Anyone who loves nature, beauty, and the comfort of their own home would be thrilled to have a koi pond in their backyard. “It’s like an oasis, really,” says Geoff. “It’s like going on vacation without going on vacation. The sound of running water is therapeutic, and the fish are easier to care for [than] you might think.” Anyone, from any age, can find peace and enjoyment from having a koi pond.
“Interesting fact about Koi; they don’t have stomachs!” Geoff Harper enthusiastically states during an interview about his special expertise in raising these exotic fish. “They never know when they’re full. People go ‘Oh! They’re so hungry! I’m feeding them six times a day!’ No! They’ll be floating soon,” he laughs.
Geoff is the owner of Delco Fishman (sister company to Harper Properties Management) specializing in hardscaping and water features. Geoff has been passionate about fishing and the outdoors since he was a child. His 40 years of knowledge about Koi fish comes from his own research about the subject.
“YouTube taught me a lot,” says Geoff. “That's how I learned to build my first pond.”
In Geoff’s personal home pond, he tends to approximately 20 Koi fish, ranging in value from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. “When originally purchased, my Koi were only a few inches in size, now some reach over 24” long,” Geoff shares with pride.
Geoff also provides general maintenance and upkeep for ponds. He changes filters, cleans debris and leaves, and checks water quality. His services are available in Media, West Chester, Havertown, Drexel Hill, and beyond. He and his team also build different types of ponds, including duck and fishing ponds, and even help children set up their own tanks and aquariums.
In the winter, Geoff recommends keeping an aerator and heater at the top of ponds so that they do not freeze over. In the event that the pond does freeze, Geoff advises against smashing the ice at the surface to free the fish. “A lot of the leaves and stuff at the bottom of the pond have poisonous toxins, so if you try to break the ice it releases the gas too fast and kills the fish.” Instead, letting an area in the pond thaw is the safest way to help in these scenarios.
Other common mistakes Geoff sees with Koi ponds are overfeeding and overcrowding. This can impact pond maintenance as overfeeding causes algae bloom, which produces toxins that can kill fish, while overcrowding can cause a buildup in fish waste. If you avoid these, a pond, according to Geoff, is easy to clean and extremely relaxing.
If you’re interested in a custom Koi pond, soothing water feature, or just need to service what you have…Geoff says give him a call at 610-505-9824. He loves talking fish!
In addition to his backyard Koi pond, Geoff Harper's garage houses 6 large tanks for his collection of exotic fish.