AzFishKid's 2,500 Gallon Koi Pond [PIC HEAVY]

[AzFishKid]

Awesome pond! I like the waterfall and the rocks in the pond. I hope someday to have a nice pond when I get a house with a yard. (condo right now)

Maybe swap out the koi for mbuna then having the rocks will be okay?

Not a fan of koi myself, I live in Hawaii and I get tired of mostly seeing koi in ponds all over, maybe I should start seeding them with cichlids hehehe...but I like your pond a lot.

Thanks! I didn't know koi were popular in hawaii - is it a pretty big thing there amongst fish keepers?

I really like it. I hope to have a nice pond out back one of these years, but with the hard clay it is a bear to dig it down deep enough. That is about the size I would like to try.

Yeah they're really a pain to build if the soil is hard. But if you can figure it out, they're so worth it!

[fastfreddie]

Awesome! Your back yard is so cool. You don't have to mow grass!!!!!!!!!!! The pond looks great and I'm glad you didn't let the snappy comments on p.1 get you down. Felt like we were on youtube for a second.

Checking out the turtle pond now. I wish you had moved to Greensboro so your parents could build a cool pond here, but it seems like you have it made out there in AZ too.

Looking forward to more updates on the pond!

[JennaH]

your pond is great! very pretty. you have a typical AZ backyard..rocks haha. but it's really big! must be out east

[AzFishKid]

Awesome! Your back yard is so cool. You don't have to mow grass!!!!!!!!!!! The pond looks great and I'm glad you didn't let the snappy comments on p.1 get you down. Felt like we were on youtube for a second.

Checking out the turtle pond now. I wish you had moved to Greensboro so your parents could build a cool pond here, but it seems like you have it made out there in AZ too.

Looking forward to more updates on the pond!

Yeah we don't mow much grass here lol!

If we would have moved to greensboro, we would have had a HUGE pond. Housing there is so much more affordable than it is here in Arizona.

your pond is great! very pretty. you have a typical AZ backyard..rocks haha. but it's really big! must be out east

Thanks!

We live in PV. The lots are pretty big around here.

[C2C]

do you have any pictures of construction

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by C2C

do you have any pictures of construction

Nope, i wish we did though.

Someday i'll get around to posting some new pictures.

[lilhelper]

I am not meaning to insult your efforts and beauty of your pond.
But unfortunately, this is not really a koi pond. It is more of a water garden that houses koi.

You may think that they are the same thing, but they are not.

BTW, hey pskorf.

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by lilhelper

I am not meaning to insult your efforts and beauty of your pond.
But unfortunately, this is not really a koi pond. It is more of a water garden that houses koi.

You may think that they are the same thing, but they are not.

BTW, hey pskorf.

By koi pond, i mean a pond with koi.
I know no one is trying to insult, but i wish people wouldn't criticize for it not being a "true koi pond" or whatever.

These are the kinds of ponds people have in Arizona, lol. Can't really have a lush, green setup in the desert.

[EdTheEdge]

Originally Posted by AzFishKid

but we like our pond the way it is.

And yes, there is a skimmer.

You go Kid! That is all that matters. Peope are sometime TOO opinionated <-- trying to be nice here.

If it works and you enjoy it what more can one ask for????

SWEET pond BTW! Now I'm off to check out your turtle pond!

[Karackle]

VERY cool pond! I've been to arizona and that's about the most greenery I've seen!

So I was looking at your turtle pond thread and I have what is maybe a dumb question....why not bring the walls of the turtle pond back down and let the turtles wander between the two if they want? Or would they injure the koi or the ecosystem? I don't know much about turtles or koi OR ponds so please pardon my ignorance if there is a really simple answer to this question. I was just curious

Either way, both bonds are very cool, I LOVE the waterfall and the water lilies in this one too! well done!

[lilhelper]

Originally Posted by AzFishKid

By koi pond, i mean a pond with koi.
I know no one is trying to insult, but i wish people wouldn't criticize for it not being a "true koi pond" or whatever.

These are the kinds of ponds people have in Arizona, lol. Can't really have a lush, green setup in the desert.

Its okay, no one ever truly has a koi pond.
There are just simple practices that make keeping koi much much easier and better.
Another piece of advice is remove the rocks from the bottom of the pond.
They are a harbor for bacteria and crap to accumulate.
It will make your filter work a whole lot more. Another thing would be to put a valve to restrict the flow so that you can run it at half power during normal usage and then full power during backwash.

[AzFishKid]

Originally Posted by EdTheEdge

You go Kid! That is all that matters. Peope are sometime TOO opinionated <-- trying to be nice here.

If it works and you enjoy it what more can one ask for????

SWEET pond BTW! Now I'm off to check out your turtle pond!

Yeah, i don't care if people share their opinions, but i just want everyone to know that i am well aware that it is not a traditional koi pond. Again, my family and I enjoy our pond the way it is, and have no plans on changing it in the future. And that is all that matters.

Thanks for the compliments! Glad others are enjoying it.

VERY cool pond! I've been to arizona and that's about the most greenery I've seen!

So I was looking at your turtle pond thread and I have what is maybe a dumb question....why not bring the walls of the turtle pond back down and let the turtles wander between the two if they want? Or would they injure the koi or the ecosystem? I don't know much about turtles or koi OR ponds so please pardon my ignorance if there is a really simple answer to this question. I was just curious

Either way, both bonds are very cool, I LOVE the waterfall and the water lilies in this one too! well done!

You know, i had thought about doing that when we first built the ponds, but our yard backs in to a wash, which is home to snakes and coyotes. The wall is just to protect them. They always try to escape to go to the Koi Pond, but it's just not safe for them. When we first had the pond built, i had an African Sideneck Turtle and an Eastern Painted Turtle, which both mysteriously disappeared. When the wall was still short, one of my turtles would escape and "hide" in between some rocks in the koi pond, thinking that i didn't see her. So i'd get her out, put her back in the turtle pond, and find her back in the koi pond a few hours later.

Thanks for the compliments too! The water lilies are my favorite part i think. The flowers that bloom from them are really pretty.

Its okay, no one ever truly has a koi pond.
There are just simple practices that make keeping koi much much easier and better.
Another piece of advice is remove the rocks from the bottom of the pond.
They are a harbor for bacteria and crap to accumulate.
It will make your filter work a whole lot more. Another thing would be to put a valve to restrict the flow so that you can run it at half power during normal usage and then full power during backwash.

If the rocks at the bottom become a problem, we'll drain the pond and remove them. But for now, they don't seem to cause any harm, and the little fish like hiding between them. We live near a golf course where a bunch of huge birds hang out, and they occasionally fly on over and snatch some of our fish. The rocks help protect them.

Can you explain what you mean by the valve?

[Karackle]

Originally Posted by AzFishKid

yard backs in to a wash, which is home to snakes and coyotes. The wall is just to protect them. They always try to escape to go to the Koi Pond, but it's just not safe for them. When we first had the pond built, i had an African Sideneck Turtle and an Eastern Painted Turtle, which both mysteriously disappeared.

A very good answer! I wouldn't want the little gals to go disappearing on you! So then if it's for protection from large wild critters, I totally understand!

And yeah, from the pictures you took of those waterlily flowers, they looks simply gorgeous! I love it! And I'm sure they provide some good protection for the baby fish along with the rocks

[lilhelper]

Originally Posted by AzFishKid

Yeah, i don't care if people share their opinions, but i just want everyone to know that i am well aware that it is not a traditional koi pond. Again, my family and I enjoy our pond the way it is, and have no plans on changing it in the future. And that is all that matters.

Thanks for the compliments! Glad others are enjoying it.



You know, i had thought about doing that when we first built the ponds, but our yard backs in to a wash, which is home to snakes and coyotes. The wall is just to protect them. They always try to escape to go to the Koi Pond, but it's just not safe for them. When we first had the pond built, i had an African Sideneck Turtle and an Eastern Painted Turtle, which both mysteriously disappeared. When the wall was still short, one of my turtles would escape and "hide" in between some rocks in the koi pond, thinking that i didn't see her. So i'd get her out, put her back in the turtle pond, and find her back in the koi pond a few hours later.

Thanks for the compliments too! The water lilies are my favorite part i think. The flowers that bloom from them are really pretty.



If the rocks at the bottom become a problem, we'll drain the pond and remove them. But for now, they don't seem to cause any harm, and the little fish like hiding between them. We live near a golf course where a bunch of huge birds hang out, and they occasionally fly on over and snatch some of our fish. The rocks help protect them.

Can you explain what you mean by the valve?

A simple twist valve to control the flow. you can find these at many water garden shops. That way you can slow down the filter so it can be more effective. and speed it up during backwash.

[StillLearning]

AzFishKid nice koi pond You need to get a uv for that though this way you enjoy it alot more.. I am glad your not taking others comments to heart. Maybe they can show us what there real koi ponds look like in there backyards....

Here is a pic of some of my koi waiting for food to come down the current from the waterfall.