Connie's Pond and Koi

Connie's Pond and Koi is a pet store in Castro Valley, California, and the largest pond and koi retailer and distributor on the West Coast. The shop stocks the major pond building products needed for a water project, carrying and distributing brands including Elevate, PondMax, Teton, Helix Life Support, Atlantic, Aquascape, Sequence, Pond Builder, Aqua Ultraviolet, Performance Pro, MicrobeLift, Pentair, GcTek, Laguna, Oase, and API. Its outdoor back section holds the livestock, with a selection of pond plants and both Japanese and American koi in stock. The store also takes appointments to discuss custom filter systems for situations where a standard filter does not fit. It holds a rating of 4.70 from the customers who have reviewed it.

The business traces its roots to 1964, when Connie's Tropical Fish first opened. The owner's grandparents came over from the Netherlands in 1965 and bought the Oakland store on Foothill and 38th, building it up through the 1970s and into the 1980s. A second location opened in Castro Valley in 1997, followed a year and a half later by Connie's Pond and Garden, a dedicated pond and koi section. The Oakland store was sold around 2001, and by 2016 the aquarium side of the Castro Valley location was phased out to focus entirely on ponds. The front section of the building became a full retail pond shop, with the back area used for livestock including lotus, lilies, koi, and fancy goldfish. Over the past 25 years, koi, pond plants, and pond equipment have moved from side items to the main identity of the business.

The shop sits on Castro Valley Blvd, a short distance from Strobridge Avenue and John Drive. The Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway is about 0.2 miles away, as is the MacArthur Freeway, and Chabot Creek runs about 0.2 miles from the store.

Connie's Pond and Koi carries a 4.70 rating from its customers, a reflection of a business that has served the East Bay's pond keepers for decades and grown into the largest pond and koi retailer on the West Coast.