Addicted to Koi's/Ponds

[Calvin]

Hello, The name is Calvin and i currently own a small pond only 100 or so. I am prepping to build atleast a above ground pond (3,700-4,000)
12x12x 3.5 x 7.5

I am still a newby but i do my research day and night. Learned alot of helpful and needed info. I've been viewing this forum and loved it so i joined! Hope to make new pond friends and will love advice on starting my pond and all these pond code terms.

I'm not sure how people do it I see people have like multiple filters or so.. Isn't one enough? There's so many questions.. Does filter pump have to go anywhere or can I just apply it somewhere outside the pond

!!!!!!! KOI's!!!!!!!

 

[Dave 54]

Welcome Calvin if your going to be keeping koi may I strongly recomend you buy a few books so that you can fully understand our favorite fish (weve been keeping them 27+ years now and even have two that age (yes they can live that long if propperly looked after and more upto 80 years or more goldfish can live 40+ years.
Luckily we love to read and have a large library of 80+ books weve collected since we started on koi/koi health/fish diseases etc and have given the books title ISBN numbers and authors names plus a small review of each book please feel free to copy it off so that you can use it to buy your own books ;-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/our-fish-koi-health-library-with-reviews-of-each-book.10498/

You'll need to know the exact volume of water in your pond so when you fill your pond buy or borrow a water meter to see exactly how much you atre putting in ( you'll need to know for any fulter treatments of your koi .
Put into place a dedicated program of maintenance to filters and pond with regular partial water changes also test your water perameters weekly for Ammonia Nitrite, Nitrate, Ph Gh, Kh and learn as much as you can avput your suubject especially any health issues they may have , you'll need to keep the 100 gallon pond as a Quarenrine pond .
QTing your fish for up to 2 months prior to any new comers going into your main pond .
Most koi keeper install a bottom drain when building their ponds and have multi bay filters to serve the pond read up on this filtrst and formost as once you've built your 3,000 pond your stuck with what you have .
You'll note there is a difference with pond keepers ponds and koi keepers ponds , its all down to what you wish to be if you need to ask questions please do as the more you ask now the better when tthe pond is finished and your koi installed .

Dave

 

[Calvin]

Welcome Calvin if your going to be keeping koi may I strongly recomend you buy a few books so that you can fully understand our favorite fish (weve been keeping them 27+ years now and even have two that age (yes they can live that long if propperly looked after and more upto 80 years or more goldfish can live 40+ years.
Luckily we love to read and have a large library of 80+ books weve collected since we started on koi/koi health/fish diseases etc and have given the books title ISBN numbers and authors names plus a small review of each book please feel free to copy it off so that you can use it to buy your own books ;-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/our-fish-koi-health-library-with-reviews-of-each-book.10498/

You'll need to know the exact volume of water in your pond so when you fill your pond buy or borrow a water meter to see exactly how much you atre putting in ( you'll need to know for any fulter treatments of your koi .
Put into place a dedicated program of maintenance to filters and pond with regular partial water changes also test your water perameters weekly for Ammonia Nitrite, Nitrate, Ph Gh, Kh and learn as much as you can avput your suubject especially any health issues they may have , you'll need to keep the 100 gallon pond as a Quarenrine pond .
QTing your fish for up to 2 months prior to any new comers going into your main pond .
Most koi keeper install a bottom drain when building their ponds and have multi bay filters to serve the pond read up on this filtrst and formost as once you've built your 3,000 pond your stuck with what you have .
You'll note there is a difference with pond keepers ponds and koi keepers ponds , its all down to what you wish to be if you need to ask questions please do as the more you ask now the better when tthe pond is finished and your koi installed .

Dave

Hello dave! Yes! I haven't read books but I did read facts and learn much from the online, I have a 3" or so in the pond. I'm working on learning to take care of the pond and ammonia and ph and nitrites. It's a little pre run before I start the real pond.

Now the problem is I don't know how it gets done, filtration wise. I prefer to build your own on everything but I can't figure out a exact cost. It's very confusing. But I am still doing research.

 

[Calvin]

And the MUST is filter, pump, UV and drain. Mine is above ground and I don't think skimmer is much needed..

 

[RobAmy]

Welcome. A skimmer could be needed for below and above ground ponds. A skimmer is for the surface of the pond so it depends on location and if much can fall in from trees, wind etc. There are many different ways to set your pond up. You need to decide how you want it setup for maintenance, plants, mechanical filtration, bio filtration etc. I would say one filter for koi is not enough with a 4k pond. If you build it right now then you will not need to grow your pond filtration as your fish load grows.

 

[Calvin]

Welcome. A skimmer could be needed for below and above ground ponds. A skimmer is for the surface of the pond so it depends on location and if much can fall in from trees, wind etc. There are many different ways to set your pond up. You need to decide how you want it setup for maintenance, plants, mechanical filtration, bio filtration etc. I would say one filter for koi is not enough with a 4k pond. If you build it right now then you will not need to grow your pond filtration as your fish load grows.

Ah skimmer does seem handy but it is away from trees, I do not believe anything crazy with get in. Especially that I have a covering for 85% of the pond.

I would love to build a large filter but I have no idea where to start. ( still researching ) .

 

[RobAmy]

Ah skimmer does seem handy but it is away from trees, I do not believe anything crazy with get in. Especially that I have a covering for 85% of the pond.

I would love to build a large filter but I have no idea where to start. ( still researching ) .

There are many ways to do one, just keep doing research. Once closer to pin pointing a design then ask away. I would consider on that size pond 2 pumps and 2 filters. If one ever went down you still have one running. I did not not know you had a covering for it, as I thought you were in the process of building one, so yes a skimmer may not be for you.

 

[Dave 54]

And the MUST is filter, pump, UV and drain. Mine is above ground and I don't think skimmer is much needed..

Thanx for correcting me Calvin yes your going to need a UV-C and a skimmer though you dont have one yourself at the moment I trongly suggest you do.
As to reading books have comeback where as anything said on the internet doesnt , I've often read things online that I've found to be totally untrue and wide of the mark besides th more books you add to your library the more you can create a referance library.
A koi keeper on another British website whom I bought a book from lately stated that Val and I must have the largest library on koi/ koi/fish Health/ fish behavour/fish pathology in private hands in the UK , as to if that is true I dont know but I'd like to find out
Yes information grows old and new things are found out but hey we have a book by the Parctical Fishkeeping people from way back and to say information is either scant or wrong is an understaement but ay back then koi keeping was a young hobby , all that has been written has been found out since then but books are constant or are we just an old fashioned pair
Either way your doing yourself a favour by buying one or two books and if like us you get the habitof buying them studying them etc then 27 years down the line you'll be saying this to another newbie

Dave

 

[koiguy1969]

welcome to our humble group.
by the way...the plural for koi is still koi, no 'S' needed.

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome, and where do you live?

 

[sissy]

welcome and koi are great but there is 3 warnings I have being a koi owner ,they destroy plants ,they poop a lot and they get big really big .But they are very friendly and are very social if you start them off that way

 

[j.w]

Calvin
No Koi just goldfish and glad to have you here with us

 

[Dave 54]

As Usual j.w. a moticon for every purpose

Dave

 

[Troutredds]

Welcome, Calvin. Good luck with your planned new system. There are many postings archived on this site with do-it-yourself ideas.

 

[Tula]

Welcome, as a koi keeper I concur with what sissy said!! I have a 1700 gallon pond with five koi....and about a dozen baby koi
(fry), from most recent spawning, that I'll rehome by next Spring. I have two pumps, a skimmer , a strong aerator and a pressurized filter with a UV light . Pressurized filters are not too popular with many pond people, but it's what I have for now. I'm looking to add more filtration next year... typically make a nice pond improvement annually.

Definitely educate yourself on ponds before you start digging You Tube has many helpful videos on DIY filters.