New to koi

[mstrseed]

For ease of maintenance a bottom drain is a must...............with one you will NOT have to clean the bottom on a regular basis providing the side are not more then 5' to 6' from the drain.........................

[Carpman]

i will draw up a blue-print tonight of my idea and post it tomarrow to see what you all think of it.

[Otter]

I don't have koi, but people who do say they really love depth. I'd give them at least a large, four foot deep hole they can swim down into. My pond is a little over 1000 gallons, but I decided to stick with goldfish because it's just too shallow for koi to be comfortable.

I just read a post on another forum by someone who reconfigured his pond to be easier to clean and made it too shallow. Now his koi stay as deep as they can and never come to the surface. Before, they weren't so shy, presumably because they knew they had a deep hole to dive into.

Keep in mind that surface area is important too. More surface area means more oxygen for your fish. Aeration, waterfalls, and trickle filters will all oxygenate the water, but it's better if your fish don't depend too heavily on pumps for their oxygen. Half an inch of koi for every square foot of surface area is one rule of thumb. Here are a couple articles on surface area requirements.
How many fish can I put in my pond - answers, supplies and more here at AbsolutePonds.com
http://www.buildagardenpond.com/arti...ypondfish.html

WAC is right. Many first time ponders wish they'd made the pond larger and deeper. Consider not only what you need for your koi, but the oxygen demands of their offspring or the minnows you might stock for your koi's snacks and entertainment. If you build a pond, will you really be satisfied with having only two fish in it? Leave yourself room for more, and you'll have no regrets later.

[Carpman]

my original plan will hold about 748 gallons. 5ft x 5ft above ground pond built out of landscape timber with a 4ft depth

[Eugeneg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Carpman my original plan will hold about 748 gallons. 5ft x 5ft above ground pond built out of landscape timber with a 4ft depth

Not a good idea as water will get too warm during summer may be you can do it 2ft below and rest above somome in your area could better advise you .Is there shade?
Regards
Eugene

[Carpman]

its no problem keeping it shaded i was planning on builiding a canopy of some kind to keep the direct sun of of it depending on were i put it. the location for the pond would be next to the garage were it would be shade for most of the day anyway.

[MCA]

good investment.....get a copy of Koi for Dummies. seriously!

then decide about how you want to proceed.

Koi are large riverine carp. There is a lot said in "large riverine carp".

[alexlovering]

I'm new to all this too, this is great information guys, thanx

[Lomaponder]

Welcome to you,

There have been some excellent tips given here, and I'd like to add on to them:
1.) You said you were building down the side of the garage. Why not further down the garage? Would it be much more to make 10 feet long? And to piggy-back on what Eugene stated; how about 3 feet above and 3 below ground level? 10 X 5 X 6 = 2250 gallons. (Now were talking).

2.) Read Read Read.. venture into the DIY section of koi sites and see if this is a possible way that you'd like to proceed in the building. Look at the successes and not so much that others have tryed.

3.) Get into touch with a knowledgeable person(s) in your area. Contact a local koi club.
North Carolina

• North Carolina Koi & Watergarden Society - Dan Phillips 919-931-4876 E Mail Web Site
• Piedmont Koi Society - Tracy McCorkle 704-536-5931E Mail Web Site
• Triad Koi and Water Garden Society - Ken Weipert 336-495-2543
• E Mail Web Site

A lot of times you can hear it/ see it first hand.

Good luck whatever you do.