Best Substrate For Pond?

I was thinking about doing a sand substrate, the caribsea, but I recently noticed a dirt substrate... I want to lighten the bottom of my koi pond but that would be more reasonable with effectively keeping it clean.. I just recently changed out ponds to a larger one because I have 2 butterfly koi and 1 regular goldfish and wanted to get a jump start on getting it larger for them to be happier. Now I need to decide on substrate, bog plants, and I'm going to have to reconstruct the entire thing once I till and add better soil since mine is clay and it hold water so when it rains it generally messes all my hard work up regardless of how ocd I am and leveled it might be. I can not wait till summer this year!

Open to any and all recommendations!! its bare right now and its going to require ALOT more work but I found a beautiful butterfly koi ( never got it ) and felt if I was going to purchase anything else I would need to need a larger pond. (125 gal) I really like it neat and tidy. not a full water coverage lover either I was thinking cat tails. and maybe attempting elephant ears in pots(Because those are pest plants in my opinion) so they have more shade.

^^^^ this is the first set up which because my clay is awful would flip and I would come home to barely any water due to it was underneath the pond!



^^ Current set up.

 

It's looking good I like the planting
I just used pea gravel for the bottom when I had a pond, any planting I did was in baskets & covered the dirt with more gravel, goldfish & koi will uproot any plants if they aren't well secured.

 

Thank you! It's been a ton of work and process and so much more to go. This final uphaul should be that last on the removing of the pond to make sure the ground is aerated properly. Did you have a hard time keeping it clean and clear? As of right now I have no substrate which I kno isn't ideal I did in the 1st set up and as we all know koi are messy and now without a substrate it's actually staying clear and beautiful. I'm researching different type of bog plants for this year as I tried to make it more leafy with plants last in the old set up and of course they destroyed it should have known better but I tried. I was thinking elephant ears but now I'm thinking cat tails.. plants are the hardest choice in any setup aquarium,pond, or garden for me.

 

I'm sorry to say I gave up on mine after a few years, I just didn't have the time it needed to keep it looking good

 

That's what my fiancé wants me to do but it's such a large area and this is the pic of last year but I wouldn't know what to fill this with and it not look tacky. Plus love opening my windows in the summer and listening to the water splatter


I also love watching my butterfly koi swim in the water they are so gorgeous and elegant little creatures.

 

I just have bare bottom on my ponds. I don't have any bottom dwelling fish that need a particular substrate. Bare bottom is easier to keep clean and you can't see the substrate anyway. I put the plants in pots. How big is your new pond?

 

125 gallon. Which plants have you found to work best? The first set up with all the flowers that looks decent was only a 50 gallon which was entirely way to small for 2 butterfly koi they were babies but they will grow and I know the 125 gallon will be to small for permanent residence but for now it will do.

 

Unfortunately I have no idea what the plants are called apart from the duckweed. One was sold as an "oxygenating pond plant" and it has grown like crazy. Many of my plants have been given to me by my grandparents from their pond.

 

I seem to have the worst luck with pond plants!! I spent a fortune one year on basket plants only to have them tip over spill the dirt and gravel into the pond. Unfortunately, that became my substrate!! I have had my current pond up and running for about 5 years. Even though I am in WI, I keep my fish outside all year long. I have had the best luck with 2 water lillies from Menards!! They came in a mesh bag and I am not sure how I planted them in the pond at the time. The past 2 years or so, they just grow like crazy. I have no idea exactly where they are, they over-winter and just come back. The flowers are eye catching and it's always fun to see a few frogs enjoying the summer on a big lily leaf!

I do still seasonally buy water hyacinths and parrot feathers. The hyacinths multiply quickly and just float on the water. The Parrot's feather I just put under a rock and it seems to grow quickly as well.

Good luck...your pond is beautiful!!!

 

Thank you! I'm thinking about trying cat tails and some potted elephant ears. Hope it works well