I'm back and ready to build pond

[Holldoll]

I've been gone for a while, almost a year! Life got out of control, but I'm back.  I got married and moved into my husbands home, when I was here before I was planning on building a pond that came over a retaining wall.  Well, through a LAME landscaper and serious lack of listening to me, that pond got built, just completely wrong for koi!  So now I need to build a koi pond.  I have 10 koi at my house in 4000 gallons that I'm going to be moving over here as soon as the pond is built.  Hopefully it will be started this week, the landscaper is going to dig it, and my husband is going to build the rest. 

I figured out it's going to be about 2100 gallons.  I'm trying to decide though, should I build a ledge around the edge to put plants on?  How do you  place your lillies in your ponds that are over 3' deep? 

If you use a skippy do you really not need any other filtration system?  I didn't build the pond that is at my house, and it has a huge swimming pool filter with bio media in it, and a UV light.  I would like to just have the skippy if it really works like that. 

Thanks!

[miguynmkoi]

Welcome back! 

I'm no expert and own a small 500 gal pond with too many fish but I use a homemade skippy interpretation that takes care of everything and a strong pump (can't remember derails but the water turnover is very fast).  It's been working great for the past almost 6 years no problemo. 

Post your progress - photos are great!

[Pa Nancy]

A true koi pond does not have plants in it. They just eat them.

[Holldoll]

The pond I had at my house I just moved out of, I had for 2 years, but the pond has been the for five and the koi never ate any of my lillies.  I had problems with the goldfish eating them, but once I got rid of the goldfish, everything started to flourish. 

[miguynmkoi]

My fishies don't bother my lilies...only the water lettuce roots.  You'd think I didn't feed them enough but either they're laying eggs in the long roots or they're eating eggs laid in there.  Most likely both....heh heh.  When they see me they dart away  like they weren't making a mess breaking off the root hairs.

At 24" deep I just lay my lilies at the bottom of my pond.  You'll find other more experienced growers with their growing skills if you search other posts in ponding or tutorials.

[Holldoll]

Thanks for the help! My old pond was 4 feet deep and I just put my lillies in the bottom and they did fine, I was just wondering if there was a better way to do it.  It doesn't freeze here, so I get to leave them there all winter. 

I think I've figured out I'll need a ledge about 18" deep so that by time you put a container in it, it's still 6" above the container.  If I need it more shallow I can put rocks underneath them. 

[Johns]

HOLLDOLL

Please visit my website before you begin construction,  You were wise to have 4' deep koi pond before, do not build anything less than that depth in your new endeavor.  Look at and read all pages of my website an also visit the provided links to help you from making a mistake that you couls avoid.

E-mail me at any time if you have questions.  Been screwing around with water gardens and fish for 35 years and have made all possible mistakes in the process.

[Mikey]

Below is a rough sketch of a PVC plant stand that I built to raise my lilies.  I built it ten years ago without taking photos of it and it's been in the pond ever since.  The stand holds 6 pots.  For some reason I built it with the two levels.  I was new to ponding and perhaps felt some lilies needed to be sunk lower than others.  If I were to do it again today I would save me the hassle of making it two tiers and would make it straight all the way across.

If I recall correctly I used 1" PVC.  The horizontal leg supports on the bottom are wider than the width of the stand to give it stability.  The legs of the stand are longer in the deeper end of the pond than those legs in the shallower end so as to keep the stand level.  I'm guessing I made the top width about 12" wide.  The pot doesn't actually sit directly on the PVC but rather on two 4" wide, 1/2" thick redwood boards.  I drilled holes through the boards and attached them to the PVC using electrical zip-ties.  The boards probably should be replaced by now and when I do so I plan to take photos.....  Don't cap your ends otherwise the stand will float and you will have to drill holes into it to let out the air.....  I spray painted mine with dark paint but that is probably unnecessary unless you want it immediately concealed.  Algae will soon cover it pretty well in a few months.

[Holldoll]

Thanks John! I'm sure I'll have LOTS of questions when it comes to building it!  I'm going to go check out your website now. 

Mike-I'm definitely going to show that drawing to my husband.  He's pretty handy and could definitely build that.  Do you just have that and no built shelves in your pond? 

[Mikey]

Do you just have that and no built shelves in your pond? 

I also have a 12" plant shelf around the sides but that wasn't deep enough for the lilies.