How to Build a Mud Pond

[Koicare]

Hi Everyone

I want to build a mud pond! I have land, lovelly clay soil and a strong borehole. Problem - I have no idea what to do from this point.
I have read that you need at least 10 000 litres of water per fish - and that the mud pond has to be emptied every year and then prepared for the following year! And this is the total sum of information available to me so far!!! Not great to go on!

So, have any of you got mud ponds - specifically for koi?
How do you build one of these things? How big does it have to be as a minimum, and how many fish can you stock? And, can I leave the koi in there permanently, or do I have to drain it every year and move the koi back to their own concrete ponds? If it has to be drained what do you do to prepare it for the next season etc.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

[mitten]

Hi Koi Care-

Mind doing a little searching?

Look up^, up there ^, see where it says search? Give it a shot.

Well worth your while with much info posted from US, England, Australia, even a little from Spain, Malaysia and South Africa.

You will end up with a degree in MUD.

Any questions you have left will be answered with glee by someone. Welcome.

Mickey the windowman

[Eugeneg]

[quote=Koicare;71724]Hi Everyone

I want to build a mud pond! I have land, lovelly clay soil and a strong borehole. Problem - I have no idea what to do from this point.
I have read that you need at least 10 000 litres of water per fish - and that the mud pond has to be emptied every year and then prepared for the following year! And this is the total sum of information available to me so far!!! Not great to go on!

First thing I would do is to dig some test holes 12ft deep and see what you have . Then get an opinion and price from someone in your area who has dug ponds . I found to my surprise sand in one area which I had to fill with clay . I got the largest excavator and 3 dump trucks and moved 300 loads in a day . A bore hole might not be sufficient I used a 4in dia pipe to divert water as well as having some small springs comeing in at the ten ft depth .
Even then during the summer my pond drops by up to 8in .
You might have to put stone on the sides to stop erosion . Rather than dredging every few years dig a little deeper and it will be good for quite a few years . I dont worry about accumulation of mud but completely drain every year and add lime .
Fish load will depend a lot on arriation and you will need a compresor I use a 1/3 hp and four sets of air stones . Where are you located in S Africa ?
Regards
Eugene

[Koicare]

Hi there - thanks for the reply.
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa.

[Eugeneg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Koicare Hi there - thanks for the reply. I live in Johannesburg, South Africa.

I do not think that it would be practcal to try and maintain a mud pond in your area just with a bore hole . The fact is that there is such a great shortage of water in your area that the reserviours were running dry. An appeal was made to the world bank and at a cost of 2.5 billion $ the Katse dam was constructed flooding 40 miles of the best farm land in Lesotho . Then a 12ft dia tunnel 80 miles long was bored and cocrete lined through a mountain to divert water. This then flowed into a river but during its 400miles travell to Johannesburg mostly evaporating .
Clay will absorb water I would suggest that may be you start with a linner pond and keep it well shaded .
I did some photography for the Katsy dam water project
Regards
Eugene

[Koicare]

Thanks! I will check into that - because we have sooo much water - our land is often swamped with water - I did not consider it ever running out. At the moment it has been raining no stop for the past 4 or 5 days, and everywhere I walk quelches! Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!

[koikiller]

Quote: Hi Koi Care- Mind doing a little searching? Look up^, up there ^, see where it says search? Give it a shot. Well worth your while with much info posted from US, England, Australia, even a little from Spain, Malaysia and South Africa. You will end up with a degree in MUD. Any questions you have left will be answered with glee by someone. Welcome. Mickey the windowman

you could post that? but you couldnt post a sentence about mud ponds to help her?

[mitten]

Dearest KoiKiller-

And you could post and not even add something helpful other than ragging on somebody who would say "Here are loads of answers, written over the last few years by experts from around the world." It seems you may have a homework issue Killer.

KoiCare has actually filled in some info in their profile, but doesn't reveal their sex. I would think it wouldn't matter. KoiCare may search the forum's posts, read them, learn, ask questions, get further inspired, build a mud pond, grow fish and ship them to Chicago, who knows? It has happened before. Where were you? Detention?

Mickey the windwoman

[mitten]

So, Killer, I went back and looked around just a little and found this that I helpfully posted in answer to your questions about your garage pond. You kinda haven't answered any of the questions yet and haven't helpfully modified your user profile either. Maybe you would have if I had made these little marks for you too, ^ ^ ^ ^ , pointing up to where User CP is.

Quoting from three weeks ago...

>OK Killer-

>Let us know the rest. You've got a 4x8 pond that's 2'deep. 375g is a workable estimate of water >volume, yes. Did you use 2x4's or plywood or landscape timbers or what?

>Did you put a net on it or make tall sides or something, knowing that you've got some >jumpers?

>You've bought a 500w heater and plugged it in? Can you measure the water temp? did you >happen to insulate the tank in any way?

>Please describe your filtration efforts. Did you buy anything or make anything? Are there >more features to your system yet? Maybe a bottom drain of some kind? Are you pumping >water?

>And like a repititive butthead, let me remind you to go to "user CP" and fill in a little bit about >yourself. Remember you are in public so don't reveal your private and secret stuff.

>I just finished a 900g system in the barn and will be moving 12 new fish to it from QT on >Sunday.

>Mickey the windowman

[Koicare]

Ok you too!!! No need to fight!
Sorry Mitten - I have updated my profile.
I am female - brunette, blue eyes, 5'6", 50kg's - I have quiet a few ponds already - all concrete! I have been doing koi for the last 7 years!
I did look up there - and I found a massive thread from kfg - printed it out and now I am studying it carefully. I still does not answer all my questions, but 95% of them! So thank you for your help - much appreciated.
I will keep you updated on my progress - and when I get around to building them - I will take photos and post so you can all see what I am doing! and hopefully they will also be of assistance to someone (if I get this right that is.......)