Koi Keeping and Husbandry

You need to think about where you want to place your pond. It needs to be close to electricity for your pumps and maybe a heater in the winter. You don’t want too much sunlight because it will heat the water too much. Shade is good, but then you have to deal with leaves from the trees and tree roots growing into your pond.You can use goldfish or koi for your pond. Koi can grow to be 3 feet long, so if you have a small pond you should go with goldfish. Both fish are very hardy and beautiful.

The pond needs to be deep enough to protect the fish. It needs to be deep enough so your fish don’t freeze in the winter and it needs to protect the fish from predators.

You also need some type of ledges and or plants to help provide your fish shelter. Do a little research to figure out what type of plants are best for your area.

Ponds can be built with several types of materials. Concrete can be expensive and you have to test the water because of the lime in concrete. Premolded liners are fast and easy to set up, but are usually too small for koi. Flexible liners are great for different pond designs. It can be a lot of work and it will tear. Rubber liner comes in sheets and is made specifically for pond use. It can also last up to 20 years.

Get your hole dug before you go to get your liner. This way you can be sure that you get enough liner. It wouldn’t hurt to buy a little extra, you can always take it back.

The fun part is decorating your pond. You can do lots of different things. Some examples are islands, terraces, waterfalls, fountains, plants and lights.

You really need to add plants to help condition the water and to give a place for your fish to hide. There are several different types of plants, floating, shallow, and submerged. Will the floating plants you need to be careful so the fish don’t eat them.

Things You Must Know before Building Your Koi Fish pond. Tips that could Save You From Making Costly Mistakes!