Koi Ponds Can Require A Lot Of Work

Most of us have seen the beautiful water gardens in front of amusement parks, zoos and even some private residences. When we see these wonderful water gardens, usually in the form of koi ponds, we think we just have to have one. Good thinking! However, before you go investing that kind of money in something such as this, you should really learn about how much time and effort goes into keeping those koi ponds nice.

When it comes to a koi pond, you have to realize you will be setting aside quite a lot of time each week for care and maintenance. The fish, normally koi (hence the name koi pond), will actually be pets. They will be decorative, that is for sure, but they cannot be simply left alone as you would decorative items. If you are looking to put in something like a koi pond just as garden décor, you should really think again.

The fish in your koi pond will take a lot of love and care. You need to plan on time for feeding, cleaning, and overall maintenance of your water garden to keep the fish within alive and healthy. If you keep the environment of your koi pond healthy, you will keep the koi within healthy, too.
Other items that will require attention when you have a koi pond are water quality, debris removal, cleaning of filter media when necessary, and other general beautification efforts. Add all of that up and you certainly are looking at some labor! However, most that have koi ponds consider this a labor of love.

So, if you have read all of this and are still prepared to install a koi pond, congratulations! The beauty and tranquility associated with koi ponds will benefit you and your home for a lifetime.

Water Gardens Versus Koi Ponds

Although oftentimes these terms are used interchangeably, there may be a big difference between the two. Even though you may call your Koi Pond a water garden, you certainly cannot consider a water garden to be a koi pond. Here are some reasons why:

A water garden is simply put “a pond”. You can dig a hole in the ground, line the area, add water, add some filtration to keep the water from becoming stagnant, and then add some plants around the edges to make it look pretty (optional). That is all there is! There is very little you need to do with a water garden other than sit next to it and enjoy. Sometimes people will add a water feature, like a waterfall or fountain, which just creates a fancier pond.

However, koi ponds are so much more! The fish that live within the pond are linked to the environment you provide, as this is their home. With a koi pond, filtration and aeration of the water becomes a priority, as the fish will need these things to remain healthy and alive.

The pump your install in your Koi Pond will be a critical item. All the water within the pond should be circulated at least once in an hour timeframe. This means – for a 300 gallon pond, you should have a pump that circulates 300 gallons in an hour. For 500 gallon ponds, the pump should circulate 500 gallons in an hour.

A koi pond really should have a water feature, like a waterfall or fountain. Where in a water garden this would just be for decoration, in a koi pond it will be used for aeration. The koi in the pond need the bubbles to breathe.

Filtration will be a necessary thing in a koi pond, as well. All the large debris and trash can settle to the bottom of your pond, creating chemicals that are detrimental to your new pets. You need to maintain the filtration to keep the water clean and safe for the fish.

So, although often called a water garden, don’t be fooled into thinking your koi pond can maintain itself. It will take a lot of time and effort on your part when you add fish into the mix, but having these pets can make the effort worth the time.

What About a Koi Pond Kit?

Pros and Cons of Installing Koi Ponds With A Kit


If you have decided to install a Koi Pond on your property, you may be considering the use of a pond kit. As with all projects that you try to do yourself, there are advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) to doing the work yourself. Create a list for your particular project and see if do-it-yourself is really right for your situation.

The biggest advantage to the use of a pond kit for creating your koi pond is the financial savings. When you hire the "professionals", they certainly charge a premium for their work. Using a pond kit yourself and creating your own koi pond environment can really keep the cost of the entire job down. However, if you do something which damages the materials required, or install improperly, you will certainly turn around and turn this advantage into a disadvantage!

Other advantages to creating your own koi pond are items like enjoyment of a job done with your own hands, bragging rights, getting your family involved in the project, doing the job exactly how you want it done, and the fact that the work will be great exercise!

The disadvantages of using pond kits to create your koi pond are numerous, as well. It can take a bit more time to install a koi pond yourself. Simple designs can take only a day, but the greater detail of your design, the longer your installation will take. If you have difficulty finding time to finish projects, something like a koi pond could take months!

Other disadvantages are that installation is a lot of work, you will have to buy or rent tools, you aren't a pro (so your work may take longer and not look as "clean"), all the materials are heavy and lifting will be your job, and you won't have any kind of "satisfaction guarantee" on the work.

It would be beneficial to you to create your own "Install My Own Koi Pond" pros and cons list before you start anything. This will give you an idea if it is a project you truly want to do personally.