My Story
Hello, my name is Dalton Gleaves, but everyone just calls me Dale. My wife and I have five kids, and life definitely stays busy.
My journey into koi keeping began many years ago, though my love for aquatics goes back even further. Growing up, both my grandfather and father kept fish tanks. When I was in my early twenties, I bought my first tank from my dad—a 90-gallon setup that I converted into a saltwater aquarium. What started as a fish-only tank eventually became a full-blown reef tank with SPS corals. Over time, I upgraded to a 215-gallon tank and stayed in the saltwater hobby for over a decade.Eventually, though, life got hectic with work and raising the kids, so I sold everything off. I just didn’t have the time anymore.
So how did I end up as a koi keeper?
We moved into a new-to-us home on 15 acres in Mt. Juliet. It was December, so we weren’t spending much time outside, but I noticed a small pond in the front yard. It looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years—full of leaves, sticks, and the water was pea soup green. I didn’t think anything could be living in it. One day, the kids and I decided to take a closer look, and to our surprise, a fish splashed as we approached. I drained the pond, placed the fish in containers, and cleaned everything out. Once it was refilled, I put the fish back and got the filter running—though calling it a "filter" might be generous. I eventually replaced it with a Birdman-style sand and gravel filter and removed the old setup entirely. That pond quickly turned into a maintenance nightmare. It was in a bad spot, relatively small and shallow—only about 1,200 gallons. I started reading a lot on Koiphen and learned what it really takes to keep koi healthy and happy. I realized that if I wanted a proper environment for them, I’d need to build a new pond.
The fish are currently in a temporary setup: a 12,000-gallon above-ground pool. It's filtered through an Ultaseive III to an AlphaOne bead filter, which then feeds into a 275-gallon moving bed with K1 media and a Bakki shower.
The new pond will be around 20,000 gallons with four bottom drains connected to a rotary drum filter (RDF). The pond has been dug and the bottom drains are installed. All the equipment is on site, but the rain this year has really slowed progress. I’m hoping to get the liner in before winter.
That’s how I got into koi keeping—and I’ve really grown to love the hobby.