A fish Koi pond is a permanent thing.  Technically you can move and change them once they are built but it is going to cost you a lot of money to do so.  The best way to succeed is to make sure things are done right the first time.  Below you’ll find some quick and dirty, no-nonsense tips that I wish I had been given before I ever started keeping Koi.

1)    Contact a professional pond builder.  You may be tempted to cut corners and build the pond yourself but Koi ponds are not swimming pools.  If your design is off, even a little, your pond will give you more headaches than joy.  Imaging paying for the supplies and equipment, spending a week or more building a pond, days filling it and checking the pH, balancing the biologics and only then discovering that the pond is leaking and your surrounding lawn has turned into swampland.

2)    Be wary of builders offering unbelievably low rates. Check around with a couple professionals.  Building a fish Koi pond isn’t cheap and if one contractor offers you a much lower rate you have to wonder why. Cutting corners in construction always leads to headaches in the future.

3)    Bottom drains are essential. Building a pond without a bottom drain is sort of like painting yourself into a corner or building a room with no door.  It will be incredibly difficult to properly care for your pond without a bottom drain.  It’s a simple step that many people who attempt to build ponds themselves simply forget.

4)    Consulting an architect is not necessary but can save you a considerable amount of time and effort (and even money) in the long run.  Because Koi ponds are such a large architectural feature, it makes sense to consult with a professional before installing one.  When we take on things ourselves, sometimes the results aren’t the best.  Have you ever tried to change your own oil without ever having held a wrench or bake a cake if you’ve never even turned on the oven?

5)    Listen to the pros when they say you should and shouldn’t do something.  Though the ultimate decision about your pond’s size, shape, location, and contents are up to you, a professional builder who has constructed ponds before will have a better understanding of what will work and what won’t.  It’s wise to let them overrule your decisions when you truly are unsure.

6)    Search out others like yourself.  You’d be surprised how many communities already contain Koi enthusiasts.  By finding groups of people who are already keeping Koi, you can learn directly from them and hopefully avoid the pitfalls they succumbed to.  If possible, ask them if you could visit their ponds.  Seeing one in a magazine is one thing, seeing one first hand and being able to ask its creator questions is quite another.

Design elements to consider before ever breaking ground

Below are a few essential qualities you must fully consider before ever putting a spade in the ground.  Most of these topics are covered in more detail in further articles and this is meant as a general overview, not a complete guide.

·       Location – to ensure your fish Koi pond will not only be healthy but also enjoyable, consider the placement of the pond on your property.  Are there any elements of your landscaping (foreign plants, flowers, etc) that may harm the fish?  Are there environmental considerations (such as sunlight strength or shading) that will make one position better than another?  Would your pond be more suited to your needs at ground level or raised up?  Lastly, don’t forget to place your pond where you can see your Koi.  There’s no point in having a pond if it’s going to be somewhere you’ll not see it every day. 

·       Size –The size of a fish Koi pond dictates the number of fish you can keep in it, the type and amount of equipment you’ll need in order to keep it clean and healthy, the amount of vegetation you can plant in it, and the amount of food and chemicals you will need to purchase.  Oftentimes size is also partially dictated by location.  Consider all of your criteria and don’t make your pond too big or too small.

·       Depth – Koi grow to be big fish.  Deep ponds are better (at least 1.5 meters) but much deeper than that and you may not be able to enjoy your fish as they rest on the bottom.  Though the depth of your pond can be directly related to location as well, the most important consideration when choosing the depth of your pond is the health of your Koi.

·       Fiber glassed – Fiber glassing is one method of maintaining your Koi ponds longevity but there are others.  If you’re aiming for a more natural, Zen-like feel you may choose not to fiberglass.  Consult a professional fish Koi pond builder before you make any decisions.  They will be able to help you choose the best options for your pond.

·       Architectural aesthetics and structure – Architects can create some truly breath-taking designs and achieve results that you just wouldn’t be able to yourself.  However, there’s one important thing to remember when dealing with an architect:  they are not Koi pond builders.

·       Koi-friendly environment – Related to the last point of consideration, make sure your pond is Koi-friendly.  There’s no point in having a beautiful pond that’s built to stand the test of time if all it is going to do is kill your Koi.  Always have your pond design Okayed by a professional Koi pond builder.  Architects can build some beautiful ponds but may not understand the biological requirements of the fish you intend to place in them.