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

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