New bonsai garden, including koi pond!

[amcoffeegirl]

Since you already have a guy in the area that deals with koi and has a good selection. Maybe just work with him.
Healthy fish are worth the price paid.
After making such a beautiful pond it deserves to have quality fish.
My imports below.lol

 

[Adair M]

Looks like an archeologist dig. Serious stuff going on. It's going to be worth the Hassel of the disturbance it causes in the process. Enjoying the progression and explaining of what each photo is.

Excited to see the final image come forth!

What’s amazing is we have found very few rocks! He’a Been able to sculpt the clay exactly as he’s wanted. The fun begins when the boulders come in!

First comes the underpayment and liner, of course, but when the rocks come, then it will start to look like something.

 

[Doug J]

We went thru several iterations, then came up with this.

We let the pond guy determine the pond layout first. Actually, during that meeting, we were all here together, and the pond guy could figure out how to best use the slope and lay of the land. Once that was done, the landscape architect could do his thing.

3 pieces of advice from an experienced koi keeper: (I'm into koi more than bonsai....go ahead and summon the lynching party!)

Make sure you test for KHV before introducing new koi

Do not overstock ( 1 fish per 250 gallons max)

Make sure to install a bottom drain. If you are building this pond and not including a bottom drain, then you are screwing up. BIG TIME. Fact check me. You NEED a bottom drain. Maybe two. Depending on how many gallons. I have not done my due diligence and read all posts on this thread...maybe you have a bottom drain etc. I will say no more....just be sure to install a bottom drain or two.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm so glad it's going together without hiccup. We have huge rock formations here. And when we dug the garage out (neighbors cottage we purchased.) Escavating was triple what quoted. Had to rent equipment he didn't have to get under the cottage and break it up. What a headache...glad you haven't ran into such a thing.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Awe cute little water Frenchies

Since you already have a guy in the area that deals with koi and has a good selection. Maybe just work with him.
Healthy fish are worth the price paid.
After making such a beautiful pond it deserves to have quality fish.
My imports below.lol
View attachment 254937View attachment 254938

 

[Adair M]

3 pieces of advice from an experienced koi keeper: (I'm into koi more than bonsai....go ahead and summon the lynching party!)

Make sure you test for KHV before introducing new koi

Do not overstock ( 1 fish per 250 gallons max)

Make sure to install a bottom drain. If you are building this pond and not including a bottom drain, then you are screwing up. BIG TIME. Fact check me. You NEED a bottom drain. Maybe two. Depending on how many gallons. I have not done my due diligence and read all posts on this thread...maybe you have a bottom drain etc. I will say no more....just be sure to install a bottom drain or two.

Thanks for the advice. Bottom drain vs no bottom drain philosophy with koi is the equivalent of soil wars in bonsai.

This pond is built with no bottom drain. I do plan on keeping koi, but it’s primarily a water garden rather than a pure koi pond.

If for some reason koi don’t work, I can just keep goldfish.

 

[Bolero]

Beautiful...when did you win the Lotto ???

 

[leatherback]

Beautiful...when did you win the Lotto ???

or better.. which tree did he sell!?

 

[namnhi]

or better.. which tree did he sell!?

...and how many? Looks like once it is all done. The whole thing might worth as much as a Tesla.

 

[Adair M]

Got rocks?

 

[CasAH]

Got rocks?

View attachment 255026

Did Aquascape ship those rocks to you? They are the same type of rock they have in their display ponds inside their store in the west suburbs of Chicago.

 

[MrWunderful]

Moving along quick. Looking forward to seeing the final product.

 

[Adair M]

Did Aquascape ship those rocks to you? They are the same type of rock they have in their display ponds inside their store in the west suburbs of Chicago.

Well, kinda sorta. I do have an Aquascape Certified pond builder. And he ordered them. From a rock yard in Dahlonega. The rocks are “Tennessee Field Stone”.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Very cool stuff.

 

[Adair M]

I am now the proud owner of “The Leaning Tower of Pebbles”!

 

[MACH5]

Got rocks?

View attachment 255026

Shweeeet! This is gonna be awesome!!

 

[Traken]

I am now the proud owner of “The Leaning Tower of Pebbles”!

View attachment 255067

Behold, the most awkward game of Jenga, ever.

 

[Adair M]

Progress!





That’s padding that goes between the clay and the liner.

 

[ysrgrathe]

Thanks for the advice. Bottom drain vs no bottom drain philosophy with koi is the equivalent of soil wars in bonsai.

Respectfully, I don't think there is any debate. Anyone who knows anything about koi would recommend a bottom drain on a new pond. Active debate is more over the best/cheapest filtration.

If you decide to look at goldfish there are some great options:
Blackwater Creek Sanke Gold
www.raingarden.us often has interesting comets

In this pic (look familiar?) the "sanke" looking fish is a "sanke gold" goldfish, the reds are both from Raingarden. The yellow longfin is the only actual koi.

 

[Adair M]

Respectfully, I don't think there is any debate. Anyone who knows anything about koi would recommend a bottom drain on a new pond. Active debate is more over the best/cheapest filtration.

If you decide to look at goldfish there are some great options:
Blackwater Creek Sanke Gold
www.raingarden.us often has interesting comets

In this pic (look familiar?) the "sanke" looking fish is a "sanke gold" goldfish, the reds are both from Raingarden. The yellow longfin is the only actual koi.

Those are certainly beautiful fish!

I understand I am not installing a pure “koi pond”. I’m putting in a “waterfeature pond” that will just so happen to have koi. Or perhaps goldfish. Before I started construction, the koi fish guy I met with was insistent upon doing exactly like you said: a 5 foot deep pond, no gravel, dual bottom filters, etc.

But that’s not what I wanted.

I’m not planning on putting in Show quality fish. What I want is an attractive pond. Pretty fish is a bonus. Koi, gold fish, I really don’t care. I plan on keeping it under stocked.

The liner is going in!





Still stretching it out!