A koi pond will make a great addition to your garden. Koi fish are an interesting and colorful type of fish and are usually kept for decorative purposes. They can grow rather large, even over three feet, so it is important to make a big enough pond for them. Follow these simple instructions if you want to enjoy your very own koi pond.
1. Find a suitable location
You will need to have a bigger garden for this project. It is important to have enough space to build a large enough pond, since the fish can grow rather big, and so that you can add some more fish in the future. Put your pond somewhere accessible, but also not somewhere where it will get in the way. You should be able to access it easily so that you can maintain it properly. Also try to put it somewhere where you can enjoy the view of it, and where it will blend with its surroundings.
Now that you have decided on the location, mark out the shape and size of it.
2. Start digging
Be sure to include some more helping hands to save some time if your desired pond will be bigger and deeper. Create a gentle slope from the surface towards the deeper parts by making terraces.
3. Line the bottom
Now that you have your pond dug out, cover the bottom with some sand and paper to make it more even and to cover the sharp objects or stones. If you would like to save money you can use newspaper as a subliner. However the professionals use pond underlayment as it provides the best protection for the rubber liner.
4. Cover it with a rubber liner
Purchase a large enough rubber liner that can cover the whole area of the pond, from the bottom to the surface. Place it over the sand and the paper and pull it up to come over the edges. You can put some weights of the liner edges to keep it in place, big rocks or something similar.
Be very careful while putting the rubber liner since it can get damaged and tear, and they often get damaged during the construction of the pond. Check the whole liner before you put in the water since it is a real hassle to replace it later – you would have to take the entire pond apart and start from the beginning.
5. Fill it with water
Before actually filling it, hose down all the rocks and sides of the pond so as to knock off all the dust and debris. You will probably end up filling about ¼ of the pond with water. It will be dirty so you will need to pump it out.
Now you can start filling your pond with water. But before you fill it up completely, you can first double-check if the rubber liner is waterproof and undamaged. Put in a smaller amount of water and then leave it for a few hours. Come back later and check if the water level is the same. If it is, you’re good to go. Fill it up!
6. Install water filters
Koi fish tend to produce a lot of waste and make the water muddy and dirty, so it is important to have a filtration system that will keep it clear and clean. The basic system consists of a pump and a filter, and it is very simple to put them in. They will filter out the waste and keep the water fresh and clean.
7. Add Koi Fish
Now you can safely add the koi fish and enjoy your pond.
Author Bio:
Matt is a content editor working on housing and construction content strategies for roofing contractors.
