Building a Backyard Koi Pond
Before you start put careful consideration into where you want to put the pond. The pond needs to be out of direct sunlight during part of the day if possible. You also don't want your pond directly under trees because of falling debris. It needs to be close to electricity and also close enough to your house so that you can enjoy it!
The size of you pond depends on the space you have and the type of fish you want. If you are sure you want koi you need a larger pond. Koi will grow to be quite large. A koi pond needs to be at least 15 feet by 10 feet. If you want something smaller you may have to go with goldfish.
There is several types of material you can use to build you pond. These are concrete, pre-molded liners, flexible liners, PVC, and rubber. Flexible liners are becoming more common because there is so many different things you can do with them. It is fun to come up with your own design.
Adding terraces to your pond is a good idea. Terraces look like shelves inside your pond. They give different depths of water for your fish and also give you a convenient place to put your plants.
Consider adding a waterfall or a fountain to your pond. They help aerate your pond. This improves the water quality and increases the oxygen to your fish.
Plants are an important feature to add to your pond. They give your fish a place to hide and they also help improve water quality. Be sure to add greens to your fish food to keep your fish from eating all your plants.
Test the water quality and add some type of filtration. The pH and the hardness of the water is the most important to test for. Biological filters are very popular and they only need to be cleaned once or twice a year. When you buy your pump it needs to be able to turn over the complete volume of the pond every three hours. A skimmer may also be helpful to get rid of extra debris on top. This keeps your pump from doing so much work.
When you are ready to start digging your pond lay out a rope in the design you want. Start by adding your shelves. As a general guide the first shelf can be twelve inches deep and twelve inches wide and then you can go on to the next one. Remove sharp rocks that can tear your liner. Next you can add your plumbing for your filter, overflow pipe, and drain. Be sure to add a 1-2" layer of sand in the bottom and on the shelves of your pond.
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