150gal pind with waterfall

[Jlpondguy]

Hey all, ive had an above ground pond for a few months now and finally built a small waterfall feature. Ive got two koi, a baby red eared turtle that my kids stumbled upon as a hatchling, and a plethera of rosy red minnows. Slowly but surely building my pond into something cool. Im located in central california so freeze isnt something im worried about. Id like some natural plant growth to gain astheitics and pond benefits. Built the waterfall today using plastic I have around so not nearly completed. Merely just a test to see what it can do.

 

[Lisak1]

Two koi in 150 gallons? No. You’re building a disaster. Sorry I know you weren’t asking, but you will be.

 

[mrsclem]

Totally agree! Rehome the koi! Absolutely no room for koi in that container.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome Jlpondguy! Wow, seeing your pond and the Little Tykes Coupe brings back wonderful memories with my children! Like you, I was there with a stock tank pond and a red ear slider turtle. Plants are a good idea but they will need to grow in your waterfall area otherwise, your slider will chomp on them. The only plants I have ever been able to keep with a turtle are Red Mangrove trees and Umbrella Palms. Feel free to ask your questions. Again, welcome!

 

[Jlpondguy]

No worries, I came here to learn how to setup a sustainable pond! Will work on finding a home for them. On the other hand, what would be some good fish to put in? Wanting something that is interesting to look at and hardy.

Thank you, glad I found this forum. I’ll be working on getting the waterfall cut to shape and setup to be hidden by rocks.
The kids definitely love it, maybe a little to much.

 

[j.w]

and welcome @Jlpondguy
Being in a warm climate you have lots of choices but your turtle may make a meal of them! Maybe some Platy tropical fish or some minnows? Lots of choices at a pet store. Get the ones that are most hardy! Look up online to see.

 

[Jlpondguy]

Thank you!
I have the rosy red minnows right now but they aren’t much to look at. They are definitely hardy though. The koi are turning into dogs at this point, they come to the surface at feeding time. I am debating getting a large stock tank to transfer them into when they get bigger if I can’t find a suitable home. What would one say is the “smallest” size for two koi?
Built a metal base for my waterfall and got it looking a lot better today. Next step is to build an L shape planter box to wrap around the waterfall. After that I’ll work on a better filtration system and feed line to the waterfall. I change water rather often but am on a well and the ph is pretty good where I’m at.
I would like to get it to where I don’t have to change the water and balance it much at all though.

 

[j.w]

Thank you!
I have the rosy red minnows right now but they aren’t much to look at. They are definitely hardy though. The koi are turning into dogs at this point, they come to the surface at feeding time. I am debating getting a large stock tank to transfer them into when they get bigger if I can’t find a suitable home. What would one say is the “smallest” size for two koi?
Built a metal base for my waterfall and got it looking a lot better today. Next step is to build an L shape planter box to wrap around the waterfall. After that I’ll work on a better filtration system and feed line to the waterfall. I change water rather often but am on a well and the ph is pretty good where I’m at.
I would like to get it to where I don’t have to change the water and balance it much at all though. View attachment 165161View attachment 165162

I have goldfish but Koi people say for 2 koi you would need about 1000 to 2000 gals but they can chime in here to give you more info. So if you want koi you better get to digging a big pond! I do like the Shubunkin goldfish tho as they look like small koi to me. Some have nice long flowing tails and they are way cheaper than koi. You can find them in various pet stores.
These are just some color varieties. They come in a lot more choices.

Shubunkin Goldfish:

 

[Jlpondguy]

I do like the look of those! I’ll see if my local store carries them. Had a feeling it’d be in the 1k range. Thank you!