Time

I am thinking of getting a koi pond can anyone help me. I want to know the cost of this. How big does the pond have to be to keep koi? I really want some but they need so much space!

aquarist48

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/ponds/
Hello Time Keeper and Welcome to Fish Lore. The above link will provide you with a lot of information on ponds!
Enjoy the site!
Ken

gremlin

The minimum size for koi is 1000 gallons. If you like the look of koi, but don't want something quite so huge, consider shubunkins or goldfish. They are a bit cheaper to buy, don't require quite so much space, and are actually a bit hardier than koi. I love the look of koi, but I wont keep them because of the space required and because they totally destroy any plants that are in with them.

Time

okay thanks. the poor koi must be crowded in most ponds I've seen. 1000 gallons is like making a pool. I don't even have a tank large enouh for a goldfish. Can anyone give me the specs for a 1000 gallon pond?

steve_58

here is a link to get the water volume of various shapes of ponds :
http://www.gardenponds.com/Pondcalculators.htm

I had a 120 gallon pond with 8 goldfish ranging from 3" to 4" and 3 koi ranging from 5" to 8". They all did real well in it and over wintered with no problems.In the part of Pa. i live in winters can have temps 20* and much colder for weeks at a time.I just made sure i kept a hole chopped in the ice to allow the pond to breath.This past spring i increased the size of the pond to 1200 gallons and added a waterfall.I also stepped up to a 3600 GPH pump and bought a heater to keep a hole melted in the ice so i don't have to chop one,lol. At present i have 6 koi ranging from 5" to 12" and the goldfish are now 5" -6" and they don't harm my lillies or any of my plants.Koi seem to grow rather slowly after they reach a certain length. Just make sure you have good water filtration and circulation and it should be at least 2 ft deep in my oppinion.Also as for the sunlight,remember the more sunlight the pond gets the more of an algae problem you'll have.I think morning sun is good with shade from afternoon sun.

Red1313

Hi Time Keeper... you don't have your country listed so one consideration with you're pond is where you are. A pond two feet deep in my area would more then freeze solid in the winter, even if it's in ground. So make sure you double check your climate when you're designing it. Or else have a plan to bring the fish in if you need to.

Time

Good there is a house blocking the sun all morning from sunrise untill 11 and a shed to block the midday sun so if I were to get a pond it would probably get very few hours of sun but still a lot of light

I dont get any cold winters the coldest it would get is around 40 degrees so I guess I was just meant to have a pond9the lowest was 38). lol I also have a big back yard. Would I be able to put my turtles into this pond? They eat small fish.

gremlin

My sister had a turtle in her pond for a while. It crawled out and left in the irrigation. She never found it. She was sure it wouldn't be able to get out because she had a block wall all around the pond that was a good 12 inches. I don't have a turtle because I know it would get out of my pond. If you wanted to have a turtle, you would have to make sure that your fish were all much larger than the turtle - the turtle may try to take a bite out of the fish, even if they are too big to eat. You would also need to make sure to have some type of enclosure so the turtle could not get a way.

Time

I wont put in the turtles its just that I dont have uv-c lamp so I have to take them out to the sun and that would have been much easier. How big of a pond do goldfish need? I might extend the pond as my pond knowledge progresses but for now I will try to go for a smaller pond.

TedsTank

Koi ponds are fun....go as big as you can!!....our ponds are never big enough!!!....lol My pond is homemade above ground...8' x 16 ' and 27 inches deep. I doesnt freeze solid here and I do keep the pump running 24/7. all year.

Time

So I was wondering how big I can go. I have to clean and organize the yard to get the biggest pond possible and that will take eons. I will try putting it in a corner and fence it so people wont dump things, spit in it, or do other things to it. If I wanted that I would put it in the front yard. What is a good size for goldies?

gremlin

Bigger is always better. My first pond was about 100 gallons. My current pond is about 180 gallons. I want a bigger one (I just don't have room right now).

Time

I will go as big as I can. At least 100-300, or maybe even big enough for koi(if I am lucky)

Red1313

Hmmm... one thing with the pond is that you don't want to put it where there's too much chance of water draining into it. Things like chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers etc could case havok.

Time

Nothing else but rain could get into it. Is rain a problem? It rains a lot here sometimes. Even then a shed could be put over it.

gremlin

Rain shouldn't be a problem. My pond gets the rain runoff from our roof. I would be more concerned with runoff from the lawn or garden in case there were pesticides or fertilizer.

Time

Cool that would be the only thing it would get so I am just about ready to clean the yard(the hardest part) but can I dig up the hole and put the black plastic thingy on my own or does pond setup need special requirements? I am completely new to ponds know nothing about the pond filters or pumps.

aquarist48

Best of luck with your pond Time Keeper. Hope you can send some pictures our way of the entire process.
Ken

Time

I still don't know if it is certain but I will start anyway even if I don't have money for any other stuff, the hole will be right there waiting... Is it a good idea to make the edges raised?

peacemaker92

I don't know much about ponds, plan to start one of my own too one day. But I'd suggest to not dig up the hole until you have everything ready to set up the pond so that the hole doesn't start a flood since you say it rains there a lot. Some people here build their ponds using cement or concrete, I'm not sure about the ones in the states. But don't start digging the hole yet until you're ready and sure that you can have the base ready. Good luck and hope to see pictures soon!

TedsTank

CAUTION....Ponds are like aquariums....you will always wish it was bigger!!!..lol So while you are digging and cleaning the area for yours....wait a day, rest, and then go a bit more than you planned on!!

gremlin

I, too, would suggest you wait to dig your hole until you have everything, or at least the following:
liner
pump
filter

It is usually a good idea to raise the edge somewhat. It will keep ground runoff from running into your pond and washing in dirt, leaves, fertilizer, pesticides, etc. You don't have to have it very high, just as long as it is high enough to prevent water from running in. It is also kind of nice to have at least part of the edge be a wall to sit on. That way, you can sit and enjoy your fish.

As for the pump and filter, bigger is usually better (especially with the filter), so you will need to decide about how big your pond is going to be. Once you know that, get the largest capacity filter you can afford and the pump that will run it. I like to get a larger capacity pump than is needed for the filter just because it is going to get clogged with leaves and stuff in your pond. If it is a more powerful pump, than it will still be able to pump the recommended amount of water through the filter until you can clean the pump intake. I have an in-pond pump and an external filter. If I could figure out a way to do it, I would like to have it all be external with a set up similar to a swimming pool. You know, where the water overflows into the pump chamber... That would help to keep the pump from getting clogged by leaves since they would be caught in the basket.

Time

I was just kidding. I need to gather up enough money first. I wanted to put a fountain into it. I am going to put pond goldfish. I found a cheap filter fountain because the pond isn't going to be too large so the stuff is cheaper.

Time

I plan to water the dirt for one week so digging can be easier.

peacemaker92

Looks like you have everything planned! I'm sure you'll have a great pond!

Time

Hahah yeah someday when I have a spare 100$.