Re: koi pond anyone?

I know someone who built one, from what i understand it isn't as simple as it seems. Very technical about his kois. Things to consider are pond preparation like poisoning the soil for algae growth, filtration etc. then comes water preparation.... Not my thing but from his point of view, it can be quite a task...
Goodluck.

Re: koi pond anyone?

@ nomastequila,

Since you are from Quezon City, try visiting Manila Seedling Bank, there are lots of stalls there offering several plants for your garden likewise offering services like landscaping, ornamental items and pond constructions. Check all stalls offering these services and see if you can get one that can follow your specifications. They may even suggest designs for your Koi pond. 😉

Oh, I just remembered, my son being a landscape architect has a friend who does this things, anything to beautify a garden thing, you may be interested here:

DIOLLEN'S Orchids & Ornamentals

look for:
Deo Nuesca ------ Project & Sales Manager

CP # : 0917-8214085 OR 0922-8814561
TEL. # : 645-5251
WEBSITE : www.diollens.net
E-mail : [email protected]

GOOD LUCK !!! 🙂 :whistle:

Re: koi pond anyone?

Thanks timber and rosy,

i called someone at the seedling bank and they charge 18k per cubic meter to build, we have a design we want but for that price it seems out of the picture. Problem is wife talks with the foreman and of course his reply is he can build it, From internet sources i found it is quite complex to have a healthy pond, anyone can build dig a hole and put water into it and throw some fish in but if you want it to be done right you have to pay, wifey being who she is, she won't pay for the experienced installer, so am sure pretty soon we will have a cesspool with floating koi. Thanks again, have a splendiferous day.

Re: koi pond anyone?

Try to check out this forum for the Pet fish enthusiast:

http://mypalhs.com/forums/

They should be able to help you out, there are several threads there on DIY pond builds.

Re: koi pond anyone?

hi nomastequila!

I'm also into fish but I'm more of an aquarium type of guy. Although I helped a friend build his Koi pond a while back. It was quite a task - very do-able but not easy 🙂

Here's what we did in a nutshell...

1. Dig hole according to specs.
2. Lay out some cement - don't forget to mix in some waterproofing - we used Sahara.
3. Applied paint - I think he used something he bought from Ace hardware - not sure what brand put it's for water proofing too/to avoid leaks.
4. He bought some artificial grass specifically made for Koi ponds - he sourced it from Sulit.com
5. Bought several submersible pumps and built a filtration system (we had a local glass shop build the compartmentalized filtration system and then we added some activated carbon, cotton like filters, etc.)
6. After everything has dried up and cured completely - we filled it with water and he poured something to treat the water (not sure what but he bought it in Cartemar)
7. Fill it with Koi 🙂 Install lights, decors, etc

We are not professionals at this but his Kois still live and the pond still looks good 🙂 As I just helped with the actual building of the pond, I'm not sure as to how he calculated the specs/air pumps, etc.

Hope this somehow helps you in your build 🙂

Re: koi pond anyone?

Archie how long ago was this? hope they do last long cause prime kois do cost an arm and a leg and can even include a stomach.... I do know for a fact that there is way so much more to it than that.... to have a healthy pond (is the right term)

Re: koi pond anyone?

As rule of thumb, sump/filtration system should be around 30% of pond size. No need to use glass for this, half buried plastic barrels/drums can also work.

A 5 ft deep pond is recommended for Koi, for goldfishes, 18 inches will do.

Water turnover is around 4-6x+/hour, so appropriate pump size should used, also compensate for the height and blockage. Aside from the pump, aeration is also a must.

Then there are the filter media, both for mechanical and bio filtration. Some use fishnet as an alternative for cheaper biomedia/biofilter.

Go to a koi keeper/raiser for proper advise, avoid those garden supplies/shops, most of them don't know a thing about the proper way for koi/fish raising, they can build you a nice aesthetic pond, but may not be optimal for the fish.

UV sterilizer also, for prevent green water, a bakki shower maybe an alternative.

Avoid sharp corners in all areas of the pond, so the water will flow smoothly into the drain, sump.

here is a good thread on pond building:
http://www.mypalhs.com/forums/showthread.php?100384-The-Pond-Making-Guide-Thread

Re: koi pond anyone?

Very nice and good information regarding DIYing a Koi pond for I myself have been planning to put one here in my garden as another feature or a focal point. Have done some research too on the matter and bought some books to guide me.

Nice link too on the guide to pond building.

Thanks for this bro. :thankyou:

Re: koi pond anyone?

Health of the fish comes first, then fit in the aesthetics. Most do it the other way around, also, a live fish doesn't necessarily mean its healthy fish.

Re: koi pond anyone?

such interesting dilemmas, i appreciate all the links and advice, I am concerned about the health of the fish and maintaining a healthy pond, however, i will not be raising champion koi's. The breakdown is this, we extended our second floor terrace to cover our garage and the area between the main entrance door and the bbq grill, the terrace extension is roughly now a 30 sq meter terrace. She wants a koi pond on the terrace. so we won't be digging any holes most likely it will be built up from the slab of the terrace. that being said most recommend a depth of 1 meter for koi pond. doing that would leave it at about waist level for viewing while sitting down that is not optimal... i will be doing other research and am happy to update what we actually do, she has stated she doesnt care if its only big enough for two small fish because she just wants to see some fish... she is odd like that... we see anything made in the shape of a fish or whatever at any home store and she smiles and points saying "fish..." so i kinda have to do this no matter what, just want to make sure it functions healthy and looks good. She keeps saying though that they had them growing up you can just put them into a flower pot and they will be fine.. its tough to argue with someone who has that mentality. anyway, thanks for all the advice and keep it coming.

Re: koi pond anyone?

Well you just did the construction of that pond a lot easier and cheaper since like what you said it will be placed somewhere on the extension terrace. No more diggings, all you need now is the enclosure on all sides of that pond, waterproofing it then perhaps tiling the inside and on the rear side maybe some rock formations where you can provide some small waterfalls. Maybe some three feet in height will be enough, plus you will really need to decide on the design and concept on how you would want it to look in its finality

Find a good " kantero " and I think what you have in mind will be done to the dot. :biggrin:

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!! 😉

Re: koi pond anyone?

Archie how long ago was this? hope they do last long cause prime kois do cost an arm and a leg and can even include a stomach.... I do know for a fact that there is way so much more to it than that.... to have a healthy pond (is the right term)

around 2 years ago timb - it still looks okay and the kois seem healthy 🙂

another friend built one last year but instead of using the expensive paint - he used latex (against the advice of everyone not to) and true enough, the paint didn't last that long (let alone the fish).

Re: koi pond anyone?

just make sure the terrace has a good foundation/strong enough to hold the pond. Make sure that you waterproof everything because water can seep in and do damage on your terrace 🙂 would love to see pictures once you're done with your projects sir 🙂

Re: koi pond anyone?

@ archie013,

Hey Archie bro, the one you constructed with a friend, how deep was it, nag hukay ba kayo sa lupa, just curious here 'coz I've seen some were dug up in the ground, others were just constructed on concrete pavements, enclosed it with some hollow blocks, plastered, lined the exterior with some boulders, waterproofed then tiles or painted the insides plus added some focal features like waterfalls or small fountains to have the sound of flowing water. 😉