Koi Fish Ponds

Aquariums and fish ponds have been used for hundreds of years to relieve stress and provide entertainment for people all over the world. It’s a fact that no one can resist watching fish swimming about in a pool of water. Add the sound of running water and the light splash of a fish every now and then when it breaks the surface and you have a real stress reducing environment.  Then you realize why a koi pond is used to help people relax and relieve stress. 

We might want a pond, but most of us have no clue about how to build a fish pond or maintain one.

Koi and goldfish are popular for outdoor pools because they’re graceful, grow very large and can live a very long time.  Their size and health depends a lot on how much space they have and the quality of the water they live in. Each fish should have about three hundred gallons or more in the pond (at least, that is what the experts recommend).

Koi and most goldfish are cold water fish and like cooler water temperatures  between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.  This makes this type of fish ideal for an outdoor pond in cooler climates and you should be able to enjoy a pond with koi fish all year round.

Foliage and plants will make your fish pond even more gorgeous and interesting to look but, choose a variety of plants to add color and shape.  Lilies are a good water plants to start with.   They grow fast, help  give your koi cover and shade and in addition, these plants help reduce the amount of algae in the water.

Considerations about koi ponds

1.  Koi  and other fish need very little exposure to direct sunlight.  Plants in and around the pond will provide shade and help with keep them from being over exposed to the sun.

2. Fish are omnivorous and will eat almost anything including insects and larva they find in plants (and sometimes, the plants themselves).  You can feed them any kind of meat and vegetables but you may have to find some ways to protect your plants from the fish.

3.  Another way to shade your pond is to build build it under overhanging trees where it will receive plenty of shade.  The downside is that it will be littered with leaves, twigs and needles that have to be removed.

Final thoughts about koi ponds

If you are planning on building a koi or fish pond, think about how deep you want the water.  The pond has to be deep enough to provide protection from outside predators and cold weather. 

Make your fish pond at least four feet deep to give your fish protection from the sun and more room to swim.  This will also keep the raccoons and other predators away from the fish.  However, if four feet is not doable, then some other way, such as a fence or net over the pond, can be used to keep predators away.

Building a pond is not difficult, might be a little time consuming and it’s easy to let your imagination to run wild when you start planning it.  Look at the size of your yard, decide how much money you’re willing to spend and build a pond to your specifications.  The only real requirement is to make it flow nicely in your yard and compliment your landscape.

Buying or building a koi pond can be a huge undertaking for most people. Getting good information is the first step toward having a great Koi fish pond. Take a look at “How To Build A Fish Pond” and then you need to get a copy of  “The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Healthy Koi” to find out how to build a pond from an expert.

CLICK HERE to get more information and your own copy of this unique book.