MissMTS

It looks great! You are really tallented. I'm sure you guys are really enjoying it. I'm just a bit jealous *wink wink*

ThisGuy

You are certainly very talented i would have never thought of doing a Koi pond in that way. cheers enjoy you new backyard looks great.

hockeyref88

Thanks for the kind comments...........Yes we love it and now that it is starting to mature the fish are digging it too. Of course you know how it goes............I walk out into my backyard, look around and start thinking about where I could build a new improved, 3 times the size, with multiple waterfalls, huge filtration setup.......... It really never stops in my mind. I have extreme MTS

Rick

Lucy

That sounds great, 3 times the size with multiple waterfalls.....wow.

ThisGuy

I just bought a house with a nice backyard you are giving me very expensive ideas and the wife said once we get our own house she cant stop me from getting a salty tank. Fish are gonna put me in so much debt...

hockeyref88

I know the Salty thing can be expensive for sure which we are in the process of doing right now but, the koi pond once its built is not. I spent a couple of grand building it and most of that was on the filter and pump and plumbing supplies. We just put regular koi in there with a couple of comets and a chinese high fin shark for the algae. Its really no more than an aquarium now. At this point I'm just looking for stuff to spend money on it seems. Today I went out and bought pond lights for example. I just cant seem to leave it alone but I'm sure you know how that is right

Rick

susitna-flower

Hay Rick, have you ever checked out www.aquascape.com , I got magazines from them for years, they have great ideas on ponds, waterfalls, creeks, and have all the supplies....

I like your ideas....

hockeyref88

Yep..............I probably have checked every website known to man on koi ponds. I actually get most of my usuful info from a couple of pond forums I belong too.
One is based in The US
http://www.gardenpondforum.com/index.php
and one is based in England
http://www.forums.pondlife.eu/forum/index.php
The guy's who moderate and the members pretty much can answer any questions you could ever come up with if you are looking to build.

Rick

ThisGuy

i live in Canada so i would have to have a deep pond or multiple heaters. I say multiple because my dads pond had one heater and he lost his fish when it broke, he had had the goldfish and shubunkins for seven years. They had even bred together and created a hybrid species. So defiantly a deep pond, but i want a salty tank first Thanks for the links, nice sites lots of good info on ponds.

mirciulie

U guys are making my day. I just walked to a new (to me) petstore today and they had a nice selection of salt water fish. But the most impresive was a big SW tank, with corals. OMG, that thing was amazing. Just the colors on the colors, heck even the color of the water made me feel like I was snorkeling in Hawaii! But I talk to the guy that was working there, he gave me a rough estimate on the money spent on it, and I remembered why I don't have SW . Plus, I'm a begginer.

Yeah, we all want something bigger and different, as soon as we finish instalin' a tank....

I was thinking what to replace my 2 golds that I gave it to my inlaws, since I have a tropical comunity. Angels? Maybe get some male Kribensis to mate with the 2 females that I have ( I know that brings **** to a tank...). SO much to think of.

Hey, nice setup there with the pond. Didn't even know you can go that way (like a tub). There's some craftmanship I tell you in there.

Jess

Hi hockeyref88/Rick,
Such an elegant solution for an above ground container pond. It looks almost like the sides are dovetailed? Is it?
I have a 1200 gal. inground outdoor pond. My Koi eat everything and uproot everything except the pond Iris's. Those little devils ate my beautiful lilies and everything else. I got 4 Koi last year and they're easily a foot long now. I also have many goldfish, one is as large as the Koi.
So I'm thinking some height would be spectacular in and around your pond. I have elephant ear plants around the outside in pots and coleus, gives a very lush tropical feeling in my Ct backyard with the over sized leaves. : ) You might try large golfball or bigger sized rocks to help hold down the plants and discourage their digging in your pond. They can upturn pots as well. Still I love them and their personalities and they are truly very peaceful to watch.

hockeyref88

Hi Jess, I love your idea's about the plants...............I do have a planter at the end of the pond that gets light. However most of the pond is under a patio cover and get very little natural light. I have been planting different things trying to find the right combo. I am always incouraged by any suggestions to make it better. Do elephant plants need a lot of sun? As far as the plants go that are in the pond, I have a shelf the houses the perfectly and the fish never mess with them, so its all good.

Thanks for the comment
Rick

peacemaker92

Your pond looks great! I love the fountain design thing. I agree with everyone, your koi's will look great with your awesome pond!

gremlin

I had my pond up under the porch for a while and it got NO direct sun. It was on the east side of the house under the overhang. I put house plants around it and as long as I kept them watered, they did fine. They got plenty of indirect light and humidity from evaporation from the pond. Here are some of the plants that I tried:
schefflera
pink polka dot plant
dracaena
small ivy (the house plant varieties)
pothos
and a bunch of others that I don't remember the names of...
The ivy really took over all around the pond. There was enough of it that I cut bunches of it to decorate for my nieces wedding one year. Now that my pond is out where it gets full sun all morning, I have various thyme plants and dichondra planted around it.

Jess

Hi Rick,
You would need some filtered light for the elephant ears. I wish I knew what their Latin name is. But you can find them at most garden shops. Usually you buy the bulb and just plant them in soil. They take a while to come up but its truly tropical by the end of July.
I'll see if I can post some pictures.
Thanks,
Jess

gremlin

Colocasia esculenta aka elephant ear

Jess

Thanks Gremlin : )

Jess

Rick, I found a photo of my pond from last year. Jess