Planning on building a koi pond above ground

[LauraRoyall]

I saw a youtube vid on how to use 4x4s to make a koi pond above ground. When I told my husband I wanted another koi pond he just shook his head. I'll start a project, need some brute force and he will just take it away from me anyway. So I was wondering if someone can point me to a pump and a filter. We just refinanced the house and have a bit of money to spend on this so it's go big or go home. I already have a small baby green koi in a 50 gallon tank but he will quickly outgrow that. I don't want to put him in with the big ones, I think he would be bullied. So suggestions?

 

Laura

[Jim_D]

I'm not sure what your weather is like in Sanfran, but down here a lot of koi keepers and breeders use stock waters above ground, I've seen them up to 10,000 litres +  -

 

http://rapidplas.com.au/products/round-troughs-36.cfm

[DieselPlower]

No such thing as a go big or go home above ground koi pond.  What size are you thinking? A pump and filter should not be recommended without first knowing the volume of water as well as the fish load.

[shakaho]

You need to start with providing a minimum of 250-300 gallons per koi.  Koi people generally recommend a depth of at least 4 feet.  Your absolute minimum depth should be 3 feet, which is required to make it more difficult for herons and the like to stand in the pond and gobble fish.  I like a pond that is partially above ground.  Two feet above ground and two feet below is nice.

 

A rule of thumb for pumps is one that will turn over the pond volume twice in an hour.  Ideally, you should set your pond up with a bottom drain, plumbed to a settling tank that feeds a biofilter.  As DP said, we need to start with how many koi you plan to have in the pond, then the volume, and then the pump and filter.

 

Koi, like goldfish, are social animals, unlikely to bully their smaller pond mates.

[mysterygirl]

Laura- ooooh, sounds like a fun summer project! Is your husband really okay with it? It would be great to plan it together so you both have buy-in from the start.

 

I would talk to a few local professional pond installers, get advice - and perhaps, at least initially, some professional help with it. With that much water above ground and your fish lives at stake, you don't want any mistakes. 

 

 

Koi, like goldfish, are social animals, unlikely to bully their smaller pond mates.

 

I can vouch for this, my young koi is much bigger then the rest of the 15 goldfish but gets along with everybody, no bullying. As strange as it sounds, it depends on the fish's "personality."