Hi,

What do you consider is essential for a koi pond?

e.g. drains, piping, etc. etc

What do you consider is not ESSENTIAL on a koi pond?

e.g nice to have.

Regards,
Chris

As I am new to this and have learnt the hard way with my pond I have a SF system and only one 50mm bottom drain so if I ever get a leak after the pump it will pump my pond empty and will loose all my koi so I this if anyone is going to run a SF system you need two bottom drains in tandem but the one needs to be about 1m higher than the other to stop the pump from pumping the pond dry. Think that must be a must have. Also I think a surface skimmer is a must have sorry I don't have one that could also T off the bottom Drain to cavertat the pump if the sand filter gets a leak. Also a air pump to the bottom drain with a switch at the pond viewing area so you can turn the air off as to view your lovely koi and not ventuties. I have also ran a line water line that is built into the top of my waterfall from my mains water suply going through my charcol and siv filters for my refills so no meed for hosepipes . A nice to have would be windows auto refill float switch. Auto feeders.

Well tHats it from my side hope it help and what you were looking for chris

Hi Chris,
To answer your question I would like to reply by saying.

If I had to design a pond today, forget the construction type.

Let’s say volume; it will be 50,000 lt. water depth 1, 7 Meter at the bottom drain.

I will then have 2 x, 75 speck pumps with adequate piping diameter, pumping from 2 x 115 mm bottom drains, as well as from a surface skimmer. I will install 4 x 3 bag sand filters, (obviously with the latest air cleaning facility) 2 per pump in parallel, from there I will take the flow into 2 x 2 tray bakkie shower filters, filled with a good media, into a smallish pre-pond area then into my main pond.
I believe that this would give me adequate sediment and bio filtration complete with aeration and all.
As a nice to have I would install a fair size submersible pump, pumping towards the surface (to create a churn on the surface) to add additional oxygen for larger fish.
My pond water surface will be approximately 1.2 meters above ground level

I won't bother with sediment chambers as I believe you don’t need them if you have sand filters.
UV's I also think is nice to have's and will only consider to install if I have to then after the sand filter and before my bakki shower.
No aeration for me.

So I am saying essential for a koi pond is the water quality, Turnover rate and circulation. which will be created by the above.

65k Pond.
Bottom Drains and skimmer to standpipe/settlement chamber.
pond and filtration system on the same level.

Four over and under under chambers (3 mechanical / last one clear)
Pedrollo pulling from last chamber (clear) and feeding 2000lt filter system (the highly debateble one. ) which overflows into pond opposite.

One of those marine aquarium pumps can't remember the name now(it pushes 22k at 24w), also from the last chamber for circulation, combined turn over rate will then be around 45k per hour.

Air pump for air disks on the BD's.

whole system runs at around 0.5kw per hour.

Thats it.

I guess it depends on what you want to achieve in the hobby...if you are a cyclist a bycicle...if you are in a diffirent class and a semi amatueru/pro cyclist you need more gear and better equipment...Same with koi ponds.

This is my recommendations for the guy that just want to keep some fish in a semi average pond with the minimum amount of hastle.

Essential:
Min depth : 1.5m
Min Length : 3.5m (Length always twice the bredth of the pond)
Min water volume : 10 000l
Water pump
Turn over rate of once ever 2hrs minumum.
atleast 1 x Bottom Drain
Skimmer
UV Light
Some type of mechanical filter
Some type of bio converter
Waterfall or some type of surface splash return.
Net with pole.

Not Essential
>=2.5m deep pond.
>=6m, long pond
>=30 000l koi pond
1 bottom drain for every 15 000l of water.
Turn over rate of once ever 40min.
more than one water pump.
Venturi
Protein skimmer
Koi feeder
Air pumps
Aerated bottom drain diffuser.
Automatic water topup.
Water parameter meters.
Timers controlling air
Seperate electricity curcuit
Electricity backup system / Generator
Sock net
Blue bowling bowl.
Pagola over pond for shade.

Now if it was me, i would add all of the above as essential.

David Coetzee wrote:

Bottom Drains and skimmer to standpipe/settlement chamber.
pond and filtration system on the same level.

Four over and under under chambers (3 mechanical / last one clear)
Pedrollo pulling from last chamber (clear) and feeding 2000lt filter system (the highly debateble one. ) which overflows into pond opposite..

As far as I am concerned, this is the best / most economical way to go. Would just add a bakkie shower. Believe no proper pond should be without it.

Difficult question without knowing the application or type of pond.

Essential:

Good turn over rate.
at least a 1,5 deep and 2.5 wide.
adequate mechanical and bio filtration for the application
aeration via stream/waterfall
decent stocking level

Not Essential:

Bottom drains, skimmers, UV's etc all luxuries wich help with maintenance wouldn't say they essential.

What is essential depends largely on the type of person and application.

Hi Chris

1) I think bottom drains ( 110mm ) and a surface skimmer is essential. Whether the bottom drains end up in a settlemant chamber or not. Some systems do not require you having a seperate chamber for catching solids.

2) A good filtersystem ( Mechanical and very important biological ). It does not matter what filter you use, as long as it is adequite for the biological load that the pond carries and give you enough circulation to move all the water in the pond at optimal rate according to filter spesifications.

3) Ultraviolet you can add to your system if you need it for controlling green water. If your filter system is big enough, you would not need a UV.
A Protein skimmer is a nice addition to have.

4) The most important thing which most people do not take into account in a koipond is oxygen. The more the merrier.


Regards
Christie

Hi Chris

This is how I see things based on my own system:

Important:

1 Bottom drains – 110mm
2 Skimmer
3 If pond / filter system is above ground a settlement chamber will work great and easy to drain by gravity. If pond is below ground it might be easier to have some sort of catchment area about ground for easy cleaning without bending down to much.
4 Good filter system and some available space to upgrade system in future for that 1 or 2 ‘extra-beautiful-Koi- I want-for-my-collection’. We all tend to over stock so make sure your system can handle it in future when fish grows big.
5 Use the biggest pipes possible with the least bends possible and try not to pump water to high. Eskom is expensive, so try to get the most out of your pump with as little losses as possible.
6 If you build a formal pond it will be wise to build a part of it above ground and then use a gravity fed system. Looks nice to be close to your fish and you can get away by saving electricity by using a lower wattage pump to perform the same job.
7 Net to catch fish and a bowl. Blue one if you intend to take pictures
8 Make your pond as deep as possible. This does not take up any more space and is handy when you have limited space
9 Waterfall return and some underwater return system

Less Important but handy

1 In a new pond a test kit will be essential although you won’t use it as much in later years. Remember the solvents will expire in the future.
2 Keep some medicine on hand, some spare parts for that ‘o-my hell- my pipes-are-leaking- days’. This normally happens when you least expect it.
3 UV light – Handy in beginning and important when pond is in full sun.
4 Temp meter.
5 Shading over pond.
6 Some sort of light around pond and at filter system if you need to do work in the dark.
7 QT pond – This is essential but not all people use this. Even a small portable one will do and can be used for hospital pond and be packed away later.
8 Drag net – Easier to catch fish with less stress chasing them around pond.
9 Microscope – If you don’t have one at least know someone with one that can use it.
10 Feeding ring so prevent food ending up in skimmer – or some sort of system in place to keep food away from filter system.

If you have the time and money:

Skimmer, Power back up, independent DB for electricity, Auto feeder, Handbooks about Koi for the more serious keeper, List of telephone numbers of Vets, medicine suppliers, hardware stores and Koi shops. Lights around pond for viewing by night. Some sort of viewing area like a bridge for example. Heating system for QT in winter when used as hospital.Auto water fill up. Electronic meter system to measure parameters. Logbook of pond

Last but not least – A fridge near your pond filled with beers for those hot summer days when you enjoy spending time next to your pond