If you have never fell under the spell of playful Koi in the morning, waiting for you to feed them, you haven't lived the life of a true water gardener. Even though those two words bring visions of aquatic plants blooming in all their glory, so do the brightly colored Koi blooming in your calm waters.
A Koi pond, however, is not a normal pond. Its primary purpose is to keep your pond pals happy and healthy. With this brings care and maintenance that lasts a lifetime. Remember how you promised to take care of the pet goldfish you won at the fair? Enough said!
For security and enjoyment the Koi pond should be close to your home. The pond should be about 3 feet deep in most areas of the country; however, the far Northern states should consider a depth of 5'. These ponds are generally straight-sided and devoid of any objects that could poke or injure fish. Many Koi breeders and hobbyists don't believe in mixing a Koi pond with an aquatic garden. The reason is that Koi love the tasty plants and in many instances will root in the pots and scatter the soil and rocks. We personally believe you can have both as long as you plan ahead. Marginal plants for looks are probably your best bet as these aren't easy for them to devour or get to being planted in shallow areas. Floating plants and water lilies is probably their favorite type of water plant. Form past experience we can tell you that proper feedings and diet will minimize this behavior so everyone can be happy.
Unless you plan on a very limited modest amount of Koi in your pond, be aware that proper filtration and aeration will be needed to keep them healthy. Remember that this is not their natural setting and placing them in a hole filled with water with no care is suicide for the fish. Many Koi ponds incorporate a bottom drain placed during construction, so that wastes etc. can be flushed out of the pond. Placed during initial construction is very little added work, but after the fact a nightmare, so PLAN!
Constructing a wall of brick or rock will make the Koi pond blend into the surroundings since we recommend it be placed close to the home. This helps with security and gives you a place to hide external pumps and filter systems away from the poolsides. This doesn’t mean you can't use submersible pumps and exterior filters, but you do have to hide them. You don't want your friends thinking you’re the Beverly Hillbillies of the neighborhood.
