Pond stocking

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Ok so while i would say i know a fair amount about tropical fish and keeping and caring for them, when it comes to ponds my knolege is pretty non-existant.
Im trying to buy a house right now and it looks like i'll be getting it for sure and amoungst other things,it has a small garden. I would realy like to make a pond in it and have some koi karp and a sturgeon but i realy don't have a clue on how much space these fish need or where to start with researching them.
My mother who lives way back in salisbury has 4 ponds, 3 of which are frog ponds and 1 of which is a fish pond- it used to have a fair amount of fish in it but after years of herons and cats catching and eating the fish it only has 3 medium sized koi karp(one gold koi and 2 ghost koi)- the pond is very deep, about 4-5ft deep and about 9-10ft long and about 4-5ft wide and has no filtration.
Im sure there's alot more to keeping pond fish than just filling it up with water and plonking some fish in and there must be a cycle or somthing you have to go through, but where do i start and what do i have to know ?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Anyone? Just a little info please?

 

[ryan]

Koi ideally need around 1000 gallons and Sterlets (the smallest commonly available sturgeon species) needs 1500-2500 gallons. Alot of the work is in the planning when it comes to ponds. You'll need to decide if your going to use a liner of which there are several types or fibreglass the pond or prehaps use one of the other methods. Then filteration systems must be sorted out. Once this has been done the pond can be filled and up and running, plants are first after roughly a week and fish after two weeks introducing them only a few at a time.

This is a VERY basic guide so if you need any help in a specific area just ask away and we can help.

I and another member are currently (slowly!) compiling some information for a pinned topic on such a question.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Im planning on digging the hole for the pond and lining it with that thick black lining people use to make ponds(i don't know what its called?), how deep does the pond need to be for koi karp as live in england where ice can get pretty thick on ponds in winter...Do all koi grow massive or are there any smaller varietys available? What about other small types of pond fish? i don't like the realy fat fancy types of goldfish much...
How large in length, depth and width would a 1000gallon pond have to be roughly or a good measurements for one?

My lfs sells many types if pond pumps so getting a decent one won't be too much of a problem, i was thinking of having 2 ponds connected by 2 little streams would be nice- the garden isn't very big but i want to do it japanese style and i don't mind if the pond/s takes up half or more of the garden.

EDIT: oh yeah and thanks for the info so far ryan

 

[black angel]

all i know is that the koi need to practically stand upright to feed so then it would need to be at least 4 foot deep and with winter maybe 4.5 feet deep at least.
for other fish theres shubunkin and sarassa comets which are red and white. All koi grow really big over the years.
cant help with anything else i'm afraid, good luck with it all

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thanks for the info

 

[GSD]

erm comets are good or do u want koi?
i think you should do a small natural type pond with lilly and stuff they look good
mine has decking in the midle so we can sit there lol.Anyway comets are really nice pond fish i found and grow quite bigg,though not as big as koi

afew fish pics
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/CypriniiformPIX..._GoldfishAQ.jpg
http/www.finsandthings.co.uk/Koi_-_various.JPG

a link about building a pond
http/www.watergarden.com/pages/build_wg.html

a think thats it really lol

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thanks loads for the pond making link , i would like koi when it comes down to it but the comets also look realy nice- i don't mind just having a couple of each if they can mix well, i gathered that comets grow to about 10inchs but how large to koi grow on average?

 

[ryan]

Four feet deep is general recommended as a minimum unless the pond is heated or indoors. 6'x6'x4' or 8'x4'x4' are possible sizes but it all depends on your garden and any shape design you may want. All Koi varieties have the potential to reach 30" in the right conditions and some more, however, you generally don't see many over 24" unless in a specailists pond as the food, conditions and age all have a big effect. English and Israeli Koi seem to stay slightly smaller in my experience but there isn't much in it and they should be treated the same. Butyl liner is probably the most commonly used liner.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thanks for all the info everyone, puts a whole new perspective to building and stocking ponds! Im going try try and make the pond as big as i can, i only want maybe 3 koi and 4 comets, is this a good mix?
I want to have 2 ponds connected by 2 little streams, the first pond being about 6ftX6ft and 4ft deep and the second one 5ftX5ft wide and 3ft deep and the streams about 2ft wide and 2ft deep with a pump to power them around the garden; with just the ponds themselves, how many gallons would they be roughly and how many comets/koi could i have?

 

[Valyrian]

You should check out Butterfly Koi. They are BEAUTIFUL and from all the sources I've seen, they only grow to about 2 feet.

Here are some pics.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

WOW those are gorgeous ! Are they very rare though or could i pick them up at my lfs type of place or woud i need to contact a specialist breeder or somone?

 

[Valyrian]

I'm sure you could find them in fish stores, but you might have to look a little. Some fish stores in my area have them and some don't. Blackwater Creek Koi Farms is the leading producer of quality butterfly koi.

 

[George&Ade]

Hi Tokis.

Not sure what part of somerset your in,but theres a place called "blagdon water centre" at blagdon who are excellent for all pond equipment (pumps,filters,food,plants,lighting,and of course a large selection of fish including butterfly koi.)

Ive been there a few times and can quite easily spend a couple of hours walking round.....(also a refrehment area).

Their website is www.blagdonwatergardens.co.uk

It also includes directions on how to get there.

Good luck

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Thanks for the info , i live in the Wincanton town area too