A smaller Koi Pond...

Normally we recommend at least 10 000 litres

Since our Japanese Koi fish grow to 70cm at least, irrespective of the pond size.

But this was such a cute story I had to add it to the site...

 A Pond Keeper's Tale...

 Hi Guys,

 This is not my Koi pond. This is my 100 000 litre pool. My wife says no go, she wants to swim in it and I will keep it sparkling clean for her to do so!

 Any takers? (for the wife I mean)! Can you imagine a 3 m waterfall into this pond etc?

 So I am with my present knowledge and experience of doing it myself, confined to the little corner at the far end of the pool behind the kitty (that little black & white one posing on the far edge of the pool).

 And so, to a closer view: I have put in this fibre pond and water feature of about 500 litres with small UV sterilizer hidden under green 25l drum (a doll house to cover it would be nice for the two gnomes who live there too, but I cant find one).

 From UV sterilizer up into the homemade bio filter, the black 25 l drum at the top, utilizing two layers of filter wool and bio media of about 240 cheap plastic hair curlers each cut up into three (got two blisters doing that). This supplies crystal clear water at about 400l an hour to the top of the feature to trickle down into the little middle pond (With ornamental duck) This seems to have turned into a sort of settlement tank for the Zeolites from the Bio Vital I add weekly at the top of the fountain. The broader overflow trickling of this second tier is nice & relaxing after a hard day at the office!

 Kitty? No, shes not interested in fish. She has too many birds and goggas to catch to risk getting her feet wet.

 Heres a different view with the rock I sit on at feeding time. All plants in the pond are real and all plats outside the pond artificial. Both these pictures show that there is much algae in the stream of the water feature, which needs manual removing at least weekly.

 Theres very little algae in the main pond, after an initial struggle with green water before I put in the UV sterilizer and then a thick layer of algae all round of about10 to 15 cm thick, which I managed to beat with some algaecide. I decided not to try and eradicate algae altogether and rather put in two Plecustomuses (Plecustomi?), who have grown in leaps and bounds with plenty to eat. They seem to be doing a fine job.

 I cant remember when I enjoyed a project this much

 And then of course, the reason for this whole effort

 Happy Koi!   Six at the moment. One 10cm baby jumped out a week ago and got found too late. A lily has bloomed since taking these pictures. What a lovely sight!

 And thats about it. Shucks I've got to start digging that new pond.

William adds:

Thanks for an enchanting story! Of course we recommend digging really soon since your babies are going to grow and grow!