July
2009
Koi Pond Building
The location of your pond is very important. It needs to be close to the house for electricity. It also needs to be out of direct sunlight, so the water doesn’t get too hot. The shade is good, but then you have leaves and roots to deal with too.
Do you want goldfish or koi? Koi are very beautiful and hardy. However they can grow to be three feet in length. This is important to consider. If you want a small pond you should probably go with the goldfish.
The pond should be deep enough to protect your fish from predators and protect them in the winter time. It also should allow them plenty of room to swim.
You need to figure out some type of shelter for your fish. You can build a ledger and add as many plants as you want to give them a place to hide.
Ponds can be built with several types of materials. Concrete can be expensive and you have to test the water because of the lime in concrete. Premolded liners are fast and easy to set up, but are usually too small for koi. Flexible liners are great for different pond designs. It can be a lot of work and it will tear. Rubber liner comes in sheets and is made specifically for pond use. It can also last up to 20 years.
Get your hole dug before you go to get your liner. This way you can be sure that you get enough liner. It wouldn’t hurt to buy a little extra, you can always take it back.
Decorating your pond is where you can make it your own. You have alot of different options. You can do an island, waterfall, fountains, plants and even lights.
You really need to add plants to help condition the water and to give a place for your fish to hide. There are several different types of plants, floating, shallow, and submerged. Will the floating plants you need to be careful so the fish don’t eat them.