Koi pond? Goofy idea or nice?
mtnrdredux_gw
11 years ago
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mtnrdredux_gw
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Is this a good size Koi pond
Comments (26)Bbrigs, I didn't take it as an attack, I just wanted to explain why I think it's the most important thing you can do when building a big pond. When we built our pond ten years ago we included a bottom drain, only because the salesman explained the premise behind it. We have a gravity fed system and had one filter tub the first year, the second year we added a second and third filter tub. Then I wanted a small pond adjoining our rose garden, so Cliff took this idea and made the small pond a biological pond for the big pond. It it eighteen feet away from the main pond and after the water leaves the three filter tubs that are daisy chained together it travels 18 feet underground and spills into the biological pond. The water then travels through the bio pond getting scrubbed by all the vegetation in there then exits the bio pond, travels back underground and spills into the main pond from under the small wood dock in back of the main pond. Then we added a skimmer under the wood dock to catch all the surface leaves etc. We only use the skimmer in spring and fall. We have been talking about daisy chaining another tub or two to the existing system, but so far we've been managing with what we have. You are absolutely right bbrigs when you say a good filtration system is essentially, my point is to start with the bottom drain, then you can add more filtration, bio and mechanical, you can make the pond bigger (we did that as well --two times) you can add a skimmer, more waterfalls, etc...all this can be done after. That's is what I mean when I say the BD the single most important thing you can do for your pond, start there and everything else can be made bigger and better and more efficient later on. Rose, We have a lot of fish, about 10 large koi, 3 large orfes, 2 goldfish and several medium koi that are off springs of our koi. Here is a link that might be useful: Pond plans and diagrams....See MorePlants in a koi Pond
Comments (23)Mimi the beer thing is just a joke...The big koi like to root around in the dirt and uproot the plants. Mine only nibble on the leaves and have been known to nibble on the tropical lily buds. What we do is place inverted wire baskets over the lilies (the kind with the coconut fiber inside-- just remove the coconut) The big koi can't uproot the plants when you place them inside inverted baskets, wiring them to the pots also helps. Here is the inverted wire basket on the pond floor, the water lily can grow up between the wires and the koi can't get into it to dig. Here's another, ideally lilies like calm water, (no waterfalls) and not a lot of movement (which the koi amply provide) but if you love koi and love water lilies, mixing them is not ideal, but it can be done...none the less it's a challenge!...See MoreTragedy at my Koi Pond
Comments (43)Saintpfla, you won't have a mosquito problem in a pond with a good circulating pump. They really only lay eggs in standing water. Besides which, if you have a few fish, they eat the larva, especially fish like guppies, minnows, mosquito fish, gambusia and the like. As for raccoons, that depends on how much of a problem you have in your particular yard. If you have a lot of raccoons, a pond can really be difficult to maintain. Depth of water helps a lot. Even if it is only deep in the center, it gives the fish a place to hide, especially if you add a piece of 6" to 10" pipe to make a "cave" for them to hide in. In the summer, you have to top off the pond more often to compensate for higher evaporation, but if you have a nice depth to it, the fish will be fine, if they aren't overcrowded, and if you have enough floating vegetation or tree coverage to provide shade. The winters in Florida are nothing for goldfish, koi and most tropical fish to contend with. I've never lost a fish due to temperatures at either end of the range. It is not nearly as much work as you might think, once you have reached a proper balance between plants and fish. And they are SO worth it. Nothing else adds as much sheer beauty and tranquil relaxation as a pond. It really is the final step in bringing "nature" into your yard. Marcia...See MoreNew to koi want to do a pond setup
Comments (3)I agree with pikecoe. Your cost estimate seems too low. A few points... DO go with an EPDM fish-safe pond liner (NOT pvc, NOT roofing liner). For a pond of your planned size, you should probably use a submersible pump. There are ones in every pumping capacity category (not just for "smaller" ponds). It will also be less costly to run and will be one less piece of equipment to hide. Where will your pump be installed? A skimmer box may be a good option. The bog area, if of sufficient size and equipped with plants and gravel, will function as a bio-filter. But do also add the waterfall for better aeration. UV's are not always necessary. Invest in a good pump and skimmer (if you are using one) before you buy a UV....See Moremadeyna
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