Planning your pond

You’ve decided that you want a garden pond or a koi pond. What are your options? First of all, you must realize that a pond can either be a garden/ goldfish pond (primarily for plants with a few small fish) or a koi pond (primarily for Japanese fancy carp with few plants). This decision is critical, because there are different requirements to maintain good water quality in each environment. For simplicity, we will list basic recommendations for both types.
Garden / Goldfish Pond:
Size- It can be as big or as small as you like depending on your available space and the amount you want to spend on the project. It should be at least 18” deep with, perhaps, a shallow ledge along one side for bog plants or marginals.
Location- Ideally it should be in an area that is readily visible from both inside your home and in your garden so that you can enjoy the pond as much as possible.
Filtration- A garden pond should have at least some sort of filter to provide mechanical and some biological filtration. The plants and fish will eventually work together to provide a natural balance for the pond. This balance will only be maintained with a small number of fish and a lot of plants
Koi Pond:
Size- Can be as big or as small as you like depending on your available space and the amount you want to spend on the project. Ideally, a koi pond should between at least 2 – 4 feet deep (6 feet is even better) in order to provide a temperature stable environment for the fish and to encourage growth.
Location- Ideally, it should be in an area that is readily visible from both inside your home and in your garden so that you can enjoy the pond as much as possible.
Filtration- A koi pond requires biological filtration, similar to what you would find in an aquarium. Koi can grow quickly. They will also produce wastes, which must be cleaned from the pond.
Biological Filters:
There are many different types of biological filters. Basically, you need to provide a ...