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.