Adding a Koi Pond to Your Yard

If you want to add a unique feature to your landscaped or natural yard, a koi pond is an excellent choice. Once you determine the size that will best fit your yard, you can have the pond installed and choose healthy koi to live in it. 

Pond, Filter, Liner

When you create a koi pond, it does not mean digging a hole, filling it with water, and throwing in a few fish. The pond should have a liner and a filter, to keep the water as clean as the koi need it. 

You and your family can do some of the labor, which will save some money on the overall cost of the pond. If you have access to natural rocks, this will save money, as well. 

Pond Sizes

Even a one metre deep pond needs about 22.712m³ of water. You may wish to include a waterfall made from clay or dirt that is dug from the site of the pond. Slowly moving streams give the pond a more relaxing feeling. You can also hang bird feeders in the trees around the koi pond, to welcome feathered friends to your garden. 

Feeding Koi

You can hand-feed your fish, and this is a wonderful, stress-free activity that can help you wind down after a long day at work. There are other types of fish you may want to include, but do your research first. Be sure that all the fish you select will get along with each other. 

It’s quite relaxing to watch koi swim, and their different colours will allow you to tell one from another when you watch them every day. Your waterfall can run year round, creating a tiny vacation spot in your own backyard. 

Transforming Your Backyard

Where once your yard held trees, shrubs or grass, a koi pond adds serenity to your yard and to your life. Koi are ornamental carp, originally bred in Japan. You can now choose from more than 20 varieties, in many sizes and colours. They are playful, social fish that are fun to watch. In Japan, they are thought to bring good luck. 

A pond can usually be completed within a couple weeks, or a bit longer if you are doing some of the work yourself. Koi fish are not cheap. They may range in price from $50 to over $300, depending on the type and age of fish you select. 

Maintaining a koi pond is similar to maintaining a pool. You will need to check – or have someone check for you – the ammonia, salt and pH levels. In addition, the cleaning of the fish droppings and debris can cost up to about $100 per month. If you can afford this, a koi pond will give you many quiet hours of enjoyment.  

The idea is to have the pond area look natural. Creating a holistic pond will allow you to maintain your healthy fish more easily. You can always have someone take care of the routine maintenance, if that is in your budget. This will free up more time to enjoy your koi pond.  

If you have a question about starting your own Koi Pond or want to know local areas to get supplies, you can ask a local expert here