It's always interesting how people tend to stop and stare when they pass a Koi fish pond, the relaxing effect these fish have on the human eye is one of the big reasons for their popularity in recent days. Every time someone stops at such a Koi pond they immediately have the urge to build one for themselves, though often they hear stories of how sensitive and frail these fish are and how much work is involved in maintaining a Koi fish pond. Although there is some merit behind the rumours the fact of the matter remains if the Koi fish pond is properly built with efficient filtration there is no hobby easier and more relaxing.
The first thing to look at is where to build your Koi fish pond. Ideally you don't want it to receive full sun all day as this will greatly enhance algae growth. You also don't want it below messy trees or trees with strong roots. Once you have decided on the space where you want to build the pond you must decide on the size. No matter where in the world you are you want the Koi fish pond to be at least 1m deep with a deeper area of about 1.5m. This helps the fish to hide from extreme sun or very cold winters. As for the total capacity no less than 10000L, you can go less but this will restrict you in the amount of fish you can keep.
Now that you have the location and the size of the Koi fish pond the next decision is the type of pond you wish to build. Will it be the more affordable but less durable pond liners or a concrete pond? The ideal is always a concrete pond with a built-in bottom drain at its deepest point. The ideal is to have the bottom drain lead to a sump chamber built-in on the side of the pond.
With the plan of the pond and its sump chamber your next step is to establish what filtration system to use. There are many different systems available on the market and every Koi specialist has his own preference. Ideally you need to look closely at the space you have available and establish if you can build a large mechanical filter or install a compact high pressure biological filter. When you visit your local Koi dealer and look at the different filtration options be sure to check what the advised filter to pond size ratio is. If you live in the southern hemisphere and the filter is manufactured in the northern hemisphere you can double the requirements due to much warmer weather conditions. As a member of the Carp family Koi love strong flowing water with lots of air, so be sure to install a venturi on one of your outlets.
With your Koi fish pond designed and the proper filtration system selected you can start to build. If you decide on a contractor be sure to check his references and to show and explain the design of the pond with all the correct spots for inlets and outlets. Once everything is complete, the pond filled with water and filtration systems running add a bio filter booster to the water to kick start the biological filter.
The most difficult part of building your own Koi fish pond is the waiting period after completion to the introduction of the first fish. The best is to wait two weeks before adding a tester fish, preferably 3 to 4 inches in length should be a strong enough fish. Give him a couple of days and if all goes well you can start filling your pond. Remember no more than 1 fish per 650L of pond water, and introduce the new fish one or two at a time over a couple of months. With all the hard work and waiting over you can finally enjoy the serenity of sitting beside your own Koi fish pond.
Ethan is a serious koi lover. For more great information on koi fish ponds, visit The Mighty Koi and grab you free eBook and email mini course.
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