Yay, probably building a koi stream/pond!

[Goldfish loach boy]

Ok, as you can see in the picture, this is my description of my koi tank, I want a circular stream that is 9 feet in diameter, and the little pond will be five feet in diameter, with two little side streams connecting the pond to the stream, is this a good amount of space? As I said this is barely a beginning, I don't know how much to dig, and if I need to line the dirt walls with cement, also how deep should the pond and stream be, do I need to put some sort of heater, some sort of device to keep the water circulating, a filter, I don't know anything about koi ponds/streams, so I really need to know how to make one myself, also do I need to bring them in during the winter? Do I have to do partial water changes weekly, I need to know everithing! Also, how many koi can go in there, I am thinking maybe 6-10
Thanks for anything you got
Also, that green thing in the middle is a tree, it is going to go around the tree

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Anyone have kois, I live in el paso Texas, 105 degree summers, -28 winters, does that make a difference with how much I have to dig?

 

[Alyxx]

Looks cool! No pond experience though, so I can't help with the details. Always wanted a pond. Don't think you need to line with concrete, though. Plastic pond liner should do.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Ok, I'll check out petsmart for that plastic liner
I hope you don't need any type of filtration or anything, I can probably change the water twice a week so

 

[Alyxx]

Ok, I'll check out petsmart for that plastic liner
I hope you don't need any type of filtration or anything, I can probably change the water twice a week so

With a pond you don't do water changes, but you need filtration and water movement. You can set up filtration with just plants, though. Called a bog filter. I know rivercats and sharpchick are two members here with koi/goldfish ponds and they are both super helpful. You might want to send them pms if they don't stumble onto this thread soon!

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Ok, thanks for that, I'll ask, thank you, I'll update to what has been going on, thank you

 

[Alyxx]

No problem. I've been wanting a pond since I was like 12, but I've never had one. Mom didn't want me building one then having to leave her to maintain it when I left for college, and I'm still renting for now so I won't get a chance to have one until I can buy a home of my own. The ironic thing is my mom started thinking about having me help put one in at her place AFTER I moved out. She has put that idea on the back burner for now, though.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Hah, I was afraid a bout asking my parents for one, but my dad was the one who actually drew the blueprint, and my mom thought it was a pretty good idea, but I don't want it to be too expensive, I think maybe one of those bog filters would be cheaper

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

I thInk that I'm substituting the koi for shubunkin and sarasa goldfish as the pond is only
Going to be like 400 gallons, so that is better suited for these goldfish

 

[Alyxx]

Hah, I was afraid a bout asking my parents for one, but my dad was the one who actually drew the blueprint, and my mom thought it was a pretty good idea, but I don't want it to be too expensive, I think maybe one of those bog filters would be cheaper

Yeah, the only expensive parts should be the water pumps. Gotta keep that water moving. Also, if you make the pond just a little deeper and the streams a little wider you could increase the gallonage a lot. Also, if I remember correctly from all the research I did when I was trying to talk my mom into one it should be at least 3' deep to help them avoid predators and to allow them to survive over winter if it freezes over.

Also, with the stream design you may need additional pumps to keep water moving through the streams - although probably less strong than in the main filter. A raised tub if some sort at the end of the pond part with a waterfall into the pond would probably be a nice place for the bog filter. Just plant the tub heavily. Plants throughout the pond will help keep waste in check, too.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

How do these water pumps look like
How do I make a waterfall, can I just recycle the water in the tank
Also, how do I make a big filter

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Also, what type of plants can I use, anacharis, amazon sword?

 

[Alyxx]

How do these water pumps look like
How do I make a waterfall, can I just recycle the water in the tank
Also, how do I make a big filter

The pond experts will be more helpful with these questions. And the waterfall is achieved by pumping the water up into the barrel or whatever and giving it a place to overflow essentially.

 

[jlk]

With a pond you don't do water changes, but you need filtration and water movement. You can set up filtration with just plants, though. Called a bog filter. I know rivercats and sharpchick are two members here with koi/goldfish ponds and they are both super helpful. You might want to send them pms if they don't stumble onto this thread soon!

Actually, manmade ponds require water changes just the same as tanks. Especially with small ponds such as a the one under consideration here. An acre pond fed by a natural spring is a completely different story. Filtration is a must as well. With temps in your area, you will need to have sufficient depth to help regulate pond temps to keep from cooking your fish and lots of shade.

 

[Alyxx]

Actually, manmade ponds require water changes just the same as tanks. Especially with small ponds such as a the one under consideration here. An acre pond fed by a natural spring is a completely different story. Filtration is a must as well. With temps in your area, you will need to have sufficient depth to help regulate pond temps to keep from cooking your fish and lots of shade.

I had just read in someone else's thread that water changes were only done a couple times a year, and that they only added water wheb rainfall didn't keep the pond full. Sorry for the wrong info!

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Actually, manmade ponds require water changes just the same as tanks. Especially with small ponds such as a the one under consideration here. An acre pond fed by a natural spring is a completely different story. Filtration is a must as well. With temps in your area, you will need to have sufficient depth to help regulate pond temps to keep from cooking your fish and lots of shade.

Ok, I'll see about the water changes
The tree that the pond is next to and also the stream, the tree will make the Sade for the water

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

Ok, I'll have to do some research as long as water changes are concerned
Thank you

 

[jlk]

Your going to have an extremely difficult time digging ANYTHING next to a tree. Even 10+ft away from a tree. If you start cutting the roots, you will likely kill it.

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

We have dug nest to the tree to put the grass in, we dug about two feet and we didn't run into any roots

 

[Sharpchick]

I haven't done any water changes to date on my new pond, but I have bailed water from some really soaking (and several days long) rains we've had lately from the pond due to overflow. When I tested yesterday, there was no detectable ammonia. Ponds of sufficient size cycle more quickly than contained fish tanks, as long as there is sufficient flow of water. For a pond, you should filter at least twice the volume of the pond hourly.

My pond is a 275 gallon stock tank, with a 60 gallon bog filter. It has 6 fancy goldfish in it, so you can see I am very understocked, but I am going to keep it that way. There are no plans to add more fish.

Pond plants I have are typical stems, i.e., anacharis, cabomba, hornwort, fully submerged to the bottom. A lily and lotus on concrete block risers, and an assortment of floating plants including water lettuce, salvinia minima, frogbit.

Since you are digging your pond, you'd also want to plant some marginal plants alongside it. This website has a brief description of the use of marginals (and I have not ever bought anything from this vendor, it was just the first site brought up in my Google search).

Digging right under a tree is not something I'd do, but not for the issue of tree roots. You also will have a real chore keeping leaves and other debris out of the pond. Most pond plants need about 6 hours a day of light.

My pond is under some trees, but the canopy is at least 30 feet high.

I've said all of the above assuming you have a source of electricity close enough to your pond.