Koi Care Basics Blog

Which Koi pond liners  are better;  rubber liners or a concrete pond?  Both have advantages and disadvantages.

When a concrete pond is designed and built correctly it can be more permanent. You need to be very careful when designing a concrete pond that you have planned everything properly because once installed it literally is “cast in stone”!

You can form the shape and contours so that they are very smooth and even which is a must to avoid “dead areas” in your Koi pond.

The biggest disadvantage with concrete pond is that because of all the exposed concrete the ph tends to be higher for at least the first three years. There are, however, things that can be done to prevent this.

One way is to let the concrete cure and then coat it with a rubber base paint or epoxy.

A 45 mil rubber liner pond  is not as permanent. Rubber liners also come in a variety of thicknesses, with the thicker liners being more durable but the thinner ones being easier to shape and mold.

This lack of permanence can be a benefit in some situations. If your pond ends up having some design flaws that need changing, or if you need to move or remove the pond, you’ll be glad you’ve chosen a rubber liner.

An additional advantage is that rubber Koi pond liners will maintain a more neutral ph.

Rubber liners also provide a softer surface for your Koi.

A disadvantage of rubber Koi pond liners is that even when the liner  is installed properly you will  still  have some minor folds in the liner. Once you fill your pond these folds will barely be visible.

Another challenge with a rubber lined pond is the rock work around the edges.  If you don’t want the liner to show it will be necessary to camouflage it with rock work and plants.

The challenge is that the rock work will need to extend down into the water but the mortar for the rock work won’t stick to the liner.

Even though a rubber liner is less permanent when it is properly installed it can remain leak free for many years.

Taking into account the pros and cons of each will help you to make your own decision about Koi pond liners!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

In my opinion all Koi ponds should be at least three feet deep and not have any areas of the pond that are less than two feet deep!

All of the sides of the pond should go almost straight down rather than tapering. The pond just won’t be safe for your Koi otherwise. If you have any spots, particularly near the edge of the pond, that are less than two feet deep it is like sending out an open invitation to dinner to all the raccoons and blue heron in the area.

Even if you think you live in a relatively predator-free area you will find out differently if you don’t construct your pond defensively when it comes to depth. You might think your fish are safe if you have built a deep area with a cave for your Koi to hide in, but it will still be no match for the blue heron.

This Koi predator will simply wade out into your pond and wait patiently for the fish to come out of hiding.

It is much more aesthetically pleasing to build your pond properly than to find out later that it’s necessary to cover it with a net. A deep pond with steep sides is the best defense against Koi predators.

Another thing to know about depth is that Koi get the most exercise by swimming up and down in the pond as opposed to back and forth, thus to raise healthy, large Koi three feet deep is just the bare minimum. You might want to include an area up to six feet in depth to provide for plenty of exercise as well as safety.

There is a little room to play with when figuring depths for your Koi pond but make sure you take the forgoing tips seriously when planing your Koi pond design!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

Just how important is shape in your Koi pond design? The answer is that it’s much more important than many people realize.

Sometimes people will get overly creative with the shape of their pond. This creates many problems they don’t realize until it’s too late.

The consequences of some of these rambling designs become noticeable only after the pond is built and filled with water.

They find that it is very difficult and time consuming to keep these types of ponds clean.

Many times the pond is shaped so that it has “dead” areas where  water doesn’t circulate properly. Organic debris such as leaves, twigs and grasses will collect there and eventually sink. Then this debris will begin decomposing at the bottom of the pond.

The bottom contour of the pond is another important part of your Koi pond design. Flat bottom ponds will need frequent vacuuming to keep them clean.

If you want to build a pond that is as “maintenance free” as possible then you need to pay close attention to both the shape of the pond and the inside contour, right from the edge of your pond all the way to the bottom drain.

You want to contour the bottom of the pond so that, through gravity, debris makes it’s way along the bottom towards the drain.

A well designed pond shape and contour can save you many hours of  work and provide a healthier environment for your Koi through proper Koi pond design!

You can find out how to plan for a well designed Koi pond in my Ebook “Koi Care Basics” available at KoiCareBasics.com.

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

When you are deciding about the placement of your Koi pond there are several things to consider.

First, koi ponds do better in a shaded or partially shaded spot than in full sun.

You can place a Koi pond in full sun, but a shadier area will  slow algae growth considerably and helps prevent the water from becoming too hot during the warm summer months.

If you build your pond in a sunny location you might want to consider putting up an arbor or awning to provide your pond with some shade.

Shade also helps with protecting your Koi from predators…it gives them a place to hide. And, believe it or not, Koi can get sunburned so having some shade gives them a place to go to keep out of the direct sunlight!

Leaves from trees near the pond, with the exception of pines, shouldn’t cause problems  if your pond is well designed.  Pine needles can create quite a mess as they can make their way through skimmers and leaf baskets and clog up your pump.

Once you have picked a spot and decided on a shape for your pond you can use a garden hose or rope to outline it’s size and shape.  This will give you some idea of  how the pond will look.

Keep in mind that your new Koi pond will probably be the central feature of your landscaping. Once you have the general outline shape of the pond established you can get a approximate idea of how many gallons it would be by multiplying the average length by the average width by the average depth by 7.5 gallons per cubic foot.

You’ll still have quite a few decisions to make but you’ll have a good starting point!

Happy pond designing!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

One of the most common mistakes people make when designing their first Koi pond is that they plan to build it too small.

The smallest pond I would recommend building is 1500 gallons, which would be approximately 7 feet wide by 8 feet long and 4 feet deep.

This may sound very large to some people, but if you build a pond much smaller than that, you will probably not end up being happy with it.

One of the problems is that Koi fish are extremely addictive and just like with Lay’s potato chips, it is hard to be happy with just a few!

You also need to keep in mind that you may start out with several 6 inch long Koi, but within 3 to 4 years they could grow to be 2 feet long or more.

With very few exceptions, most people end up wishing they had made their first pond bigger.

Bigger isn’t always better though. The largest pond I would recommend building is 15,000 gallons. The dimensions would be approximately 17 feet wide by 21 feet long and 6 feet deep.

A Koi pond design much larger than that can cause you several problems. For example it can become almost impossible to catch one of the fish if you need to.

If it becomes necessary to medicate the pond it will become more expensive the larger your pond gets. In addition, all the water in the pond will need to be filtered at least once every three hours. Operating pumps large enough to get the job done can cost hundreds of dollars per month.

Last, but not least, if you design a pond that is too large you won’t be able to enjoy your Koi as much because the larger the pond the less your fish will be visible.

Make sure to plan your Koi pond design carefully to comfortably accomodate your Koi and please your sense of aesthetics!

You can find more helpful information about Koi pond design in my eBook “Koi Care Basics” found at KoiCareBasics.com

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

What is healthy Koi water? This is an extremely important question because the water quality in your Koi pond is the most important factor affecting the health of your fish.

You can determine if the quality of your pond water is sufficient for your koi if the following criteria are met:

1) The water in your pond is free of chlorine and other chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals, organophosphates, etc.

2) There are undetectable levels of ammonia and nitrite in your pond.

3) Water hardness, pH level, and temperature are correct.

4) There are low levels of particulate organic compounds (POC) and dissolved organic compounds (DOC) in your pond and…

5) Your Koi water stays consistent in it’s stability.

If you use tap water in your pond it has probably been treated with chlorine. Chlorine can be fatal to your Koi. One way to make it safe is by “aging” chlorinated water before placing your Koi in it. How long is long enough? Make sure you wait AT LEAST 24 hours before placing your Koi in tap water.

If you use subsequent additions of tap water in your pond make sure that the amount is a small percentage of the total volume of pond water. Also be sure to test for chlorine levels after each addition.

The next deadliest contaminant in your Koi water would be ammonia. You always have to be careful of ammonia because the main source of the ammonia in your pond is your Koi themselves! Fortunately ammonia can be broken down into it’s less harmful components through the process of biological filtration.

Since certain types of beneficial bacteria break down the ammonia, the highest risk for ammonia contamination is in newer ponds. This is due to the fact that they haven’t yet developed large enough colonies to neutralize the ammonia.

Since the danger from ammonia in new ponds is so serious I recommend that you check ammonia levels every day until they stabilize and make frequent Koi water changes, even daily if necessary. Once your ammonia readings stabilize you will be able to relax a bit!

An acceptable level of ammonia in your pond is actually ZERO!

Even very low ammonia levels (<.1mg./liter) are extremely irritating to Koi fish, especially to their gills, and higher levels can lead to skin and gill hyperplasia. In gill hyperplasia the secondary gill lamellae become swollen leading to breathing difficulties. Serious gill disease and death occur when high levels of ammonia contamination are reached.

As you can see, even in the case of just these two factors of  water quality it is essential that you monitor and maintain your pond so that your fish have healthy Koi water!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com