koi keepers ?

Hi, I've kept koi in the past and have been very keen on Japanese gardens. Any fellow koi keepers out there ?
gazania

 

Yup

 

So Freddy, any pond/koi details. pictures ?
gazania

 

A moment...

 

Some pics...not great, but you get the idea

 

It's a 2,200 gallon pond, with bottom drain feeding a sieve/bead filter. I have more fish now, since I took these pics. I'll upload these tomorrow, if you like?

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Hi Freddy, that's a nice looking pond. And yes, I look forward to seeing your new koi so post as many pics as you can.
When did you finish the pond ?
Any problems since the build/things you would like to change ?
What did you put between the blocks and liner ?
How is the wood fixed to the top of the pond wall ?
Where do you buy your koi ?
gazania

 

Hi Gazania.

A little more info. The pond is 10ftx7ftx5ft deep. I finished it last July, I think. Between the wall and liner, I used 25mm Jablite, which is basically Polystyrene. I fixed it using plastic nails, but one could easily use regular sealant instead. To be honest, I'm not totally satisfied with it. I much prefer the more natural look of a fully sunken pond. The wood isn't fixed, as I didn't want to have fixings showing. My thinking was that if I needed to, I could fix it later, and so far, this has worked ok. As for where I got the fish from, various places. It's not easy getting good quality Koi in the Bristol area, apart from Yume Koi, but they are a bit expensive, to say the least! If you really want to know where I got them from, I can add more details later BTW, the wood was VERY expensive, but I had little choice. The skimmer was set too low, so I had to use something that would drop the level of the edging, hence the use of a hardwood, known as Iroko. More to follow....

 

Hi Freddy, that's a nice size for a pond. And yes, ground level sunken ponds do look better BUT imagine how much deeper you would have to dig ! I like sunken ponds as you get a chance to do a lot more planting around the edges, giving it a more natural/Japanese look. But then a raised pond gives you a closer look at the koi and it is easier to spot problems if they occur.
Yume koi do have exceptional koi and he certainly knows what he is talking about. I have spoken to him a few times at shows. Do you go to koi shows ?
Look forward to reading more
gazania

 

I had Koi once freddie. " moves back. Had a bronze once that was King of the pack and would take food from my fingers.
Called him Charlie Bronson. He was a big chap. Very nice set up you have there.

 

Lovely Freddy....The wood looks ace...i love it.....

 

Freddy love it a Smashing job Well Done & for Showing us

 

Ok, as promised, some pics of the Koi....









The pics could have been better, but it's the glare! That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it

 

Hey nice koi Freddy. A nice mix. By the looks of the chagoi it looks like it gets its fair share of food My friend had a chag just over a metre long.
Water looks clear. I've never used a bead filter but it looks to be doing a good job. Are you passing the water through a UV ? Is the pond heated ?
thanks,
gazania

 

Sure, there's a U/V I can't afford to heat, so they have to take their chances. TBH, I prefer the look of Koi that grow in 'natural' conditions. I saw some that were in a heated pond, and they looked more like donkeys, fat and unfit, but that's just my opinion.​