No matter how beautiful a koi pond is if the basics for a successful koi pond are not incorporated during the construction of the pond the owner will never be satisfied with it. Koi ponds are unique to themselves. The requirements for a successful water garden or even a gold fish pond are minimal. On the other hand, because koi are fast growing fish, produce a lot of waste, and need very good water quality to thrive; they require a very special pond. A successful koi pond will address these issues, but at the same time it should be as easy as possible to maintain.
The following information is provided to help you plan your “Perfect Pond”.
 1) How large should I make my pond?
One of the most common mistakes Koi hobbyists make with their first pond is that they build it to small. For Koi, the smallest pond we recommend building is 1500 gallons, which would be approximately 7 feet wide by 8 feet long and 4 feet deep.
That may sound huge to many beginners, but most people who already have a Koi pond, will agree that if you build a pond much smaller than that, you will regret it soon after you finish building your pond. A major problem is that koi fish are extremely addictive and it is hard to be content with just a few. Also, keep in mind that you may start out with several 6 inch long koi, but within 3 or 4 years they could grow to 24 inches or more.
» top
2) Where should I place my pond?
There are several things to consider. First, koi ponds do better in a shaded area than in full sun. Full sun will work, but a shaded area will generally slow the algae growth down and will prevent the water from possibly getting too hot during the summer months.
» top
3) Can I grow plants in my pond?
If you really want to grow plants in your koi pond you can, but they really complicate things.
Here is why:
- If you place shelves in the pond to support the plants and the shelves are less than 2 feet deep, you risk the chance of loosing your koi to predators. Even if the shelves are deeper than 2 feet below the water level you may still have a problem. If when you place a potted plant on the shelf and the top of the pot is less than 2 feet from the pond surface a blue heroin may wait until a fish swims over the pot and then strike, pinning the fish against the plant pot.
- Most water plants do not like water movement so you cannot use water circulation jets in the pond.
- Often time’s new plants will have parasites on them so you will need to treat them with potassium permanganate before you introduce them to the pond.
- Koi take great pleasure in knocking over and making a mess of the dirt and gravel plants grown in. The resulting dirt colors the water and inhibits seeing your fish.
» top
4) Which pond is better, a rubber liner pond or a concrete pond?
They both have their own advantages. A concrete pond, when designed and built properly, is permanent. (You must make sure a concrete pond is designed and plumbed properly because it is almost impossible to make changes later.) The shape and contours can be very smooth and even.
 The biggest disadvantage of a concrete pond is that because of all the exposed concrete the ph tends to be higher than ideal for at least the first three years. This can be overcome by letting the concrete cure and then coating the pond surface up to the water line with a rubber base paint or epoxy.
A rubber liner pond is not as permanent, which is a benefit. If the pond has some design flaws that you need to change or if you need to remove the pond, a rubber liner is much easier to work with.
A real advantage is that liner ponds tend to maintain a more neutral ph. The rubber liner creates a very soft surface for the koi. Even when a liner pond is installed properly you will have a number of miner folds in the liner. Once the pond is filled with water these folds become barely visible. Rock work around the edge of a liner pond can be a challenge if you don’t want the liner to show.
The problem of cutting a hole in a liner for the bottom drains, jets, etc. is easily overcome with the proper drains and bulkhead fittings. When installed properly a liner pond can easily be leak free for many years.
Recently a new product has become available, but expensive, that is basically a spray on liner that eliminates the folds found in a liner based pond which also is easily installed on a smooth prepared surface such as concrete, block, or dirt. Unfortunately at this time the cost of a spray liner is approximately 10 times the cost of a normal liner.
» top
5) How important is the shape and bottom contour of the pond?
The shape of the pond is much more important than most people realize. Many times people will get very creative with the pond shape so that it rambles all around the landscape and ends up looking like a piece of a puzzle. Only after the pond is built and filled with water dose the problem become apparent. You can’t keep it clean and is shaped so that it has dead areas where the water is not moving. Leaves and debris will collect there instead of at the bottom drain.
Additionally, the bottom contour of the pond is equally important. Flat bottom ponds require constant vacuuming to keep them clean. If you are retired and have two hours each day to clean your pond you can build it any shape you wish. On the other hand, if you want to build a pond that is almost “self cleaning” pay close attention to both the shape of the pond and the inside contour leading from the edges of the pond all the way to the bottom drains.
We can’t express enough how important the contour of a koi pond is. A well designed pond shape and contour can save you many hours of back breaking work and help provide a healthier environment for the koi.
» top
6) How deep do I want my pond?
A serious koi pond should be at least 3 feet deep and no areas should be shallower than 2 feet. Any areas shallower than 2 feet are an open invitation to dinner for both blue herons and raccoons. If you don’t think you have predators in your neighborhood just build a shallow pond and watch what happens! Even a single safety step to help you get out of the pond, that is less than 2 feet deep, can cost you most of your fish.
Also, all sides should go almost straight down, not tapered. Landscaper designed ponds where the sides of the pond gently taper in toward the bottom will not work for koi. Even if you build a “deep area” for the fish with a cave in it, for them to hide in, you are still not safe. Blue herons will wade out into the water, stand perfectly still, and simply wait for the koi to come out and then strike.
A deep pond with steep sides is the best defense against predators. Koi fish get their exercise by swimming up and down in a pond rather than horizontally. Therefore, if you plan on growing “jumbo koi” you will need to build the pond at least 4 feet deep.
» top
 7) How important is the filter?
The filter is the heart of your koi pond. The filter is what keeps the water clear and healthy for the fish. Many ponds have failed because the owners spent all their money on a beautiful pond and tried to save money on their filter.
The filter serves two purposes. One, it serves as a mechanical filter removing fish waste and anything else in the pond that would cloud the water. Two, it serves as a biological filter by converting the ammonia produced by the fish into nitrites and eventually into nitrates which, in general, are harmless to the fish. Some filters can require a high level of maintenance requiring constant attention while others can be very easy to maintain.
Rule number one, when it comes to filters, “You can never have too big a filter.” When choosing a filter, selecting a filter that is slightly oversized for your pond can be a very wise investment
» top
8) What size pump will I need?
In selecting a pump you have one simple goal in mind. The hard part is to estimate how much water you need to move. Ideally, you want to send all of your pond water through the filter at least once every 2 to 3 hours. Make sure you purchase an efficient pump built for koi ponds. Your pump will be running 24 hours a day. Another factor to consider is that selecting the wrong pump or using an inefficient pump can cost you an extra $100.00 a month in electricity.
» top
9) Do I need a pre-filter?
A pre filter is designed to collect solid material such as leaves, fish waste and string algae before they get to your filter. In some small ponds, the pump and skimmer baskets may be sufficient. The larger the pond, the more debris it will produce, and, the more important a pre filter becomes.
Pre filters are especially important if you have a filter that is hard to clean such as gravel type filter, because you usually are only cleaning them once or twice a year. The more waste you can keep out of them, the less often you will have to clean them. Pre filters are not as important with a good bead filter because you can easily remove the waste from a bead filter whenever necessary.
There are basically 3 types of pre filters:
 A simple holding tank, made of concrete or fiberglass, with rows of brushes or mat material suspended in it to capture debris before it gets to the pump. A typical tank may be 5 feet square and 2 to 3 feet deep. This type of pre filter will require you to regularly remove and clean the brushes or mat material.
- Vortex pre filters are shaped like a big round tub that is tapered at the bottom. Water enters from the side at an angle which causes the water to rotate slowly in the tub. This causes any debris to drift to the outer wall and then sink to the bottom of the tank where it can be drained out when needed. Clean water exits from a pipe in the center.
- The “Advantage Collector Box” is a fiberglass box with a large rigid net in it. The large model has 4 openings, each with a slide valve that allow you to select up to 4 different sources from where the water is drawn from. The medium model has 3 openings. With the valves you can easily regulate the flow from each source and on occasion, flush one line at a time to reduce the chance of debris collecting in the pipes. This type of filtration requires the least amount of space and is probably the easiest to clean. It is designed for ponds 6,000 gallons and larger.
» top
10) How important is it to have a skimmer?
A skimmer can make the difference between enjoying a pond and beginning to resent it after a while. A properly functioning skimmer will collect the leaves and anything else that lands on the surface of your pond into a net or basket, where it can be easily disposed of. Without a skimmer, you are sentenced to a life of constantly cleaning leaves and debris from your pond.
They are a real bargain when you consider the minimal expense they add to your pond. Note: Even if you plan to build your pond inside your house, where there would be no leaves, you should still install a skimmer because in addition to leaves, they skim off the “dissolved organic compounds” (DOC). Dissolved organic compounds will form in any pond and if not removed will causes an unsightly film and bubbles on the surface of the pond. A skimmer removes this film by constantly skimming off the top surface of the pond.
» top
11) Do I need to install an ultraviolet light?
New ponds are especially prone to algae blooms until the ecological system of the pond matures which may take several years. Ultraviolet lights are designed to kill any algae floating in the water. Algae blooms in ponds can turn a perfectly clear pond into a thick pea soup looking pond in a short period of time.
Ultraviolet lighting works when the algae in the water pass through the unit and are exposed to a very bright ultraviolet light. This energy from the light destroys the DNA in the algae which in turn causes it to eventually die. As the algae cells die they will begin to stick together so that they can be filtered out of the water. Selecting the proper size light is very important. If the light is not big enough for the pond that it is installed on you will notice almost no effect.
Additionally, if the water flow through the light is too fast it will also reduce the efficiency of the light to where it has little effect. Ultraviolet lights are not effective against string type algae because it attaches to the pond and does not flow through the light.
» top
12) Do I need a bottom drain?
Another common mistake that is almost impossible to correct after the pond is built is failure to install a bottom drain. Bottom drains are a must for a successful koi pond. To maintain proper water quality you need to get the fish waste into the filter so it can be removed from the system. Without a bottom drain, the best filter in the world cannot do its job properly. Some ponds may require several bottom drains which shows how important they are to a successful pond.
 Some pond builders would have you believe that a bottom drain is not required. By simply placing rocks on the bottom of the pond and allow beneficial bacteria to grow in the rocks you will duplicate what you find in nature and everything will be just fine. The problem with that reasoning is that in nature you often have a constant supply of fresh water entering the river or lake and the fish population is usually about one fish per 30,000 gallons whereas, in a koi pond you are constantly recycling the same water over and over again and the fish population averages about one fish per 150 gallons.
Unless you only put one koi in your pond and change the water constantly you can’t duplicate nature. What works in nature will not work in a koi pond. Also, as leaves collect and begin to decay among the rocks, they produce tannin acid which, though it doesn't bother the fish, will turn the water a brown dirty looking root beer color. The only way to get clear water again is to drain the pond and power wash the rotting leaves from between the rocks. This is a major job which, at best, provides only a temporary fix until the leaves again collect in the rocks.
Additionally, this whole cleaning process is extremely stressful to any koi in the pond since they will need to be netted up and stored while the pond is cleaned and will then be placed back into a pond that has experienced a 100% water change and the whole ecological balance of the pond has been changed. This whole experience can be avoided by simply leaving out the rocks, installing a bottom drain and contouring the bottom, so that any fish waste or leaves that end up on the bottom of the pond will work their way to the drain and be removed.
» top
13) What is a water return jet and do I need one?
Jets are very often overlooked by beginners when building a pond. Anyone who has ever had properly installed jets in their pond would never consider building a pond without them. Jets have several wonderful benefits. They provide exercise for the fish because they love to swim in the current.
By installing the proper type of jets, in the right location and depth in a pond, they can be used to direct leaves toward the skimmer making the skimmer much more effective. In addition, as the water from the jets breaks the surface of the pond it picks up considerable amounts of oxygen thus increasing the overall oxygen level of the pond.
» top
14) How many koi can I put in my pond?
This is a good question and a hard one to answer. There is an optimum number of koi for each pond. The problem is that number keeps changing. A well built 1500 gallon pond will easily sustain 30 koi 6 inches long. Two years later when those same 30 koi are now all 18 inches long you have a real problem, because your pond is now over stocked.
Because people tend to overstock their ponds, at Ichiban Ponds and Gardens we design ponds with an oversized filter on them. This means that the limiting factor for how many koi you can keep in your pond will not be limited by the filtering system. Rather, the limiting factor will be how crowded the koi look in the pond. Even with perfect water quality when the koi become too crowded their immune system begins to slow down and they begin to have problems.
The best way to judge how many koi to keep in a pond is to examine how crowded they look. If they can’t swim in a relaxed fashion it's time to remove some koi even though the water quality tests fine.
» top
15) What should I look for when selecting someone to build my koi pond?
Do not make the costly mistake of assuming that your landscaper or contractor knows how to build a koi pond correctly. You need to do your homework and give some serious thought as to how you want your koi pond to turn out. Review the previous questions and make notes as to what is important to you and what is not. How big do you want the pond to be?
How important is it to you that the pond is easy to maintain? How much do you want to spend on the pond? You need to have a budget in your mind that will allow you install the pond want. When selecting someone to build your pond, interview them concerning their workmanship and experience. Get written quotes explaining everything that is part of the cost for repairing or building your pond. Request and call references.
Ask about the cost of the pond a reference paid and how much over budget was the cost. The ideal pond project should be quoted by project price and not on an hourly basis. Expect to spend an additional 20% to 25% for unseen challenges, additions, upgrades, landscaping changes, etc…
» top
|
