Koi pond! Really confused.

[JesseMoreira06]

If you are building the pond for koi and are relying on external pressure type filters (and not a bog), I would strongly suggest a bottom drain. Solid waste will collect on the bottom, but it really should be removed from the water column quickly and not allowed collect and decompose in the water. Also not a big fan of pressure filters, though I have used them on small water garden ponds without koi. If you are not doing a bog, there are a number of DIY gravity flow filters that you can build cheaply that will provide far better bio filtration than most pressure fitters. Shower, trickle, moving bed and static barrel filters are all relatively easy to build, cheap, and require little to no maintenance if constructed right. Most pressure filters provide only mechanical filtration with minimal bio filtration.

Do you know of any thread or video regarding installing a bottom drain by any chance?

 

[GBBUDD]

Do you know of any thread or video regarding installing a bottom drain by any chance?

here's a little about main drain in my build its large look for the block walls

Honored and Proud to have been chosen Aquascapes DIY pond of the year for 2023. 12,000 Gallon Koi Pond, Full Build

Large KOI pond with a Wetland filter, Negative edge and an intake bay. Start to finish, Building, Maintaining and expanding / seaming . https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=687652723148180

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[Lisak1]

If you are building the pond for koi

Let me just pop in to add - if you are building a pond for koi, 2000 gallons is waaaaay too small. Think goldfish - comets, shubunkin,etc - and you can skip the bottom drain altogether.

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Let me just pop in to add - if you are building a pond for koi, 2000 gallons is waaaaay too small. Think goldfish - comets, shubunkin,etc - and you can skip the bottom drain altogether.

The maximum size I would be able to do is 10 by 8 by 5 which is 3,000 gallons but I am not building in as one big whole meaning there will be "steps" ect.. so I would say the maximum size pond I could put is 2,500 -2 750 gallons.

What is the recomended minimum size pond for Koi?

 

[poconojoe]

Been there done that with those pressure filters.

I sincerely hope you reconsider a bog filter.
It was literally the best thing I did for my pond and for me.
My water is crystal clear and there's no maintenance.

There are many ways you can build a bog. It can be one bog or more than one. It can be any shape. It can be at one end of your pond or along side your pond or narrow and along both sides. It can be located away from the pond and piped over to it. It can be above ground, partially above or below the ground.

I wish I knew about bog filtering from the beginning. I wouldn't have wasted so much money and time constantly cleaning filters.

I had two pressure filters, one UV light and a submerged bucket with a pump covered with lava rock. My water stayed completely solid green, even with tons of plant life to consume the excess nutrients. The only time I could see my fish was when they fed at the surface.

The cause of the green water was the fact that my fish keep multiplying and the pond is overstocked. Those filters couldn't keep up with all the excess nutrients (fish waste).

After the bog build my water turned clear in less than a week and has stayed that way since. I saw fish I didn't know I had! The water was never this clear. It looks like you can drink it.

Save your money and build a bog. It will cost you way less to build than the cost of any inadequate store bought filters.
You won't be cleaning filter pads every week. That becomes old real quick.
Make your pond self sustaining instead of being a weekly chore.

 

[poconojoe]

The maximum size I would be able to do is 10 by 8 by 5 which is 3,000 gallons but I am not building in as one big whole meaning there will be "steps" ect.. so I would say the maximum size pond I could put is 2,500 -2 750 gallons.

What is the recomended minimum size pond for Koi?

Some say 1,000 gallons for the first koi and around 250-500 gallons for each additional koi.

Remember, they definitely will reproduce and your pond can quickly become overstocked. Ask me how I know!

In my experience, if I were to do it all over, I would skip the koi and only have goldfish and shubunkin. Shubunkin are colorful and have beautiful long flowing fins and don't grow enormous like koi. If you go that route, you'll be able to have many more fish.

I have some koi that are huge. Probably as long as my arm and tremendous girth. Some over 12 years old.

You do what you want. No one will criticize you here. We just try to inform others for the best experience.

 

[combatwombat]

Excellent pitch, @poconojoe!

 

[poconojoe]

Excellent pitch, @poconojoe!

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Does anybody have a good video of how to set up a bog step-by-step?

 

[poconojoe]

Does anybody have a good video of how to set up a bog step-by-step?

This is not a video, but it's my bog add on thread:

(25) My add-on bog build | Garden Pond Forums

My add-on bog build

I finally did it! I joined the bog club! The bog is approximately 14 feet by 5 feet and about 12 inches deep. I know my 1600+ gallon pond has been overpopulated due to my fish reproductive rates! Last year the water never cleared up to my liking. I figured my two pressure filters and my...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[JesseMoreira06]

This is not a video, but it's my bog add on thread:

(25) My add-on bog build | Garden Pond Forums

My add-on bog build

I finally did it! I joined the bog club! The bog is approximately 14 feet by 5 feet and about 12 inches deep. I know my 1600+ gallon pond has been overpopulated due to my fish reproductive rates! Last year the water never cleared up to my liking. I figured my two pressure filters and my...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Awesome, read it all. Still not 100% sure on how exactly to build the bog. Also would this be goood in Canada? we get freezing weather I mean -30 Celcius.

 

[poconojoe]

Awesome, read it all. Still not 100% sure on how exactly to build the bog. Also would this be goood in Canada? we get freezing weather I mean -30 Celcius.

I run mine all year in Pennsylvania. I never turn it off, even in subzero weather.

 

[poconojoe]

Here is addy's bog showcase. It's lengthy but very informative. She is the queen of bogs in my view. She's the one that inspired me to build mine.

This will hopefully answer any questions you have.
If you still have questions, just ask....

(43) Bog building | Garden Pond Forums

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Here is addy's bog showcase. It's lengthy but very informative. She is the queen of bogs in my view. She's the one that inspired me to build mine.

This will hopefully answer any questions you have.
If you still have questions, just ask....

(43) Bog building | Garden Pond Forums

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

Thanks for that, I started reading and some interesting information.

If I understand correctly

a bog is basically a all natural bio filter, you must use 2" pvc pipe with slits ect.. it has to be higher then your actual pond or just a "wall" in between? but yet around 12" deep minimum right? with a sorta slope that trickles down into the pond sorta of like a waterfall effect.

In the actual pond you must have a submerged pump that connects to those pvc pipes in the bog that sends out the water through those slits rising into the gravel ect.. back in the pond?

Can a bog create a waterfall? or it isnt enough power to do so? I really want a waterfall. I am assuming as long as it is high enough it should be able to right?

And my bog size for a pond of 10 by 8 would be 80×30% = 24 so a bog of around 5 feet by 5 feet. right?

I would also like to use a skimmer, can I connect the skimmer pump to the bog? if so in orded to have this all running, a 2,500 gallon pond would require what size plumping? and wbat size pump in the skimmer to do everything needed from skimmer to bog to waterfall?

Am I on track here?

 

[JesseMoreira06]

Is this an ideal picture to look at?