koi pond build, suggestions wanted

[dhall1414]

hey yall, while being unemployed I figured I could pay myself by investing in my house. One of the things I'd like to do someday soon is build a koi pond to go along with a new and larger backyard deck/patio (also someday soon). I already did a quick search for the topic here but other than a few individual tips (like buying rubber liner from a roofing company at 1/5th the cost) I didn't see what I was looking for.

So please, tell me how to do it, preferably myself. I'm no expert but I'm somewhat handy and have a modest assortment of tools.

thanks in advance

[dhall1414]

thursday morning bump

[Blackmouth]

I'm guessing there is a koi pond person in DFW but I'm from down south and these guys came to mind. Maybe they can give you some advice. From near San Antonio

Water Garden Gems
3230 Bolton Rd
Marion Texas, 78124
Contact Us: 210-659-5841

[Pedernal]

In for the info as well...

What did you find in regards to sourcing the rubber liner from roofing peeps??

[npe001]

Does Youtube not have any videos on it? My dad did a pond but it was a dig the whole type and throw the shell in the ground style. A lot smaller than what a Koi pond would be.

[hog_down]

Interested as well

[dhall1414]

Before making this thread I did a few searches on TBH. One thing that came up was a comment that suggested reaching out to roofing companies for the rubber liner, and that was about it. I like the idea.

I've seen where you can buy preformed shells for koi ponds but with those you have to ensure they're supported or they're apt to break. I'd much prefer the rubber liner style.

I've seen tons of youtube videos on it but I value input from the greenscreen here above that. It seems like a lot of the videos are people that are making their first koi pond and are basing it off someone else's video, which was their own first pond and so on and so forth. I feel like the advice I've seen here is more rooted in experience and is generally better.

[Joe H]

A lot goes into it. Depending on your location and freeze potential be sure you have a sump deep enough to protect them. Make sure your pump and filter can turn the pond over enough times a day. Cosmetic design is your preference. Other design will go by pond loading, plants, fish only? Tons of questions to answer. I built my mothers and we have koi that are 23 years old now.

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[dhall1414]

A lot goes into it. Depending on your location and freeze potential be sure you have a sump deep enough to protect them. Make sure your pump and filter can turn the pond over enough times a day. Cosmetic design is your preference. Other design will go by pond loading, plants, fish only? Tons of questions to answer. I built my mothers and we have koi that are 23 years old now.

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oh wow, 23 year old koi! you definitely did it right then. I'm in Sanger, basically with one foot in hardiness zone 7b and the other in 8a. Because of this I'm fairly certain I'll need to have to dig a bit to get below the freeze line. Not sure how deep though. I've kept aquariums for about 10 years now so I'm pretty confident on getting proper circulation and filtration set up. It's just the construction work I'm not sure about.

I've got a pure white metallic koi that's between 2 and 3 years old, and about 10" long. It's currently in a 55 gallon tank but I really want to get it in a pond this year so it can keep growing.

[tward1604]

You need to get on the pond boss forums. They will have advice you can use.

[Joe H]

oh wow, 23 year old koi! you definitely did it right then. I'm in Sanger, basically with one foot in hardiness zone 7b and the other in 8a. Because of this I'm fairly certain I'll need to have to dig a bit to get below the freeze line. Not sure how deep though. I've kept aquariums for about 10 years now so I'm pretty confident on getting proper circulation and filtration set up. It's just the construction work I'm not sure about.



I've got a pure white metallic koi that's between 2 and 3 years old, and about 10" long. It's currently in a 55 gallon tank but I really want to get it in a pond this year so it can keep growing.

I would say at least a portion 36 inches deep. Dig your hole and smooth out every rock and root. Use old carpet to line the hole to prevent punctures. Make sides with not a lot of slope to prevent sliding eventually. Re enforce edge with concrete edge to prevent collapse. If you have a dog build some kind of fence or steps so they can get out.

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[Texas Grown]

You might send "Switchback" a PM and see if he will answer. If not, I'll call him and let him know your wanting info on them. He had one in his back yard for a good while. And had a ton of Kois. Some were pretty big too.

[Strummer]

I have seen the pond Joe h built . It’s is very nice with some big koi .

[Draco]

Any specifics you ant to know? I have 7 of them that I built myself. One is not exactly a pond but a bog garden. The water comes into it from the bottom and works up through gravel, then dirt and plant roots until deep enough to run into the creek system. It is actually my filter system for the whole creek/pond.

[BrandonH]

I'm no expert, but have built a couple. Key things I'd suggest is heavy liner, good underlayment, bottom drain and bog filter. Unfortunately I live in town with a smaller yard & no natural elevation change, so I had to work with what I had. I prefer a more natural water feature, but this is what I put together with limited space.

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