. They grow larger and have a longer life expectancy as compared to their smaller cousins. In particular, breeders in Japan and Taiwan take great care to raise their koi in such a way as to greatly enhance their gene pool. Western breeders who have attempted to match the size of Japanese koi by making them grow faster may have also caused the lifespan of these domestic koi to shorten over time.
We import many Koi essentials such as Qualikoi Food with ISO certification so the quality is guaranteed, with rich in minerals, protein and nutrition, all in all once consumed by the koi the waste is far cleaner than most reputable brands.
Why Qualikoi Food?
Avoid cheap food stick to quality food. Just like humans, koi are omnivores. In the wild, they consume a variety of foods like algae, bugs, plant matter and animal matter. Koi in ponds are at the mercy of what you choose to feed them, so giving them quality food is important. Cheap koi food tend to be full of fillers and old ingredients that have lost their nutritional value more in more they are not easily digested. If koi eat the food, most of it will pass through their bodies and go to waste, lowering the water quality in your pond. Be sure to always feed your koi high quality and food supplement.
At Koi Empire we strongly believe in Biological filter system. However the trend in South Africa is to use Sand filters. The Pros of sand filter is its easy to find a swimming pool experts claiming to be an expert in Koi pond to install high density materials or sands. The cons are it becomes fairly difficult to maintain as one needs to backwash every 2 to 3 days which makes one become a Koi Slave. Most People lose interest in Koi keeping because of this. Moreover if one does not wash the sand filter or mechanical filter Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate will become a huge problem in the Koi pond, leading to sickness or death of your precious Koi
Why Biological Filter System
A biological pond filter is of high quality and is to clean ponds hassle-free and to promote healthier waters from the molecular level. It resembles that of the cleaning system in the natural setting The Bacteria helps break down the toxins in the water produced by the koi waste. Toxins are then broken down while clean water continues flowing above back to the pond making it a clean cycle. This is the natural setting which biological pond try to emulate by producing a system where bacteria colonize at different filter layers that are housed outside the pond itself( in the filter system) This does not mean high-density filter material. The water flows through the layers of filter past a back to the pond
Is a Biological Filter Necessary?
It is very important because ammonia is naturally produced by fish waste and decay matters causing fishes to fall ill and sick. However, Nitrate is toxic to koi and other types of fishes in the pond elevated nitrite levels can also result in fish poisoning since it compromises their ability to receive oxygen. It is also nutrient in water that helps promote algae growth that is why most people have long stream algae or blanket weed Therefore sometimes the UV light has no effect in clarity of the water, Thus at Koi Empire, we often mention the importance of good bacteria in the pond. Hence, it is advisable to control your pond’s overall nitrate levels.
Visit us to gain an in-depth of how to build a proper filter system
