Bought a House with a Koi Pond. What Next?
More Top Pond Keeping Tips: Click image right for UK pond products. The maximum flow through a normal gravity (box type) biofilter is governed by the size of the outlet pipe from the box. Try to pump too much into the filter and you risk pumping your pond completely dry. For this reason it is a good idea to place a filter in a position such that should the gravity filter overflow because of a blockage in the system outlet then water will at least drain back into the pond. This way the water might be muddy as it goes back into the pond but at least the fish will survive. This is a real risk if transparent piping is used on filter outlet since this type of clear pipe can become blocked with green algae.
Starting Out with a Pond
Many koi and gold fish enthusiasts don’t set out with koi keeping in mind. Rather, the enjoyment of keeping a koi pond falls into their laps when they move into a new house that comes with a fishpond.
Many fish lovers never realized just how much they could enjoy koi and goldfish until they inherited a new pond, but once they realized just how much fun it was they never looked back.
So what to do if you inherit a fishpond?
Well, you could of course just fill it in, but that is quite wasteful.
Instead, why not keep the koi pond and try and have some fun with it?
There are numerous reasons for doing so.
Nothing can enhance the beauty of your garden quite like a fishpond does.
The first thing you need to do upon inheriting a koi pond is carry out an audit of it to see what kind of work it needs, if any.
Don’t worry too much about your first impressions.
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Renovating your New Pond
Dirty pond water and overgrown weeds may belie the fact that the pond is in fact in very good condition Firstly, you need to ascertain the type of new pond you have; it will be either liner, preformed or concrete. Next, you need to check on the integrity of the fishpond’s membrane, as this is the deciding factor in how much work might be needed to restore it to a condition you can be proud of. Fill the pond up to the top, and then monitor the water level for the next day or so to see if it drops at all. This will let you know if there are any leaks that need repairing, and at what height the leak is (the water will stop leaking once its level drops below it).
Types of Koi Ponds
As mentioned above, there are three kinds of pond. Liner ponds are the most delicate, and you will need to check that the liner is intact as these can easily be damaged, especially if they are old. Concrete ponds, while certainly a lot more durable than liner ponds, can succumb to cracks and flaking as a result of extreme weather conditions, so you will need to check for this. Performed fiber glass koi ponds on the other hand, are almost certainly going to be in good condition as they are extremely durable and UV resistant.
Reinventing your Koi Pond
Once you have ascertained the state of the pond, and taken into account any fish, pond equipment, plants and rockwork, you can now set about planning how your new pond is going to look.
- Drain the Fishpond The first thing to do is to drain the fishpond, an essential task before you can start working on it. Once you have taken any fish out, you can use a bucket or a pump to remove the water and silt at the bottom of the pond, followed by any plants. Keep an eye out for any fish hiding in the silt! Once this job is done, the next thing you should do is remove the old liner to check the pond’s structure and also the condition of the liner itself. If it needs replacing, you wil need to measure the length and width of the pond at its greatest extremes and double these measurements to ascertain how big the new liner needs to be.
- Lay a New Liner in your Fishpond Before laying the liner, you should fill in the koi pond with a thin layer of sand to cushion it from any rough edges. Next, choose between a butyl or PVC liner. Don’t rush to fill the pond up right away; it’s best to leave the liner out in the sun for a few hours as this will make it suppler. When you are ready to fill the new pond, you will need to weigh the liner down with some rocks first of all. As it starts filling and begins to sag, take away the rocks and let the liner fall into place, adopting its new shape.
- Install Equipment Once the koi pond has been filled, the next task is to install the essential equipment. You may have inherited some equipment from the old pond, but it’s important to check if its condition is still good or not. Basically, there are three essential things that every pond needs: A submersible pump for circulating the fishpond water, a UV clarifier for filtering out algae and a filter attached to the pump, for collecting debris and providing somewhere for good bacteria to live, which are essential for breaking down the waste produced by fish. If you are worried about your pond’s aesthetics, it’s possible to disguise the filter’s presence by carefully arranging it in amongst fishpond plants. Note that for the pump’s electrical supply, it’s best to obtain professional help with this.
- Introducing the Fish Once you have all the equipment installed, you are finally ready to begin introducing fish to your new pond. First of all you will have to decide upon koi fish or gold fish for your fishpond. Then, begin with just a few small fish at first, and see how they fare in the new pond. Every few days you can add some more fish to your koi pond, but remember that you will need to check the water’s pH balance and make sure it remains neutral. If it doesn’t, then this is a sign that your filter is unable to keep pace with the fish population; therefore it should be bigger. Keep on adding fish (within reason!) until you are satisfied and the pH level remains constant. Once you are there, you’ve finally made it and established your very own, brand new koi pond!
Every few days you can add some more fish to your koi pond, but remember that you will need to check the water’s pH balance and make sure it remains neutral. If it doesn’t, then this is a sign that your filter is unable to keep pace with the fish population; therefore it should be bigger.
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