Koi Pond, Revisited

As is noted right at the start of the video linked below, pond designers and installers are learning that homeowners who get into the hobby tend to commission the system they really want after a couple of preliminary attempts. That’s what happened in this case, where a former client called us in to rework an existing koi pond to make it significantly larger than it had been originally.

The project itself was a fairly straightforward three-day event, but while the homeowners wanted to begin again with a new and larger watershape, there’s no way they wanted to start all over with their valuable collection of koi. As a result, we had to accommodate all of the fish while the reconstruction process you’ll see in the video moved along.

When we do this type of renovation, we set up multiple large containers, each holding about 250 gallons to give the large fish plenty of room to maneuver. We place an aerator in each tank, then cover them tightly with fully breathable shade netting to protect the fish from the sun as well as any predators.

As the project goes along, the koi become acclimated and relax in the new water. As the project begins wrapping up, we fill the pond, add conditioner and beneficial bacteria, then let it circulate for two full days to let the water age, gas off any chlorine and become fully oxygenated. Finally, we reintroduce the fish to what is already an extremely hospitable environment.

I take all the advantage I can of the two days after the pond is filled and treated, testing the water and observing things closely so I can do any tweaking that’s required to optimize the new ecosystem. That’s usually all the time it takes to make the new watershape move-in ready for its familiar and about-to-be-happier occupants.

To see the video on this project, click here.

Mike Gannon is owner and lead designer at Full Service Aquatics, a pond installation and service specialist based in Summit, N.J. A certified Aquascape contractor, he may be reached at [email protected].