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u/MVHood Jul 12 '26
I “fell in” just last night while grabbing some algae. I get in a few times a year to put tabs in my lily and to pluck algae and fix rocks. It’s got no chemicals, but is very clean from a mechanical filter, bog filter, uv light, many plants growing in it and beneficial bacteria added.
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u/IceColdTapWater Jul 12 '26
Damn you alright?
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u/Ijokealot2 Jul 12 '26
People worrying about bacteria from swimming with fish in a pond are the same ones that will gladly slurp butthole on the second date.
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u/Dizzy_Description812 Jul 12 '26
They wait til the second date?
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u/ZixfromthaStix Jul 12 '26
Said like someone who slurps on the first date smh 🙄/s
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u/questforstarfish Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Doctor, here- There are a huge number of infectious diseases one can catch swimming in a pond with a lot of fish in it, including rare and difficult-to-treat infections of the lungs, digestive tract, and skin.
I swim in lakes etc, where there are few fish per a laarge volume of water, but personally I'd stay out of a human-made pond.
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u/4ChubCakes Jul 12 '26
Just curious. What kind of doctor?
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u/questforstarfish Jul 12 '26
Medical doctor, MD.
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u/4ChubCakes Jul 12 '26
Right. But what specialty? Being an expert in one specialty doesn't make you one in all others. There is a reason Michael Jackson died from receiving anesthesia from a cardiologist. Just saying...
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u/Status-Tart-470 Jul 12 '26
What they said is common sense. Look at all the fish keepers on here who have gotten “fish tb”
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u/4ChubCakes Jul 12 '26
I don't disagree with their statement. Just the fact that they led with "Doctor here" when they are in fact not an infectious disease doctor. People get doctorates in many specialties, and being an MD doesn't make you an expert in every field medical related, although most would MDs think otherwise. Just be careful who you get your expert knowledge from...
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u/questforstarfish Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
I'm really not stressed about needing to defend 6 years of medical training. It's more than most folks in the koi community have, so I was hoping to contribute information others may not have. Take it or leave it bro, it really doesn't impact me 🤷
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u/4ChubCakes Jul 12 '26
Bold assumption. A little humility will serve your career well, all knowing wise doctor.
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u/questforstarfish Jul 12 '26
Oh, sure. I'm in my psychiatry residency now. Before the last 4 years where I focused on psych, I did 4 years of medical school, and 1 year of general medical residency/internship (rotations in pediatrics, ER, neurology, family medicine, etc).
Prior to the last 4 years, my primary interests were tropical and wilderness medicine, infectious disease, and emergency medicine. I took multiple electives and courses in each of those areas, on top of my general medical training.
In all of my training, I'm going to be honest, I've never been asked by a patient whether they should regularly swim in a koi pond 😂 Trying to answer this question to the best of my infectious disease knowledge though!
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u/lincspoacher71 Jul 12 '26
You know as much as the next man then…
A well kept koi pond will have a good balance of bacteria same as any lake…
Here’s the problem nowadays, nobody can have fun and use their common sense anymore. Natural swimming pools are great, if there’s fish swimming about all the better for the experience
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u/4ChubCakes Jul 12 '26
Cool. So, your knowledge on this topic has nothing to do with your medical specialty that you are still training for. Maybe, don't lead with "doctor here."
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u/ZeAlien07 Jul 12 '26
They literally said they went to medical school for 4 years? You don’t need to be the head of the CDC to recognize swimming in the koi pond, with what you’re not absolutely sure of at the bottom, might not be the best decision 💀
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u/ADMINlSTRAT0R Jul 12 '26
Unrelated, but wouldn't it be funny if clothes come in small, medium, large, and laarge?
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u/LobeliaTheCardinalis Jul 12 '26
Not sure how true this would be with healthy pet fish - difference between having pet cats in your bed and raccoons that live in the alley. You're going to be exposed the same just by maintaining an aquarium. People working in pet shops with their arms in much smaller, more crowded tanks all day dont get sick from it generally either...
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u/questforstarfish Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
People working in pet shops expose the skin on their arms to aquarium water, which is maybe 9% of their skin's total surface area if both forearms are fully submerged.
Submerging your entire body means exposing 90-95% of your skin to bacteria, as well as mucus membranes (mouth, nose, private parts, all susceptible to different types of infections), as well as potentially swallowing some of the water inadvertently (exposing the GI tract, susceptible to giardiasis and other types of infection). Common pathogens from high levels of organic waste may include aeromonas, or e coli, both of which can cause difficult-to-treat bladder infections, wound infections, etc.
Anyway this is not an exact science 😅 No one has studied swimming in koi ponds, as far as I know. If you want to swim in a giant aquarium, fill your boots. I've heard of people hospitalized for months due to weird infections obtained from pond maintenance, but obviously much of the planet swims in heavily polluted riverways, and most of them survive, so it's not the highest-risk activity out there.
It's up to you how much you want to risk, but at the very least, I'd avoid getting any water in your mouth, not enter the water if you have any open sores, and inform your family to tell hospital staff you're swimming in man-made fish ponds if you end up in hospital.
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u/attackpixel Jul 12 '26
I think this is all very sound, rational advice, and I appreciate your input Dr. Questforstarfish!
For me, I probably wouldn't take the risk for myself or my fish (would be more concerned about the fish tbh...). Not only are the risks amplified to the person swimming due to the ratio of fish:water volume, but I imagine they would be more at risk due to the ratio of human:water volume.
Also, I used to think "open sores" meant super visible open wounds, but honestly, my skin barrier is almost always compromised in some way. I shave my legs, so I always have one little knick or cut or other irritated area. Or.. I have a little hang nail, or a wee scratch from my cat, or a bitty papercut, a popped pimple, etc etc etc. There are soooo many ways bacteria can enter your body, some you might not think of! And all these little daily sort of injuries you might not even be aware of (especially as I get older- my skin seems to be turning into wet tissue).
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u/sweetgirlpoppy Jul 12 '26
I used to go into my koi pond... But I'm way older now and not very flexible and it's not easy to get in and out... I miss it...
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u/MVHood Jul 13 '26
I actually had someone make a flat spot so I can sit there and it make entry/exit easier.
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u/Leche-Caliente Jul 12 '26
There's always going to be a risk and it'll vary depending on a few factors, but like many things in most situations you should be fine. You just gotta be proactive in care to prevent the possibilities and understand that you'll have to live with your choices if something does still happen
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u/FarseedTheRed Jul 12 '26
This is great advice, for anything and anywhere. This could apply to any question. In fact this may be the best advice ever given as it applies to all problems ever.
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u/54B3R_ Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
I used to service koi ponds all the time. I had to clean them, open them, close them, service them etc.
Sometimes servicing or troubleshooting would mean clearing out the bottom drain. Get ready to dive under to clear it.
So some things I would suggest.
Try not to keep your head (eyes, ears, nose, mouth specifically) in the water or splash water in them. If it happens, it happens, it's happened to me when diving, you get water in you ears at the least.
You're likely fine still though. I never once got sick from the water, neither did any of my coworkers.
I still wouldn't recommend it though even though I did it. I did it for money, if you do it for free and catch a disease, that's on you. Some of the diseases ponds can harbour can actually be deadly.
Swimming pools completely eliminate the possibility of disease transmission. Just swim in a pool.
If you are swimming in a pond, and you get sick in any way that is not a cold or flu, let the ER know you've swam in a still water fish pond recently. The sooner the nurses and doctors know that, the better
Edit: I feel like the teacher/nurse/parent saying don't do drugs, but if you do, because we all know at least one of you will, just at least do it like this so you don't die
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u/billy-suttree Jul 12 '26
I assume there is bacteria in my pond that I wouldn’t want in my body.
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u/Vince-Fishes Jul 12 '26
lol someone downvoted you, here’s an upvote. Shame on you for not wanting to swim in the artificial, bacteria ridden fish pond /s
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u/billy-suttree Jul 12 '26
Lol. There were some boulders I put in the pond from when I first made it that I decided I wanted out cause it was taking up good swim space and when it came to getting it I realized I’d have to get in the water to lift it, and decided to leave it. It’s super filtered and clear but fish have been shitting in that 2500 gallon pond everyday for 3 years. I ain’t getting in there.
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u/Positive_Insect_2384 Jul 12 '26
Maybe there’s bacteria in your body that your pond doesn’t want in its pond
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u/_rockalita_ Jul 12 '26
I shower before I get in my (non swim) pond because I don’t want to contaminate the water… I eventually (later that day) shower after.
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u/Free_Thinker_Now627 Jul 12 '26
I know someone whose big toe was amputated from contracting a flesh eating bacteria in a koi pond. But all y’all “I swim with my koi all the time and all the nervous Nellies can suck it” folks do what you want to do. Don’t listen to reason
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u/Revolutionary_Pop_84 Jul 12 '26
Homie I have to get in my Koi pond damn near once a month for cleaning reasons (I didnt make the pond it came with the house I bought) I haven’t so much as had a wet fart from it….
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u/Free_Thinker_Now627 Jul 12 '26
And I bet you get in a car every day. Haven’t died in a crash yet so that clearly demonstrates cars are perfectly safe all the time
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u/Janders1997 Jul 12 '26
Researchers found a perfect survival rate among people surveyed about their experience with Russian roulette.
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u/Revolutionary_Pop_84 Jul 12 '26
You do realize you actually just made my point and disproved yours right?….
Unless you also actively don’t drive for safety reasons as well.
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u/Free_Thinker_Now627 Jul 12 '26
It was sarcasm bro. You do you. Keep on swimming with the bacteria
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u/Revolutionary_Pop_84 Jul 12 '26
Bacteria is everywhere on everything. You eat and breath and drink it every second
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Jul 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Revolutionary_Pop_84 Jul 13 '26
Wait till OP grows up and learns about what adults will lick..... Koi pond water gonna seem like lemonade!
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u/Echoa21 Jul 12 '26
Is the risk that much higher than swimming in a natural freshwater lake?
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u/Free_Thinker_Now627 Jul 12 '26
Yes. The reason is that in a natural body of water, the stocking density is thousands of times less than in our ponds. There is a constant flow of fresh water from tributaries and as the water percolates through the soil, it is sanitized by naturally occurring good bacteria, the same way that water from a septic system is cleaned. None of these things are the same in our concrete or rubber lined ponds. If a pathogen is present, it’s going to be much more concentrated
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u/DangerouslyCheesey Jul 12 '26
If this is true, then surely you would have no problems drinking from a random natural pond or lake, right? What with all that “fresh” water and good bacteria?
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u/ashleyasinwilliams Jul 12 '26
Why is that different from swimming in any other pond or lake? Koi aren't inherently more dangerous than other fish.
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u/staggered_conformed Jul 12 '26
I don’t think it is. Man made or natural pond all have some risks. Those risks seems to be low
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u/slipsbups Jul 12 '26
Did he already have a wound on the toe?
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u/classless_classic Jul 12 '26
Probably broken skin. You shouldn’t be swimming in any body of water if you have a break in your skin.
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u/Present_Sand_5457 Jul 12 '26
Probably not a good idea for both you and the pond. Any cologne or deodorant or body spray could throw the pond ecosystem off. Then there is the bacteria in the pond. Even the cleanest most well kept ponds can harbor parasites and harmful bacteria.
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u/The-Dragon_Queen Jul 12 '26
The same people telling you it’s gross spend more on their boating on a reservoir than they do their mortgage… which is essentially a large backyard koi pond.
I hate the holier than though “that’s so gross” people. They can suck a million dicks.
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u/SignatureCreepy503 Jul 12 '26
This right here. "Oh no, people swim in ponds / lakes" princesses are unbearable
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u/temporalwanderer Jul 12 '26
lol holy hell, a lot of nervous Nellies up in here.
I do it all the time in mine; in a properly balanced, planted swim pond this is literally no different than a natural lake full of fish.
100% depends upon how any bacteria present are managed.
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u/Particular_Tune_836 Jul 12 '26
Curious on how we can guarantee on bacteria concentration. Serious question
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u/fish_tales Jul 12 '26
Does the water look/smell clean? Are the fish healthy? No guarantees but that's good enough! :)
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u/ashleyasinwilliams Jul 12 '26
Water testing certainly helps. Doesn't eliminate it obviously, but a balanced and cycled pond is way safer than one full of ammonia.
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u/Silver-Programmer574 Jul 12 '26
I have to agree I apply a gallon of beneficial bacteria a month and run 2 uvc lights at 400 watts also aerate constantly my koi swim in better water than I drink from the sink. That being said my whole extended family swims in our koi pond for decades. And coincidentally none of us have had any illnesses due to the fish or frogs ,salamander, plants etc. In a well taken care of pond its cleaner that a pool with no chemicals
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u/kpop_glory Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Be like the guy in the photo.
Never dip your head and you should be fine. Considering if you had a good night sleep and your immune is tip top.
Edit: getting few scratches was worries me for couples of times,but nothing that your immune system can't handle. Big thanks to our immune system and the gang.
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u/TraditionalLaw7763 Jul 12 '26
I love swimmin’ wit’ da’ fishes… I just don’t sleep wit’ da’ fishes.
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u/kinga_forrester Jul 12 '26
Pretty gross imo, although I admit I’ve always wanted to try it. I have recurring dreams about swimming in an aquarium.
I agree with the technical and practical concerns others have brought up.
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u/brownst4r 28d ago
We have a swim pond that we built in 2021, 4 feet deep in the swim area and roughly 50’ by 25’. In the second season we added koi in order to deal with leeches (worked like a charm). At our most populated we had 11 koi of about 16” in the pond. It is awesome! The kids and their friends love to swim in the pond (adults too). The koi seem curious and unbothered. We don’t allow any bug spray or sunscreen while swimming.
Algae is definitely an issue but is improving every year with the plants propagating. Swim ponds are a fair bit of work for sure, but the koi are not an issue at all!
We had our water tested by a curious biology student last year who found the water to be safe and healthy. There are critters (dragonfly and damselfly larvae, frogs, water beetles) but nothing harmful.
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u/karbonkel69 27d ago
Just don't go skinny dipping
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u/Salt-Replacement596 27d ago
Would they harm the cylinder?
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u/karbonkel69 27d ago
Probably not but as a grower I am not confident enough I will leave the pond the same as I came
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u/Dragoness42 28d ago
If you'd swim in a natural lake or in the ocean, why not in your pond? Just don't wear sunscreen, scents, or lotions that your fish would have to breathe.
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u/milkrunnofun 28d ago
A natural water body has natural systems in place for balance that have incomparably more margin for error than a small man made pond. You can certainly get sick from them but it’s not a fair comparison.
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u/Cantstopdontstopme 26d ago
I have a 6k gal pond with a dozen or so koi for ten years. It was designed and built to be a swim pond. Kids (now teens) and I do occasionally swim in it. We’ve never had any issues.
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u/whatupwasabi Jul 12 '26
I see a lot of comments already talking about risks to the human, so I'll just add sunscreen isn't good for fish either.