Looking for the "sweet spot" in ponds size

[koiguy1969]

For a pond what size? That's what I'm trying to figure out, what size do people find to be the right compromise between too small and it gets all yucky and too big and it's expensive to create and maintain?

Thanks

Teri

larger ponds actually become easier to maintain than little ones.. some maintainence may take alittle longer than on a smaller pond but will need doing less frequently... it takes a larger pond longer to " FOUL UP" than a smaller pond. and water parameters are more stable both temperature wise and chemistry. you'll find dollar for dollar our DIY designs outperform any storebought filter even some at twice the price and more. you have to ask yourself:
1..what kind of pond do i want?......formal or natural looking?
2.. is it going to be a dedicated KOI pond or a gardenpond with fish?
3.. can I build the neccessary equipment (capable?) ?
4..how will i stock this pond? (number of fish) p.s we all tend to stretch that number as far as we can!

 

[DrDave]

I think that ponds between 1000 and 2000 gallons are fairly inexpensive to build and maintain. Yet they are large enough to maintain the balance required for life. If you do the work yourself. a 1000 gallon pond can be built for less than $500 and that includes plants and some Koi.

 

[DrDave]

I think that ponds between 1000 and 2000 gallons are fairly inexpensive to build and maintain. Yet they are large enough to maintain the balance required for life. If you do the work yourself. a 1000 gallon pond can be built for less than $500 and that includes plants and some Koi.

 

[Lucas_TX]

larger ponds actually become easier to maintain than little ones.. some maintainence may take alittle longer than on a smaller pond but will need doing less frequently... it takes a larger pond longer to " FOUL UP" than a smaller pond. and water parameters are more stable both temperature wise and chemistry. you'll find dollar for dollar our DIY designs outperform any storebought filter even some at twice the price and more. you have to ask yourself:
1..what kind of pond do i want?......formal or natural looking?
2.. is it going to be a dedicated KOI pond or a gardenpond with fish?
3.. can I build the neccessary equipment (capable?) ?
4..how will i stock this pond? (number of fish) p.s we all tend to stretch that number as far as we can!

Thanks but I really want dragon flies and since dragon fly larvae is just another name for fish food I'm going to forego the fish.

 

[Lucas_TX]

larger ponds actually become easier to maintain than little ones.. some maintainence may take alittle longer than on a smaller pond but will need doing less frequently... it takes a larger pond longer to " FOUL UP" than a smaller pond. and water parameters are more stable both temperature wise and chemistry. you'll find dollar for dollar our DIY designs outperform any storebought filter even some at twice the price and more. you have to ask yourself:
1..what kind of pond do i want?......formal or natural looking?
2.. is it going to be a dedicated KOI pond or a gardenpond with fish?
3.. can I build the neccessary equipment (capable?) ?
4..how will i stock this pond? (number of fish) p.s we all tend to stretch that number as far as we can!

Thanks but I really want dragon flies and since dragon fly larvae is just another name for fish food I'm going to forego the fish.

 

[Lucas_TX]

I think that ponds between 1000 and 2000 gallons are fairly inexpensive to build and maintain. Yet they are large enough to maintain the balance required for life. If you do the work yourself. a 1000 gallon pond can be built for less than $500 and that includes plants and some Koi.

So something maybe 10 feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep would put be in that ball park, correct?

Deeper in some spots, shallower in others. We don't really have a frost line down here, so I don't think I have to worry much about getting it too deep so they can winter over, we rarely even see ice around the edges of ponds, much less the whole thing freezing over.

Teri

 

[Lucas_TX]

I think that ponds between 1000 and 2000 gallons are fairly inexpensive to build and maintain. Yet they are large enough to maintain the balance required for life. If you do the work yourself. a 1000 gallon pond can be built for less than $500 and that includes plants and some Koi.

So something maybe 10 feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep would put be in that ball park, correct?

Deeper in some spots, shallower in others. We don't really have a frost line down here, so I don't think I have to worry much about getting it too deep so they can winter over, we rarely even see ice around the edges of ponds, much less the whole thing freezing over.

Teri

 

[DrDave]

I get a lot of dragon flies every day over my pond and I have about 20 Koi. If you have enough plants, not all the larvae will get eaten by fish. The fish add another dimension to the pond and provide nutrients for the plantlife.
Just a thought for you.

 

[DrDave]

I get a lot of dragon flies every day over my pond and I have about 20 Koi. If you have enough plants, not all the larvae will get eaten by fish. The fish add another dimension to the pond and provide nutrients for the plantlife.
Just a thought for you.

 

[koiguy1969]

yeah,same here...theres other bodies of water near by and i have plenty of butterflies, dragon flies, and even fish flies in June visiting my yard.

 

[koiguy1969]

yeah,same here...theres other bodies of water near by and i have plenty of butterflies, dragon flies, and even fish flies in June visiting my yard.

 

[addy1]

So something maybe 10 feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep would put be in that ball park, correct?

Deeper in some spots, shallower in others. We don't really have a frost line down here, so I don't think I have to worry much about getting it too deep so they can winter over, we rarely even see ice around the edges of ponds, much less the whole thing freezing over.

Teri

The only thing you might not like with out any fish is mosquitoes. In arizona, I put in mosquito fish, sort of like little guppies. But they might eat your dragon fly larvae. If you have good enough water flow the mosquitoes won't like the water.

I made my az pond around 14 x 14 or so, 3-4 feet deep to keep it a little cooler. Just because of the fish, (goldfish).

Your 10 x10 sounds good, I went larger here, because we have the room so why not lol. and from 1-5 feet deep because we get good freezes.

The added expense was the liner o/w the expenses were the same.

Deep and shallow areas work great for different plants and it adds a natural look ie not all flat bottom. (well in my eyes it does)

We, too, are not doing fish (at this time) if we ever do, it will be a few native fish, very few.

Mainly frogs and what ever decides to move in.

Keep thinking it out, it will look great in the end. Your dragon flies will be ecstatic.

 

[addy1]

So something maybe 10 feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep would put be in that ball park, correct?

Deeper in some spots, shallower in others. We don't really have a frost line down here, so I don't think I have to worry much about getting it too deep so they can winter over, we rarely even see ice around the edges of ponds, much less the whole thing freezing over.

Teri

The only thing you might not like with out any fish is mosquitoes. In arizona, I put in mosquito fish, sort of like little guppies. But they might eat your dragon fly larvae. If you have good enough water flow the mosquitoes won't like the water.

I made my az pond around 14 x 14 or so, 3-4 feet deep to keep it a little cooler. Just because of the fish, (goldfish).

Your 10 x10 sounds good, I went larger here, because we have the room so why not lol. and from 1-5 feet deep because we get good freezes.

The added expense was the liner o/w the expenses were the same.

Deep and shallow areas work great for different plants and it adds a natural look ie not all flat bottom. (well in my eyes it does)

We, too, are not doing fish (at this time) if we ever do, it will be a few native fish, very few.

Mainly frogs and what ever decides to move in.

Keep thinking it out, it will look great in the end. Your dragon flies will be ecstatic.

 

[Lucas_TX]

yeah,same here...theres other bodies of water near by and i have plenty of butterflies, dragon flies, and even fish flies in June visiting my yard.

Truthfully I don't want the responsibility of fish and protecting them from predators. With the cavity nesting birds you have to go to great lengths to protect them from snakes, owls, hawks and those nasty invasives, starlings and house sparrows. The Bluebirds and Purple Martins are all the responsibility I care to take on.

Whatever shows up in this pond is gonna show up on its own and it gets to be part of the food web then so be it. I have thought about some mosquito fish if the mosquitos seem to be a problem, having them get eaten would again be just part of the food web. Just don't have much desire to try to protect a bunch of expensive (or even inexpensive) koi.

Addie...I can't reply to your PM yet, I don't have enough posts. Sorry.

Teri

 

[Lucas_TX]

yeah,same here...theres other bodies of water near by and i have plenty of butterflies, dragon flies, and even fish flies in June visiting my yard.

Truthfully I don't want the responsibility of fish and protecting them from predators. With the cavity nesting birds you have to go to great lengths to protect them from snakes, owls, hawks and those nasty invasives, starlings and house sparrows. The Bluebirds and Purple Martins are all the responsibility I care to take on.

Whatever shows up in this pond is gonna show up on its own and it gets to be part of the food web then so be it. I have thought about some mosquito fish if the mosquitos seem to be a problem, having them get eaten would again be just part of the food web. Just don't have much desire to try to protect a bunch of expensive (or even inexpensive) koi.

Addie...I can't reply to your PM yet, I don't have enough posts. Sorry.

Teri