Koi Ponds

[Ifactory]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

[wackysleet]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

Ifactory this could be an interesting thread as I'm sure there are a lot of the expats who were koi keepers in their respective countries, I will hopefully start the ball rolling, my pond is an ornamental pond dedicated to koi only, it's a little over 8,000galls/40,000litres contains apprx 100 koi varying in size from 10inch upto 24inch, filter system holds apprx 1200galls and is gravity fed, 2pumps take care of the water returns one of which supplies 3concrete ponds forming waterfalls with the last one feeding the main pond, these are planted with reeds and lillies of various types acting as a further vegetable filter, total water in the pond is turned over every 45minutes, if anyones wondering the pond has 140watts of u/v light but has not been turned on since the first 6months, pond is about two and a half yrs old with no algae, the pond is about 4ft deep.

[Ifactory]

Care to share a couple of picts ? Might give further inspiration or intoxication for fish lovers

[wackysleet]

Care to share a couple of picts ? Might give further inspiration or intoxication for fish lovers

Love to and will sort some out, not sure how to put them on here though apparently posters use photobucket apparently so will check it out.

[Thaicoon]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Koi-Carp-t254906.html

[tampasailor]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Koi-Carp-t254906.html

Photos of Koi pond here, indoor home

Hope it helps

http://picasaweb.google.com/lymanduggan/KoiPond#

[Rimmer]

Rimmers koi and the pond they live in.

Edited April 12, 2009 by Rimmer

[Ifactory]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Koi-Carp-t254906.html

Photos of Koi pond here, indoor home

Hope it helps

http://picasaweb.google.com/lymanduggan/KoiPond#

Hi Tampasailor, thanks for sharing!

[Ifactory]

Rimmers koi and the pond they live in.

Hi Rimmer, is the pond in your own house compound? Doesnt look as if there is any filtration ,are you leaving it au naturale care to share the depth and construction?

[Rimmer]

Rimmers koi and the pond they live in.

Hi Rimmer, is the pond in your own house compound? Doesnt look as if there is any filtration ,are you leaving it au naturale care to share the depth and construction?

The pond is in the garden, it is just as nature intended it.

We dug it ourselves with a mechanical digger. It's pretty big, maybe 3 meters deep in the middle, It took maybe one year for it settle down and balance up. There are no pumps, no chemicals just a waterfall at one end that circulates water and we turn on occasionally.

The Koi share the pond with maybe 1000 tilapia and one cat fish, dunno how he got in there! They eat normal commercial fish food but seem to prefer the roots from a small green floating weed we have in the pond.

I believe Tilapia fish filter water through their system, maybe someone knows more on this.

There are some more pictures of the pond and Koi at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/banjopicker/ In one picture there you can see the weed they like to eat.

[Rimmer]

Just purchased a beautiful pure white Platinum Ogon (I think) this morning for baht 1000 he is still young about eight inches long. I'll try to get some pictures for you all if he comes up for air anytime soon. I find the new ones are quite shy and will disappear for a few days before they come up to get fed with the rest.

Also bought number of 3" and 4" babies for 30 baht each, still too small to see the colors but they grow quickly.

Edited April 16, 2009 by Rimmer

[TPI]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

I'm just starting with perch and cat fish...I've a klong as a border, its about 300m x 10m x 2m deep and was full of fallen timber. After much toil with bow saw and axe its now clear. The fish were rescued from the last of the water and are now in 250 lt tubs with charcoal and mesh filters keeping the water clean.

The water comes from ground water ie as the water table rises so does the water level in the klong! I intend to dig out another 3 metres from the bottom of the klong to ensure year round water, that with nylon mesh at either end shoud keep the larger fish in.

My question is can Koi survive with preditors like perch??

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated

[Ifactory]

Just purchased a beautiful pure white Platinum Ogon (I think) this morning for baht 1000 he is still young about eight inches long. I'll try to get some pictures for you all if he comes up for air anytime soon. I find the new ones are quite shy and will disappear for a few days before they come up to get fed with the rest.

Also bought number of 3" and 4" babies for 30 baht each, still too small to see the colors but they grow quickly.

Hey Rimmer, shouldnt you have taken a picture of your new "kids" before introducing them into the pond?

At that size I doubt you would be able to take a clear shot of them! Lucky you to be able to add more fish , just hope it doesnt get too over crowded!

[Ifactory]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

I'm just starting with perch and cat fish...I've a klong as a border, its about 300m x 10m x 2m deep and was full of fallen timber. After much toil with bow saw and axe its now clear. The fish were rescued from the last of the water and are now in 250 lt tubs with charcoal and mesh filters keeping the water clean.

The water comes from ground water ie as the water table rises so does the water level in the klong! I intend to dig out another 3 metres from the bottom of the klong to ensure year round water, that with nylon mesh at either end shoud keep the larger fish in.

My question is can Koi survive with preditors like perch??

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated

Hi TPI , are you refering to climbing perch or otherwise? Maybe you could provide a picture for further clarification. D/O level might be a concern at depths like this, is the water stagnant in the klong? I might be concerned about the presence of snakehead / pla chon.

[Naam]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

Ifactory this could be an interesting thread as I'm sure there are a lot of the expats who were koi keepers in their respective countries, I will hopefully start the ball rolling, my pond is an ornamental pond dedicated to koi only, it's a little over 8,000galls/40,000litres contains apprx 100 koi varying in size from 10inch upto 24inch, filter system holds apprx 1200galls and is gravity fed, 2pumps take care of the water returns one of which supplies 3concrete ponds forming waterfalls with the last one feeding the main pond, these are planted with reeds and lillies of various types acting as a further vegetable filter, total water in the pond is turned over every 45minutes, if anyones wondering the pond has 140watts of u/v light but has not been turned on since the first 6months, pond is about two and a half yrs old with no algae, the pond is about 4ft deep.

let's reduce the 40,000 liters to 30,000 (assuming the info 8,000 gallon is correct) my question however is "are you really spending approximately 8,000 Baht a month on electricity just for your pond pumps?"

[wackysleet]

Here are a few pictures of my koi pond here in the Kingdom.

[wackysleet]

Quite sure some of you out there are avid aquarists as well as owners of koi / ornamental gardens , care to show/ discuss about your passion in this thread? Would be a good guide for prospective or current pond owners!

Ifactory this could be an interesting thread as I'm sure there are a lot of the expats who were koi keepers in their respective countries, I will hopefully start the ball rolling, my pond is an ornamental pond dedicated to koi only, it's a little over 8,000galls/40,000litres contains apprx 100 koi varying in size from 10inch upto 24inch, filter system holds apprx 1200galls and is gravity fed, 2pumps take care of the water returns one of which supplies 3concrete ponds forming waterfalls with the last one feeding the main pond, these are planted with reeds and lillies of various types acting as a further vegetable filter, total water in the pond is turned over every 45minutes, if anyones wondering the pond has 140watts of u/v light but has not been turned on since the first 6months, pond is about two and a half yrs old with no algae, the pond is about 4ft deep.

let's reduce the 40,000 liters to 30,000 (assuming the info 8,000 gallon is correct) my question however is "are you really spending approximately 8,000 Baht a month on electricity just for your pond pumps?"

No naam I am not spending 8000baht a month on the pond, and never said that I was the figure is apprx 4000 baht, that figure includes refilling at about 25 per cent a month an air pump delivering 200 litres of air per minute on during the daytime 15 mins on 15 mins off and on during the night continuously,I also have further back-up filters consisting of 3 large dustbins used when the weather is stormy and blowing a lot of dust and dirt.

[Rimmer]

Here are a few pictures of my koi pond here in the Kingdom.

Love the way you have done the pond, very nice.

I can spot Yamabuki Ogon, Kawarimono and Kohaku, what is the handsome gray and silver one?

[Ifactory]

Wow Wackysleet , seems like you guys have more of a preference for natural ponds, I'm wondering how the maintenance is like due to the odd shape.

Any chance to oogle at your filtration system ?

You guys mind giving some feedback on water temperature seasonal fluctuation perhaps?

[malcolminthemiddle]

Yes Wackysleet, very nice. I am in the planning stages of our new house, the Architect is currently completing the concept design. Apart from two lakes at the bottom of the garden, we also have a man made pond adjacent the house that I would like to look as natural as possible. I have been searching for a designer who can provide a turn key design including the filter system (lava rock, screens, etc), aeration components and a biological bacteria digester like PSBIO if needed, all solar powered. Can any one help or recommend? The house is in Cha Am.

[Ifactory]

Hi Malcom, can you advise what is a biological bacteria digester PSBIO ?

[malcolminthemiddle]

Hi, I read that a biological bacteria digester such as a PS BIO (available at fish/aquarium stores) is useful to keep the harmful bacteria level down.

I’m assuming it is a proprietary system that filters the primary sludge (PS?) biologically to maintain safe bacteria levels.

Anyone?

[wackysleet]

Here are a few pictures of my koi pond here in the Kingdom.

Love the way you have done the pond, very nice.

I can spot Yamabuki Ogon, Kawarimono and Kohaku, what is the handsome gray and silver one?

Thanks for the comment Rimmer,if the silver and black fish is the one I'm thinking of then to be perfectly honest I can only guess at the breed as I've never seen another like it, but at a guess I think it's a Ginshiro, a lustrous black on a silvery platinum fish, another name could be Kinshiro Utsuri,other fish I have are; Ai-Goromo {Koromo} Showa, Sanke, Hi-Showa, Shiro Utsuri, {black and white} Beko Utsuri, Hi- shusui, Asagi, Hi-Utsuri, Sandan Kohaku {3 step pattern}, Kinginrin Kohaku, Tancho, Kigoi, Orenji Ogon, and possibly a couple of others that escape me just now, the Tancho is a nice fish, there are about a dozen or so Japanese imports and 2 that I have ordered from Japan to arrive sometime this year, at the moment they are in a mud pond in Japan and with their bloodlines are expected to grow something in the region of 80cm.

[wackysleet]

Hi, I read that a biological bacteria digester such as a PS BIO (available at fish/aquarium stores) is useful to keep the harmful bacteria level down.

I'm assuming it is a proprietary system that filters the primary sludge (PS?) biologically to maintain safe bacteria levels.

Anyone?

Hello Malcolm, a lot of people go for every conceivable accessory advertised in mags etc; I have to say that I do not have a PS Bio and have never felt the need for one, if your filtration is upto scratch and you are prepared to spend a little time on maintenance I/wife spend about 10 minutes a day vacuuming the first of our 3box filter system just to clear leaves etc, the filter is gravity fed by the way and has it's own oxygen supply, the parametres of my water are spot on and the only time there is a slight variation is when we have torrential rain and the P.H. spikes a bit, from 8 to 8-5 but is back to normal within hours, 7-5 is supposedly ideal but as long as the PH is stable even at 8 then there is no problem, if anyone is interested in my filter system then I would post pictures and drawings.

[Ifactory]

Hi Wackysleet is PSbio a machine? Or name/brand of the device as I have never came across it , maybe a foam fractioner or protein skimmer of some sort?I tried to google it but to no avail.

Well yeah I'm an assessory junkie myself if it works well enough to maintain and manipulate water parameters to my liking 555 orp sensors , ozone you name it I've got it .

But ultimately what were are trying to achive is best water conditions for our fish isnt it ?

Which farm are your babies coming from ? Nisais?

Awaiting your filter picts !

[wackysleet]

Hi Wackysleet is PSbio a machine? Or name/brand of the device as I have never came across it , maybe a foam fractioner or protein skimmer of some sort?I tried to google it but to no avail.

Well yeah I'm an assessory junkie myself if it works well enough to maintain and manipulate water parameters to my liking 555 orp sensors , ozone you name it I've got it .

But ultimately what were are trying to achive is best water conditions for our fish isnt it ?

Which farm are your babies coming from ? Nisais?

Awaiting your filter picts !

Ifactory, my fish are at Yomogihira, Niigata, and they are Tosai {1 year olds } from Matsunosuke's bloodlines, as for the PS Bio not sure myself but have seen lots of so called sludge disposable chemicals on the market, any build up of sludge is likely to have a harmful effect on your fish hence the reason I put in a gravity fed system and that I have a fast turnover rate of water rather than the more usual 2 hour cycle along with once a month I get into my pond and lift any debris hiding behind my plant containers, anyway Ifactory will post filter pics tomorrow and possibly a sketch.

[wackysleet]

Here are a few pictures of my koi pond here in the Kingdom.

Love the way you have done the pond, very nice.

I can spot Yamabuki Ogon, Kawarimono and Kohaku, what is the handsome gray and silver one?

Rimmer, I have looked through my pictures again and if it's the piccy 3rd row down on the left and the fish is the silver/black in the top right of the picture then thats the one I'm not too sure about, but will try to get a close up and post tomorrow as I would like to know for sure what type it is. Wacky.

[Ifactory]

Hi Wackysleet is PSbio a machine? Or name/brand of the device as I have never came across it , maybe a foam fractioner or protein skimmer of some sort?I tried to google it but to no avail.

Well yeah I'm an assessory junkie myself if it works well enough to maintain and manipulate water parameters to my liking 555 orp sensors , ozone you name it I've got it .

But ultimately what were are trying to achive is best water conditions for our fish isnt it ?

Which farm are your babies coming from ? Nisais?

Awaiting your filter picts !

Ifactory, my fish are at Yomogihira, Niigata, and they are Tosai {1 year olds } from Matsunosuke's bloodlines, as for the PS Bio not sure myself but have seen lots of so called sludge disposable chemicals on the market, any build up of sludge is likely to have a harmful effect on your fish hence the reason I put in a gravity fed system and that I have a fast turnover rate of water rather than the more usual 2 hour cycle along with once a month I get into my pond and lift any debris hiding behind my plant containers, anyway Ifactory will post filter pics tomorrow and possibly a sketch.

Matsunosuke is famed for their sankes isnt it ? High potential to reach jumbos but tend to grow put on more bulk only after 4-5 years plus, after the grow out should be nisai's by the time they get here.

I'm coincidently looking at some Momotaro showas for a grow out programme as well although I am debating weather if its a better choice to get them in only after reaching Oya . Might do a 50/50 split after the 2nd year to see what is the difference in upkeeping methods.

Dead water + sludge builtup is a concern when I see natural /shaped ponds ,i'll be sticking to formal pond designs before I get the hang of it . Be waiting for your sketches !

[Ifactory]

Hi, I read that a biological bacteria digester such as a PS BIO (available at fish/aquarium stores) is useful to keep the harmful bacteria level down.

I'm assuming it is a proprietary system that filters the primary sludge (PS?) biologically to maintain safe bacteria levels.

Anyone?

Hi Malcom , with a properly designed filter / return system etc etc I dont think that Sludge would be much of an issue . Proper water turn over and with a established beneficial bacteria (denitrifying bacteria plate count) I think most water issues should be at a minimum . Its better that you should discuss with your designer in depth before he starts building . A simple add on like a protein/surface skimmer should solve most issues if you decide to do intensive feeding .

[Naam]

No naam I am not spending 8000baht a month on the pond, and never said that I was the figure is apprx 4000 baht, that figure includes refilling at about 25 per cent a month an air pump delivering 200 litres of air per minute on during the daytime 15 mins on 15 mins off and on during the night continuously,I also have further back-up filters consisting of 3 large dustbins used when the weather is stormy and blowing a lot of dust and dirt.

something does not fit Wacky. i refer to your

quote: "total water in the pond is turned over every 45minutes"

let's do simple maths (using instead of 40,000 liters 30,000).

-30,000l/45min = 40,000l/h = ~670l/min = minimum 2 pumps each 2HP (2 x 1.4kwH) x 24 hrs = ~67kwH/day = ~2000 kwH/mth = 8,000 Baht

conclusion: either the volume is less than 30k liters or the estimated 45 minutes turnover is incorrect.

but whatever it is i say your pond and your fish are <deleted> beautiful and i bloody envy you!