Tips for Building a Beautiful Koi Pond

Koi ponds can be calming and enjoyable to view. But it may seem too overwhelming to build this type of pond in your backyard. Fortunately, it really is not that difficult. You just need to consider several tips from experts to build a koi pond that is beautiful and peaceful. 1. Identify a location in your yard that gets a good balance of shade and sun during the day. Your pond will not only have koi in it – it will also have plants which needs sunlight to grow. Shade will protect the koi and provide them with natural hiding places. Viewing vantage points will also determine the ideal location. Perhaps you want to sit on your back porch and be able to see the pond. Or maybe you have a nearby gazebo that you plan to use to watch and feed the koi. Use that information to identify the most suitable spot for your pond. 2. Determine the best size for your pond. To do this, you want to consider not only the placement of the pond in the current landscaping but also the maintenance that will be required to keep the pond healthy. If you do not have sufficient time to manage a koi pond, you probably want to keep it small, about 1000 gallons. Of course, you want it large enough to provide the tranquility you desire. The recommended size for a koi pond to allow for a healthy ecosystem and has sufficient room for the koi to grow is 2500 gallons. Koi ponds should be at least three feet deep to keep the koi safe from predators. 3. Design your pond to maximize the health of your koi. A pond with a curved bottom is usually recommended. A flat-bottom pond will allow debris to accumulate on the bottom much faster than a curved pond. Your design should include a filtration system that makes it easy to remove debris and keep the water healthy. It should also include selective plants that are beneficial to the koi. Plants help keep pond water clean and healthy. And koi use plants to hide from predators. 4. Plan to dedicate time on pond maintenance. Even a small koi pond needs to be cleaned and maintained if you want the koi and plant life to thrive. You will also have to feed the koi on a regular basis. Part of your pond maintenance involves making sure your aeration system is working properly and to change filters as needed. It generally does not require more than one or two hours every week to keep your pond in good shape. But you must consistently keep to your maintenance schedule to prevent debris buildup from occurring. You can expect koi fish to live for approximately 20 years and grow to between 2 and 3 feet in length within 10 years. It is not uncommon for koi to live longer than 30 years if they live in a healthy environment. This includes having enough room to move around and grow. Overpopulation is a common reason koi fish do not thrive in ponds. So keep the number of koi in your pond to a reasonable number so they can enjoy the pond as much as you do!