|
Building a Koi Pond (Page 2 of 4)
<Back to Page 1
of KOI POND BUILDING>
<Proceed to Page 3
of KOI POND BUILDING>
<Proceed to Page
4
of KOI POND BUILDING>
Your decision-making on whether
you want a large pond or a small one must be infallible. The
choice of your pond size will pretty much influence everything else:
the number and size of fish you can keep, the size and complexity of
your filtration system, the location of the pond, the cost of your
daily upkeep, and even how it will affect the look of your house.
Large ponds are beautiful, of
course, but they're also more difficult and costly to sustain.
However, if you
genuinely
like koi, then you should follow the general rule given by koi
experts: build the
largest pond that you can afford.
Many koi enthusiasts end
up building many ponds because they constantly outgrow the first
ones they've built.
Remember that koi pond size
doesn't just pertain to the length and width. Just as
important is depth. Koi ponds must not be less than 4 feet
deep if you want your koi to have good body conformation. The
pond must likewise have a minimum length of 12 feet. The pond
surface must also have at least 140 square feet. Of course,
you can still enjoy a pond that has smaller dimensions than these,
but keep in mind that you can not house the same number of fish in a
smaller pond. Studies also show that koi in small ponds don't
usually grow as big and as nicely as those in larger ponds.
Location...Location...Location
It's time to choose the
location of your pond once you know how big it will be. By the way,
if location is a bigger factor for you than pond size, then you
should choose the location of your pond first and just define the size
based on this. It's up to you.
Choosing
the location of the koi pond is not as easy as pointing to a spot
and saying you want it there. When choosing a location, make
sure that you are considering the following.
1)
Accessibility.
Your pond should be easily accessible to
you. Otherwise, the extra effort you need to get to your pond
might ebb away your desire to pay a visit to your fish. This
is especially true during harsh weather conditions. Though not
everyone can have a large indoor pond, you can try to have one
that's close enough to your house that you can see and feed your koi
even if you're indoors.
2) Proper Light and Shading.
You
don't want a completely shaded or completely lit pond 24 hours a
day. Koi need sunlight a few hours a day, preferable in the
morning and late afternoon. Direct noon sunlight can burn the
skin of your koi, so you must provide your koi with refuge from such
a condition. The issue of sunlight on the pond becomes even more
important if the pond is shallow, which doesn't give the koi enough
depth to escape the heat of the sun. Also, beware of inadvertently
building your pond on a spot that's too glary, or one that reflects
too much light. Doing so will prevent you from seeing your
fish, because all you'll see is sunlight bouncing off the water.
Figure 3.
Excessive glare hampers
viewing pleasure
Continue to next
page...
<Back to Page 1
of KOI POND BUILDING>
<Proceed to Page
4
of KOI POND BUILDING>
HOME
|
