Need lots of advice

[kba]

I am looking at building a koi pond, I currently have a garden pond about three feet deep in centre. I would like to build the koi pond pretty close to this one but not attaching them,My concern is where i'm looking at building the koi pond is pretty close to my pool.So here is my question,If any water from my pool gets into the pond what will be the end result.I have attached a couple of pics of current pond and the area where i'm looking at building the koi pond.Also I would appreciate everyones input on the best way on building this.I know it will be bottom drain,just how many?.sorry the pics are small,just not sure how to get them on here any bigger.

[Mickael]

KBA-
Real quick. A bit of pool water from splashing and play is probably not going to hurt anything depending on how big your koi pond ends up being. But if you can place your new pond so that didn't happen it would be optimum. One less thing to worry about. I'd make sure that if your pool developed a leak it couldn't drain into the pond.

Don't know what your reasoning is but I'd toy with the idea of getting rid of the smaller pond and making one large pond.

Have fun!
Mike

[kba]

I was considering just doing the one pond but am worried about joing the liners.

[Terri]

If you choose to do one larger pond you would be best to use one piece of liner, joining liners is not advisable to make one pond - but if one pond flows into the other a small piece can be seamed together, this works best if the two ponds are of differing levels.

One bottom drain is enough if you are construction a pond under 10,000 gallons. The drain needs to located at the lowest part of the pond(obvious right? lol). If you are going with a drain then design your filter system to be gravity fed and add a skimmer. Are you planning a waterfall? If so the skimmer should be somewhat opposite of the waterfall.

I think it would be best to have one pond - away from the aboveground pool. The odd splash of chlorinated water is ok but you know murphy's law...

Re: pics
Size counts. Dimensions are 680 x 440 and file size is 100kb max. Hmmm maybe I should change this somewhat.... where's tj? :grin:

[kba]

Thanks for the advice so far.Here is why i'm thinking two ponds I like the water garden (pond all rocked in) but also starting to understand that koi ponds are best just liner,deep and bottom drain.Maybe i could use the garden pond as more of a bog pond for the koi pond,What do you think.I am currently negoiating
A visit with a couple of Experts so i can pick at there brains hopefully.I like the water fall effect but i'm thinking with the koi pond i won't put in a water fall.

[Jackie Ramo]

Keeping the smaller pond would also give you a place to quarantine or treat fish in a smaller volume of water. Trust me, the more ponds the merrier. Looks like I will get my little pond this year after all.

[Mickael]

I see your point. Watergarden separate from fish pond does make some things easier. Salt if you choose to use for one. Cleaning...

And you're right about the liner too. Joining liners is problematic - I did it but also did some creative engineering also.

I gotta say I'm laughing right now! Of course you need two ponds! Matter of fact I need another pond! (I have to quit reading these forums!)

Where's Rockwood located? That'll drive some of your pond construction planning.

Mike

[kba]

Rockwood is located west of Toronto,On

I'm now thinking i'm going with the two ponds not attached, but i'm going to extend my deck alittle to cover the area between the two ponds.that way it will look like there connected but not.I'm sure i've seen this done somewhere before,maybe on another message board...lol

[Jackie Ramo]

:lol: Yes, those dreaded message boards... make work is allthey are!!

Yes, I've seen the deck extended over the ponds or bridges used. If the ponds are connected it is always best to be able to separate them if needed.

[Wayne S.]

Bridges are a very good way to give the impression that two separate ponds are really one. Each of the ponds would end under the bridge. The bridge would be a low, flat style, not an arching style.
With bridges you have to be careful that you don't block one of the ponds from your main viewing area and the size of the bridge should not overwelm the ponds.
Wayne S.

[Dave in Innisfil]

I inherited a two pond system, smaller upper pond (2000 gallons approx.) acting as a bio-bog to a much larger lower main pond (5000 gallons est.). Recently when my fish started dying, I was really grateful to have the upper smaller pond to act as a quarantine tank. Currently, I have no real filtration system other than to add and subtract fresh water, something I'm learning I may have to change, after I regret it....LOL

You've come to the right place for great advice......

[Mickael]

I set my two pond system so each pond can be isolated. There's a y after the check valve. The water going to the larger fish pond is run through a filter, then drops down a two stage water fall. The other side of the y flows to a water fall in the smaller pond.

I put 2" feed throughs thru the liner and cut little pipe inserts at the level I want the water. This acts like mini-skimmers and the water flows through tubing I buried down to the main pond where it becomes a small water fall.

There's no fish in the smaller pond - just plants and a 2'x4' bog plant area.

My design sounds somewhat like your thinking. Accept I have lots of waterfall. I like the aeration and the sound. The sound hides the hum of the pump too.

I took the filter out of the line to the small pond this winter. One of my problems here is little hemlock, spruce and fir needles getting into everything - including the filters. They don't backwash out.

So now at least 30% of debris like that ends up settling out in the small pond. The main filter still gets its share but now I have a spare filter that I can just swap out. Then I can give the dirty filter a thorough clean job.

Another plus is that I can isolate the pond with the plants and treat it at levels that would harm fish. Last year I had a big problem with aphids on my water lilies. Water skater bugs ate them on the larger pond but in the smaller pond the water skaters would end up riding down the skimmer tubes. So the aphids thrived. No problem. Isolated the pond. Spritzed them with some pesticide and PP'd the pond.

Also I can use plants the fish would eat. Like water poppy.

On the negative side - if my skimmer pipes get plugged that pond could overflow and dump 30% of my pond til the pump was running dry and eventually melted down. So I had to incorporate a fail safe.

Also this is maintenance intensive compared to a well designed fish pond with easy access filters and valves.

Also consider predator control. I'm using motion sensing sprinklers but that doesn't stop determined predators. Screen or netting on frames that I could secure is my thought but I haven't done it yet.

Some people think if the pond is close to the house it will help. Mine is 80" from the corner of the house. Birds that have visited include herons, kingfishers, a bald eagle, etc.

Two years ago a four legged creature took over half of my fish before it stopped. It stopped because I started sleeping outside by the pond. My daughter thought this was great fun - she was 6.

I also would consider working some sort of shade or partial shade for the fish pond. It helps mediate the water temp, algae control, and no glare on the water so you can see your charges. (My ponds get pretty much full sun of course)!

I'd also think about lighting. People argue about this but I like my pond lights!

Mike

[Terri]

Some good points Mike :-)

So kba... how's the planning coming?

[kba]

well i'm getting very anxious, but still would like to see more Koi ponds and come out and pick some brains.I'm hoping i'll get out to see you guys this weekend .I just seen the butterfly koi posted on your site and now the wife says we have to go out and see them.

[Terri]

Looking forward to meeting you and your family then :-) Good timing, we just finished cleaning up the Koi pond, I think Ian is getting itchy about putting the filter out and a few koi so that may be Saturday or Sunday depending on weather.... We had hail today so who knows! LOL

[kba]

haha i was driving this morning around 7:30am and thought it was January with the amount of snow coming down.It looks like it will be Sunday if thats ok.

[Terri]

Hi KBA, so how's it going with the pond?

[Jackie Ramo]

BTW Ocean and the other one are now certified healthy... so as soon as the pond is ready, they are good to go.