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Koi are the beautiful Japanese fish that have been around for centuries. They are graceful creatures that live in ponds and other water formations and are highly prized for their size and colors.  There are any varieties of Koi and many of these grow up to more than a meter long and live up to several decades.

Some people build their own koi ponds and fountains to suit their preferences while others employ the help of experts in making their koi ponds and fountains. The best thing to do if to study the fish first and their habitats and preferences before embarking on a do it yourself dilemma that can be left hanging or could cost you some money just because of your spur of the moment decision. Koi are sensitive fish that need care and attention so make sure you have the time to do this. Koi ponds and fountains will also need care and attention.

Building Koi Ponds and Fountains

The first thing to do when thinking of building koi ponds and fountains is to look for the right location. You must remember that koi do not like direct sunlight and ponds under direct sunlight also gather more moss. This competes with the koi for oxygen in the water so it is better to have a shady area for the pond or to put water lilies with big leaves floating on the water to ensure shade.

You must also consider a water filter unit and a good aeration unit for the pond. Man made ponds and pools need to be aerated artificially to sustain the fish. Koi ponds and fountains need a good water pump to keep the water moving sufficiently enough to have no stagnant water.

One thing to keep in mind when building Koi ponds and fountains is that Koi can grow rather large and you must give a great margin for their growth especially if you intend to keep them for a long time. Each Koi can grow up to a meter long and live up to more than 50 years.

Regularly check the chlorine of the water in the pond since this is dangerous to fish and so are other chemicals and elements in the water. Koi ponds and fountains are very attractive to fishing birds so it is best to make the pond a little deeper than what wading birds can stand up in. Herons and egrets can eat a lot of koi in one sitting so it is best to safeguard from them.

Lining a Pond

One of the most crucial aspects of constructing your pond is ensuring that you have enough pond lining. Having too little pond liner will mean a sudden rethink in the size of your pond or, worse still, will give you a pond is that is only watertight some of the time.

When measuring your pond you need to consider not just the length and width that you pond will take on the ground, but also the depth of the pond into the ground i.e. you need to know the pond’s volume.

A good rule of thumb is to measure your pond and then add a couple of feet to both measurements. This will allow your rubber pond liner to sit slightly proud of your hole in the ground ensuring that your pond is fully watertight and that your pond water does not seep away.

Pond Filtration

Another essential part of building a pond is a good filtration system. If you look for pond filters on the net you will find a good selection to choose from.

But what is it you need out of a filtration system? To achieve an efficient biological surface you need to ensure the water that enters the filtration is rich in oxygen. This helps the friendly bacteria to oxidise the waste products through the nitrogen cycle. This is called aerobic filtration. Filter systems must fulfil the following criteria:

• The filter volume should be at minimal 10% of the ponds volume.
• You should be aiming to turn over at least half the ponds volume once per hour.
• The filter should have several chambers which can be which can be kept separate and emptied individually when cleaning. And a vortex should be included.
• The biological surface area should be at least one square metre per ten cubic metres of pond water.
• An ultra violet clarifier should be installed to eliminate single celled algae, which causes green water.

There are two main types of filtration. The first type of filter is where the water is removed from the pond via a bottom drain and is called a gravity feed. Gravity then forces it through the filter which is sited buried in the ground close to your pond so that the water level in both your filtration and pond are the same. The water is then returned to the pond via a dry sited pond pump through an outlet in the side wall of the pond below the waterline. Because the biological surfaces will have depleted the oxygen during oxidisation of the waste products it is important at this stage to use a venturi on the outlet to oxygenate the returned water.

The second main filtration type and probably the more familiar is a pressurised feed filter. This involves an internal solid handling pump at the deepest part of the pond pumping water through a flexible pipe up to the filter which is sited above the surface level of the pond, which allows the water to return by the forces of gravity.

Water Pumps

Without a good pond pump, a water garden is at the mercy of bacteria, lack of oxygen, and the settling of dirt and debris. In circulating and oxygenating water continuouslyd a dependable pond pump can do wonders for maintaining a healthy environment and balanced ecosystem in your garden pond. The water pump also plays an important role in safety by helping to prevent unwanted pests from breeding and infesting the area. You can find a wide variety of pond pumps to fit every small pond application from good aquatic and water garden retailers.

If you are serious about having a garden pond whether its for wild life or koi, have a look round for pond and aquatics retailers that not only sell you the product but also provide good advice and after sales assistance.

Image via WikipediaPerhaps one of the reasons you bought your property is that it had a pond.  Investing in property with water is always a wise investment, as water is more precious than oil or gold in survival.  Backyard ponds can be fun for the whole family, if you take the time to maintain your pond.

First Off

The water in backyard ponds can’t be kept still.  This will kill off any valuable nutrients in the water and encourage the growth of algae slime and biting insects.  By keeping the water moving, even for half the day, you can keep the water from becoming a nursery for insects and green slime.  Stagnant water also tends to have an offensive stench to it which moving water does not.

Naturally, the water in backyard ponds are kept moving because they are connected to an underground or above ground creek, stream or river.  But because of overdevelopment and human overpopulation, the odds are that many backyard ponds have been cut off from their lifeline.  You need to revive your pond again by installing a filter and pump to keep the water moving.  There are even solar powered pond filters available!

You also need to be sure that the water in your backyard ponds are not getting too much sunlight or nutrients which can unbalance the chemistry of the water and make it nasty.  If there are many trees or plants dropping leaves into the water, consider trimming back the plants.  If too much sun is the problem, you can get a tarp to cover the pond from the worst of the sun and take it off at night.

Let The Games Begin

Now that the water is healthy, here are some game games you can play with backyard ponds:

The Duck Pond Game:  Get a whole bunch of rubber ducks or floating bathtub toys and mark the bottom so you can tell them apart.  Everyone chooses a duck/toy.  Gather them up at one end of the pond and let them go!  The first duck to get to the other side wins.

Duck Bingo:  This is with real ducks.  You can’t touch the ducks.  You section the land around the pond of into a bingo grid.  If the real duck poops in your pre-picked square, you’ve won.

As The Pond Water Turns:  You go sit and watch the activity around backyard ponds.  You pretend it’s a soap opera and make up impossible situations suggested by any plant, ripple or wildlife activity on the pond.  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!