Hi guys,
I started a DIY pond build last month, dug by hand. I literally just thought it was a hole, water and fish, and didn't know anything about ponds etc. I think it's easy to see a hotel pond etc and just think it's easy and not understand the work that goes into maintaining the water quality etc.
So, after "finishing" it two times and then draining, moving the fish etc for renovations, I have learnt a lot and I am on my third and final "renovation" in the past month. I have 3 7" Koi and 15 3-4" Koi in a large inflatable pool with aeration/shade etc. My biggest problem was the water level because the ground already wasn't level but I've now built the sides up quite a lot with dirt I've dug out. I've got shelves round the inside for rock work and to cover the liner. We live just outside London, in a built up area with houses either side and behind, and I didn't take any notice of the "Heron tips" because I've never seen one before. The damn thing came by last week and took some little ones out, about 10-15 but solved my future over-stocking problem!
I have a waterfall cascade box filter which is going to run the waterfall via an Oase Aquaskim 40 skimmer and pump. And I have a separate pump running into a large Kockney Koi black box filter with UV. I have no bottom drain. Despite how strongly some "Koi" guys recommend one and "a pond isn't a pond without one", I just can't do it myself, I don't want the extra work and I'd have to hire someone to do it.
Now, one of my big questions, I'd like to put some small rocks and pebbles to cover the liner at the bottom but you read so much on Koiphen on why not to do it. I'm quite happy to drain the pond once a year, wash down the rocks and then re-fill if necessary. It really doesn't seem like such a big job. I've already drained it twice. How much "muck" and "poisonous gases" which "will kill your fish, if not now, in a couple of years" is going to accumulate? It's a case of a the pebbles/gravel/small stones and a once year clean out vs bare liner and vacuuming the bottom although I am unsure how often this would be needed? What would you guys say? I'm going to have some plants in gravel pots around the edges and the Koi won't be able to get to them because they'll be lodged in between rock rock.
The pond is an oval/kidney shape and will be about 3ft in it's deepest part. There are different depths. On average a conservative estimate is about 2000 imperial gallons / 2400 US gallons. I'm really not bothered whether it's a "koi pond" "water-garden" whatever, I just want a nice backyard pond with rockwork, clear water, some plants on the edges and healthy Koi. I'm not going to go crazy with feeding and I don't intend to be some sort of high end Koi keeper!
Thanks!
I started a DIY pond build last month, dug by hand. I literally just thought it was a hole, water and fish, and didn't know anything about ponds etc. I think it's easy to see a hotel pond etc and just think it's easy and not understand the work that goes into maintaining the water quality etc.
So, after "finishing" it two times and then draining, moving the fish etc for renovations, I have learnt a lot and I am on my third and final "renovation" in the past month. I have 3 7" Koi and 15 3-4" Koi in a large inflatable pool with aeration/shade etc. My biggest problem was the water level because the ground already wasn't level but I've now built the sides up quite a lot with dirt I've dug out. I've got shelves round the inside for rock work and to cover the liner. We live just outside London, in a built up area with houses either side and behind, and I didn't take any notice of the "Heron tips" because I've never seen one before. The damn thing came by last week and took some little ones out, about 10-15 but solved my future over-stocking problem!
I have a waterfall cascade box filter which is going to run the waterfall via an Oase Aquaskim 40 skimmer and pump. And I have a separate pump running into a large Kockney Koi black box filter with UV. I have no bottom drain. Despite how strongly some "Koi" guys recommend one and "a pond isn't a pond without one", I just can't do it myself, I don't want the extra work and I'd have to hire someone to do it.
Now, one of my big questions, I'd like to put some small rocks and pebbles to cover the liner at the bottom but you read so much on Koiphen on why not to do it. I'm quite happy to drain the pond once a year, wash down the rocks and then re-fill if necessary. It really doesn't seem like such a big job. I've already drained it twice. How much "muck" and "poisonous gases" which "will kill your fish, if not now, in a couple of years" is going to accumulate? It's a case of a the pebbles/gravel/small stones and a once year clean out vs bare liner and vacuuming the bottom although I am unsure how often this would be needed? What would you guys say? I'm going to have some plants in gravel pots around the edges and the Koi won't be able to get to them because they'll be lodged in between rock rock.
The pond is an oval/kidney shape and will be about 3ft in it's deepest part. There are different depths. On average a conservative estimate is about 2000 imperial gallons / 2400 US gallons. I'm really not bothered whether it's a "koi pond" "water-garden" whatever, I just want a nice backyard pond with rockwork, clear water, some plants on the edges and healthy Koi. I'm not going to go crazy with feeding and I don't intend to be some sort of high end Koi keeper!
Thanks!
Your pond looks very nice! I used to have gravel in the bottom of my pond, but a lot of it shifted ( I'm sure the koi helped ! ) to the deepest area of the pond, which deprived the koi of the lowest depth for winter. I also grew water lilies bare root in the gravel and they went crazy !
