Building a Koi Pond
I want to talk about what I know about building a Koi pond. I built a beautiful pond that has crystal clear water and that is what you should have if you want to really enjoy your fish.
I first thing you should think about is how big you want your fish to get. That makes a difference in your size of the pond. If it is very small, the fish will only get so big. Now that you have figured that out, you can choose a location. I chose a location in my terraced back yard. I put the pond on one level and the drain on another level.
My Son and I dug out the area in a rectangular shape 15' by 10' . We chose to dig it by hand for the exercise and to help with the cost. I will not fool you, it was a lot of work. Because the hole was that size, we dug it out to 6' deep, making three basin shaped bottoms in the dirt. This was because we would end up with a place for the waste to settle close to the three drains being installed later. You have to dig out a ditch in the bottom to install your plumbing.
You have to install a flushing tank for the water to flush into when you flush your pond. You will need to clean it once a week or so. Now you want to dig a ditch from the pond bottom to the flushing tank. While you have the shovel in hand, you should dig a small ditch to run some one inch pluming for circulating the water through you filtering system. That should take care of the digging part almost.
Now you want to get some 3" pvc schedule 40 to install the drains. You will also need the drain screens for the bottom three pans you shaped out. You should run a drain from the bottom of each basin to the flushing tank which has to be at a lower level than the bottom of the fish pond. I had a terraced yard, so that was not a problem. Otherwise, I could have used a pump to move the water into the flushing area or tank. After you have installed the pluming, you should pack dirt back in around your pluming. Don't forget to raise your drains off the bottom enough to allow for the cement you are going to pour later. Now you should install the 1' pvc in the ditch for circulating the water through the filtering system we will build later. You also need to install a ' pipe to the water source so you can add water to the system as needed. So go ahead and fill your ditch to the flushing tank and the one to the inlet/outlet water supply.
The next thing would be to get some rod iron and reinforce the area where your are going cover with cement. This is very important, so don't skimp with the rod iron. You especially don't want the iron to poke through the surface of the cement. That would turn out to look very bad…Now it is time to hire some cement finishers and a pump truck to shoot the cement all in place. You will need some barriers to stop the cement from going where you don't need it. After the cement finishers are finished smoothing the cement and they have it formed around your drains for a smooth drain system, and the curb around the top for what ever look you would like, you let it set until it start to looks like it may be starting to dry a little. Now you fill it to the level you can covering as much cement as possible, that will keep the cement from cracking while it cures. Take a break you have worked pretty hard up to this point.
While the cement was curing on the pond, I am stubbing up the 3' pvc into the bottom of the form where I am getting ready to pour a small slab for my 2' by 4' by 4' tall flushing tank. I can now build the walls of cinder blocks and line them with some waterproofing paint . All this is so I can catch the water and place it around on the lawn and trees, where I need it and when I need it.. Install a hose bib and ' pipe towards the bottom of the tank for draining the water and waste. It is great for the trees and yard.
It is time to take the 1' pvc pipe you brought out of the pond to filter the water to another water tank built of cinder block . Should be large enough to accommodate the pond volume of water. Use a fine screen in the bottom of the filter and then bring a return pipe of clean water back to the pond from the bottom of the tank. On top of the fine screen you fill the tank with pea gravel letting the water from the pond to drop on to the top of the filter. The pipe from the pond has to be pumped to the filter. I stuck an infrared light in the line to kill all the alga in the water where by making the water crystal clear. Every three months You should clean all this out of the tank and clean the pea gravel and screen and put make into the filter tank. On my pond I stuck a water fall in the return system to the pond for attraction.
Don't forget that the water source pipe to the pond for filling the pond as it evaporates down. You should also have shade for your Koi. Yes they will get sunburned. I didn't like plants in the pond because it was easier to keep clean, plus I enjoyed watching the fish to much'
It is a good idea to have the water source pipe to dump into the pond above the water level in the pond. That way you can tell when you can have running water.
Well that is it. You should be able to build a Koi pond now. Until next time I will be telling you about installing four levels of terraces with flagstone. For more ideas on how to build a koi pond:
I want to talk about what I know about building a Koi pond. I built a beautiful pond that has crystal clear water and that is what you should have if you want to really enjoy your fish.
I first thing you should think about is how big you want your fish to get. That makes a difference in your size of the pond. If it is very small, the fish will only get so big. Now that you have figured that out, you can choose a location. I chose a location in my terraced back yard. I put the pond on one level and the drain on another level.
My Son and I dug out the area in a rectangular shape 15' by 10' . We chose to dig it by hand for the exercise and to help with the cost. I will not fool you, it was a lot of work. Because the hole was that size, we dug it out to 6' deep, making three basin shaped bottoms in the dirt. This was because we would end up with a place for the waste to settle close to the three drains being installed later. You have to dig out a ditch in the bottom to install your plumbing.
You have to install a flushing tank for the water to flush into when you flush your pond. You will need to clean it once a week or so. Now you want to dig a ditch from the pond bottom to the flushing tank. While you have the shovel in hand, you should dig a small ditch to run some one inch pluming for circulating the water through you filtering system. That should take care of the digging part almost.
Now you want to get some 3" pvc schedule 40 to install the drains. You will also need the drain screens for the bottom three pans you shaped out. You should run a drain from the bottom of each basin to the flushing tank which has to be at a lower level than the bottom of the fish pond. I had a terraced yard, so that was not a problem. Otherwise, I could have used a pump to move the water into the flushing area or tank. After you have installed the pluming, you should pack dirt back in around your pluming. Don't forget to raise your drains off the bottom enough to allow for the cement you are going to pour later. Now you should install the 1' pvc in the ditch for circulating the water through the filtering system we will build later. You also need to install a ' pipe to the water source so you can add water to the system as needed. So go ahead and fill your ditch to the flushing tank and the one to the inlet/outlet water supply.
The next thing would be to get some rod iron and reinforce the area where your are going cover with cement. This is very important, so don't skimp with the rod iron. You especially don't want the iron to poke through the surface of the cement. That would turn out to look very bad…Now it is time to hire some cement finishers and a pump truck to shoot the cement all in place. You will need some barriers to stop the cement from going where you don't need it. After the cement finishers are finished smoothing the cement and they have it formed around your drains for a smooth drain system, and the curb around the top for what ever look you would like, you let it set until it start to looks like it may be starting to dry a little. Now you fill it to the level you can covering as much cement as possible, that will keep the cement from cracking while it cures. Take a break you have worked pretty hard up to this point.
While the cement was curing on the pond, I am stubbing up the 3' pvc into the bottom of the form where I am getting ready to pour a small slab for my 2' by 4' by 4' tall flushing tank. I can now build the walls of cinder blocks and line them with some waterproofing paint . All this is so I can catch the water and place it around on the lawn and trees, where I need it and when I need it.. Install a hose bib and ' pipe towards the bottom of the tank for draining the water and waste. It is great for the trees and yard.
It is time to take the 1' pvc pipe you brought out of the pond to filter the water to another water tank built of cinder block . Should be large enough to accommodate the pond volume of water. Use a fine screen in the bottom of the filter and then bring a return pipe of clean water back to the pond from the bottom of the tank. On top of the fine screen you fill the tank with pea gravel letting the water from the pond to drop on to the top of the filter. The pipe from the pond has to be pumped to the filter. I stuck an infrared light in the line to kill all the alga in the water where by making the water crystal clear. Every three months You should clean all this out of the tank and clean the pea gravel and screen and put make into the filter tank. On my pond I stuck a water fall in the return system to the pond for attraction.
Don't forget that the water source pipe to the pond for filling the pond as it evaporates down. You should also have shade for your Koi. Yes they will get sunburned. I didn't like plants in the pond because it was easier to keep clean, plus I enjoyed watching the fish to much'
It is a good idea to have the water source pipe to dump into the pond above the water level in the pond. That way you can tell when you can have running water.
Well that is it. You should be able to build a Koi pond now. Until next time I will be telling you about installing four levels of terraces with flagstone. For more ideas on how to build a koi pond: