All elements of the pond are determined by size and shape, filter size, number and location of bottom drains and skimmers, the size and shape of the pump and the type of plumbing. Water depth is also very important; three feet is good, but deeper is better. Greater water volume gives Koi plenty of space for needed exercise and deeper water for winter hibernation.
The most common types of building materials for ponds are rubber liners and concrete. Liner ponds are generally less expensive and less permanent. Concrete ponds are longer lasting, but more expensive. Again, proper planning can save you from a nightmare if the pond ever has to be repaired, changed or removed.
The following real life experience of a Koi pond owner illustrates the importance of prior planning and the pitfalls of knowing nothing about Koi or Koi ponds.
Mr. Pond-Owner made his first mistake by assuming the landscape company he hired would be very savvy about Koi ponds; after all, they were in the landscape business. A liner was strategically placed in the hole that was dug, but large wrinkles formed in the liner. The wrinkles were camouflaged by covering the entire liner with stones. The pond was filled with water (2,500 gallons), landscaped and was beautiful. Water from the top surface was drawn through a skimmer and returned to the pond through a waterfall in the shape of a three-foot chimney.
After a year and a half, the pond water became progressively darker at the bottom and the fish became ill and were dying. Mr. Pond-Owner endeavored to educate himself about raising Koi fish. He found out that the dark water was the result of decayed material which formed hydrogen sulfide gas. Drains and a filter were installed to correct the problem. A bead filter and ultraviolet sterilizer were also added. Eureka! Problem solved.
Time passed and Mr. Pond-Owner, by then well versed on Koi fish, realized that unhealthy fish waste (mulm) was collecting between the rocks on the bottom of the pond. Mulm can only be removed by draining the pond, removing and cleaning the rocks and bottom all the way down to the liner. Leaving the rocks out of the pond would expose the unsightly liner folds and the folds themselves could collect decayed foreign material. The answer - a smooth concrete bottom.
A pond builder who specialized in concrete ponds was hired and together he and Mr. Pond-Owner planned how the pond would be built. After the planning stage, construction began. The pond would be four feet deep, have straight sides with two bottom drains and a skimmer. A waterfall would be constructed with large boulders strategically placed where waterfall pools could form at various levels. Next, a sandstone patio would be constructed between the house and the water’s edge with the patio edges extending several edges over the pond which would result in a feeling of closeness to the water.
Filtration, the heart of any Koi pond, would be installed. Ensuring the proper size of the filters, skimmer and sterilizer is important, since under-sizing of each can cause higher maintenance and more frequent water changes. Oversizing doesn’t matter as much, except it may require more electricity to operate. A biological converter to neutralize the ammonia produced by the fish would also be needed.
The final touch would be to strategically place appropriate plants to enhance the beauty of the newly constructed koi pond.
Use the following procedure to break-in a new cement pond prior to adding fish:
- Check the pH of the pond with a pH meter after the first 24 hours of running the system.
The pH will be above 9 or 10, or more.
- Add enough muratic acid (swimming pool acid) to lower the pH to 4.0 or less.
- Keep the pH level below 4.0 for two weeks, adding more acid if it rises above 4.0; check frequently.
- After following this procedure for two weeks, drain the water completely from the system.
- Add fresh water with dechlorinator and run the system for two days. Check pH and if lower than 9.0, it should be okay to add fish. If not lower than 9, the procedure probably has not been followed correctly.
- When pH is below 9, add fish one at a time and observe their reaction.
If they seem normal, they should be okay in the new water.
- Once the pH value of water in a new concrete pond is stabilized, further monitoring of the pH values shouldn’t be needed unless changes to the pond occur. Do not try to change the pH value unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
Now you have constructed an audio and visual focal point as well as an environment that will be easy to maintain. Most of my clients have found that their Koi pond has created an outdoor ambience that could not have been created any other way. At night with the underwater lights, the sound of the water and the bright colors of the fish...it just doesn’t get much better than that.
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