Ok, so first I was hoping to get a 350 gallon pond, then 500, now I think my parents have agreed to a 2000 gallon pond!!!! So I was gonna have 16 goldifsh, now i've added 6 koi to that!..But Im first gonna have 7 goldfish and 5 koi (not gonna get the all at once ofcourse) and then keep some fry that survive. Ok, now more questions, in my magazine it said something about a bottom drain and that thats something u should have, what is it and will I need it? I checked out the skippy filter, its too confusing for me but maybe my dad can build it, does it use a motor or something, or how does it work? And does anyone know of any sites that explain how to make a waterfall? Thanks!

Shamu one full grown Koi needs 1000 g I would stock with the adult size in mind.

really, everything I read says 250, ok, maybe i'll get only 1 then , but whatevers best for the fish I guess

I thought it just depends how deep the pond is, Im planning to make it about 26-28 inches deep, is that still only big enough for 1, what about 2? Cause it said that its 250 gallons per koi as long as its at least 24 inches deep, but if u say that they need a least 1000 gallons, no matter how deep it is, I guess i'll have to be happy with less

Make sure it's deep enough to keep the raccoons away. My friend lost his fishes to them and the LFS owner told him that his pond was way too shallow to deter the critters. I don't know what the depth requirements are, I'm sure RYUU knows.

so far, to keep preadtors away my plans were to make steep edges on the pond, make it about 26 inches deep, provide the fish with plenty of hiding places, put one of those heron statue thingies in the pond to keep other animals away and maybe one of those motion detection water spraying thingies, any other suggestions? And what about the koi? 2 ok, or only 1, with this depth?

I don't keep koi regularly but I've got a friend who runs a big Japanese water garden. His oldest fish there is 75 and was originally cared for by his dad. Any time I have Koi questions I talk to Mr Yakimura. He's told me that adult koi need at least 1000gs. Koi ponds he believes should be 28 - 30in deep. All edges should be steep. Shallow ledges should be no wider than 5in as this width he's found makes it harder for water birds to perch on the sides. He also recommends feeding from only one place every day. This way the fish only come to one edge of the pond and don't expect food to come from something that just walks up to any random spot on the pond.

Hope some of that helps. If you have any more questions I can't answer I can probably ask him. I think Ranchugirl keeps koi too so I'm sure she'd know alot more than me.

That is so cool!

That is cool isn't it! The fish is 25 years older than him!

wow, thats amazing, I didnt know they could live that long! I was planning on having steep edges to stop racoons and other animals, but I also have my doggie, she doesnt let any animals onto the yard, and she wouldnt hurt the fishies, but just incase i'll also get something else to keep predators away. So what about that bottom drain? Will I need one? And how do they work? Do they get attached to the filter?

Here's a site that has most (if not all) the equipment you need to know about and they even offer free tech assistance!

Shamu, I've got a 2000 gallon pond and would NEVER even entertain the thought of having koi. Many koi keepers make their ponds six feet to eight feet deep, tens of thousands of gallons, AND with massive filtration systems..... Koi poop is a major issue for filters to deal with. At the last koi show I went to on Saturday, I priced advanced filtration out. The cheaper ones were $600 without the pump (another several hundred dollars) and the one I really wanted was $2500. Believe me, you don't want koi in your new pond.

Get comets, shubbies -- maybe section off a part of the pond and have fancies outside in the summer.... but no koi, unless your parents want to spend your college fund on a 20,000 gallon pool. If, at some point, you decide that you want a koi pond, build a separate one.....

Check out www.koishack.com for pics of the best koi ponds.

On the plus side, you'll be able to have really lovely water plants for the goldfish. You know you're a really lucky kid to have such great, willing parents.

ok, so no koi at all I guess, maybe once Im more experienced and have another really big pond. But hey, that means I can have like 66 single tailed goldfish if I give 30 gallons per fish! Wow, thats alot, cool! I guess I really am lucky, I remember yesterday I was telling my friend that I was getting a 500 gallon pond, then today I told her that its changed to 2000 gallons and she was just like "what?!?!? Thats pretty big!!!", lol, that is kinda a big change I guess, I think my parents will actually be kinda happy that Im not getting koi since they're expensive. So anyway, I made another diagram, a top view one, i'll show it to u guys later cause I wanna know if this is gonna work out. So I drew 2 bottom drains, then I made the pipes connect to each other and then go into the filter and then another pipe going back into the pond. Is that how it works? Can anyone post a side view of how the pipes attached to the bottom drains are placed under the liner? Since they'll ahve to come to the surface at some point, does it first go straight then up at a 90 degree angle? And now I read about skimmers, will I need that too?!?!? Wow, I never thought u'd need so many accessories for a pond, but Im sure it'll be worth it.

A skimmer and bottom drains are excellent ideas. I wish I'd planned for them when I put my pond in. The bottom drains will make cleaning the bottom A LOT easier, and the Skimmer will keep a lot of junk off the surface. Both are great ideas.

If you're planning a new pond, you should invest in both.

BTW, on the number of fish..... I started with SIX fish in my 2000 gallon pond and they bred like crazy..... You may want to think in terms of QUALITY and stock the best fish you can afford, keeping the number down in the beginning, then they'll breed..... Remember, your pond will cycle like an aquarium, so you can't overload it at first...... I'm sure you know this, but I'm just saying it for anyone who is lurking.....

In time, I had over 100 fish in the pond and had to rehome a bunch of them. There are like 40 in there now, not including the babies I can't see. They do breed, so you want to take that into consideration.

I'm so happy for you Shamu -- can't wait to see your diagram. You're doing the right thing by doing a lot of planning now.

thanks again for the help, I did think about the fact that they will breed, ofcourse i'll start out with about 2 or 3 when its cycling, i'll get about 30 and keep some fry, rehome the rest, Im sure my new favorite lfs would take some cause he has alot of room for more goldies, i'll ask him once I get my pond. Now that I actually measured the area where I want my pond I think it'll actually turn out bigger than 2000 gallons if we actually make it that size, I counted 90 feet all the way around and it will probably be 2 feet deep sloping down to 4 feet, i'll go calculate that on the internet quickly. Where can u get bottom drains that go above the liner? I really think those would be easier.

ok, I just calculated, it turns out to be around 2020 gallons, thats pretty close to 2000 gallons

Also, remember if you have an external filter you can include that in your calculations. I have 2078 PLUS about 80 more gallons in the Skippy Filter, so that's 2158 roughly.... give or take a few gallons for displacement of plants, hidey tunnels and such......

One word of advice -- you may want to make sure that the width of your pond is not so wide that you can't reach the center of the pond with a siphon or vac hose -- just in case you need to vacuum or clear a bottom drain. Plenty of koi people have to SNORKLE to the bottom of their 8 foot deep ponds to clear out drains..... Another reason I don't have a koi pond.

My reflecting pool/pond is only 5.5 feel wide, so getting to the center is no problem from anywhere along the side of the pond..... That makes maintenance easy.

yeah i'll calculate all that, and I dont really mind getting wet, i'll get into the pond to clean it if I have to

Well, LOL, you MIGHT mind it if it's March and still icy outside and you have to get to the center of the pond to clear a drain, and it's so cold that you can't feel your arms or legs after a couple of minutes in the water..... OR when it STINGS the second you wade into the pond to fish out the dog or fix something in the middle of February...... IT's not fun then. Believe me.... Maybe you can convice your dad to do it, if it ever needs to be done, LOL....

in february it'll probably still be frozen, but even if its cold I dont usually mind it, not like Im gonna go swimming in it lol, but even if its too cold, theres always a way for everything lol

Lol, i would just get my wetsuit on