Here is where I am at so far... A dealer recommended a Sequence 8200SEQ22. Specs = 1/8 HP Sequence 4000 Series Pump - 8200 GPH It burns 450 Watts per hour. The dealer says this can possibly be diverted into two filters but is not totally sure. It isnt cheap but the man listened to me and understands all of the parts necessary to adapt it to my system. I like it that I will not have to run to the hardware store to explain something that I barely understand myself. Sometimes it is worth it to pay more for quality service. The other thing I am leaning strongly towards is using a veggie filtration system using hyacinths. I am going to load the waterfall box with both media and lots of hyacinths. Then I am going to create 36" floating containment islands all along the inside edge for an internal filtration system as well. Finally I may add another waterfall box with a smaller pump to do the job well. I am also thinking of adding a ton more waterlilies but to be honest, what I read, they don't filter as well as other plants. The entire edge of my pond is rock and water loving plants including daylilies, cardinal flower, iris, etc. (this was my idea and didnt please the service at all). Here is a link I love on this: http://www.creativelanddesignmd.com/html/veggie_filter.html Finally I think I need a largish catfish. I prefer an albino one but cant seem to find one out here. I think I can buy one off of a fisherman from a paylake. That will take care of future progeny of the koi and keep my stocking level decent. Cherokee Joe, I live in Berea...not that far from you at all. It would be a delight to meet up with you. I think you will find that my pond will not be as attractive as yours and to be honest, it will be turned over only once ever 2.5 hours but I think that with massive filtration and keeping my fish stock really low, that will be ok. Its funny, all of that weird blue dye the guy put in the water has not curbed the hair algae like he said it would but it did give the shade needed to give my kohaku gorgeous color! I can be proud of that crimson.

no... only big Kahunas! heh heh... Sadly, I lost my oldest Koi due to my own stupidity a couple of years back. I put a plant close to the edge of the pond that I didn't realize was not fish friendly. :( Luckily I only had two fish deaths from that stupid mistake - but both my oldest, the koi and the big female shubunkin (who reached about a foot long including the fins, the koi was about 18 inches long.) Since both of them really rooted around plants and ate them, it made sense that they would be the first to go. I cleaned up the rest of the fish (stopped eating, no activity, external infections visible) with green peas - which did the job of cleaning out their gut. I had my fingers crossed that there wouldn't be any fish deaths after that upcoming winter. Kept a heavy duty heater going in the pond the entire winter long (big electric bill that year!!) and they all survived. The one in that photo with the big orange head is the largest koi - but not the oldest. The oldest in the pond is the black and orange - male. He's not huge, but I've had him since he was probably about a 2-year baby, maybe about 4 inches long, about 15 years ago. The one in the middle with the orange cheek I "rescued" from Petco. Couldn't stand to see this gorgeous huge koi stuck in a tiny tank. Got him when he was already about 8 inches long. For whatever reason, they were selling him for a steal. Probably American bred. The Big Kahuna - the one with the all orange head - is the largest in the pond. Easily 20 inches long - Japanese import and cost me a bundle when she was probably a 3 year old koi - about 5 inches long. Behind Kahuna is a small shubunkin - only about 5 inches long including fins. I picked my last shubunkins a couple of years ago, just babies. Probably one year olds. I do have about 4 mutts! 2 probably Koishus ;) the other 2 seem like crosses between the comets and koi - Comkoi? heh heh... They have flowy tails - One stayed mudblack, the other turned completely orange after about 4 years. The others, the Koishus, I barely can see. They are slim, and black with white bellies. My latest addition is the butterfly koi that I've had inside for 2 years. He finally needed to go into the pond because he clearly outgrew the tank. I was afraid to put him in last year because any small butterfly kois I've introduced into the pond I've never had survive for some reason. I really got attached to the one I had inside. But this year, he's now easily about 8 inches long. He's finally settled in and is coming back up to the top to feed (after weeks of throwing slow sinking pellets for him to eat from the bottom since he refused to come up top to the floating pellets).

coyoteblanc.....the eggs that are turning white may simply not have been fertilized. This happens when the male fish do not fertilize all of the eggs. The sun should not have anything to do with it. I just missed a spawn but managed to pull one of my plants out of my pond and did save a few. Most turned white but I think I have a few hundred that just hatched out yesterday. I would suggest removing the white eggs and just keep an eye on the others. It only takes a few days for them to hatch. If you watch them closely, you will begin to see the "very small" fry form. You will be able to see 2 black eyes inside the egg. After this occurs, it will not be long and you will see the fry. Look closely though. They are tiny, (about the size of you bottom eyelash) and will attach themselves to the side of the tank that you have them in. While in this stage, they will eat on the egg sac for survival and once that is gone, will swim to the top and fill their air sacs. Now you can start feeding them liquid food. If it is too large, they will not be able to eat it and will starve. If you have a food processor, put some food in it and get it to a very fine texture. Add water to it and pore the liquid into the tank. Don't use to much at one time, as it can make your water bad. Feed them this about every 3 hours until they are large enough to eat it without the water. I had a spring spawn and got around 5000 fry from it. I have sold most of them but still have around 300 left. These are just ornamental Koi for my pond. I have since purchased 4 show quality Kohaku Koi. It will be at least another year before they are old enough to spawn and I can't wait. I use spawning mops in my pond when the time is right and usually can collect most of the eggs. I purchased a 60 gallon tub that I hatch them in with plenty of oxygen and (no filter) as it will suck the tiny fry into it and kill them. When they are about 1/2" long, I transfer them to a 650 gallon grow pond. You should have some eggs that are fertile and should hatch. Keep us updated and let us know.

photo is too small to tell, but its definitally not a kohaku. could be a Gin Rin Yamabuki or possibly a Harawaki. anyway to get a larger photo? its a link to the photobucket home page, not to a larger photo.