[quote=Koitoy] Just to counter balance the 'how not to do it' and the 'how to burn money faster' approaches....

Here's the 'how to do it extremely cost effectively and end up with very happy koi' approach

1) Dig hole in diggable ground, at a steady pace, couple of cubic yards at a time, over winter when it is convenient to wear thick clothes and heavy boots.... Dig down 1.5' over most of the area, ramp sides up by one foot (big tip, dig half the depth, use dug stuff to raise sides aka dig half a pond to make full depth)

2) 40' x 20' was the target. To cost effectively use 25' wide roll stuff.

3) 45° Angled sides go to a 30" deep area (deep enough for a bucket, with water lilies to have 18" water over them) Angled sides discourage herons, they don't like steep pond sides

4) Kidney narrow mid section has a five foot pit, where sediments drift and gather in, the rest of the 30" deep area gently shelves toward the 5' deep 'pit'

5) Pond size, depth and volume is calculated to accommodate five breeding size koi...

stats: 13,000 gallons, in effect 2,500 gallons per fish. With 60% of the pond area heavily planted with classy waterlilies, the water quality of that volume of water being filtered by aquatics easily coped with five fish. The fish had tons of tasty tid bits to spare and females spawned three times a year, with a little perk of meaty tidbits

No pumps, filters or water squelching devices. Yes, there was a pleasant paddle to rake out sediments drifting into the five foot deep pit on a day warm for paddling, a couple of dozen buckets to tip out in the bog bed made for gunnera, nest to the koi pond.

Because of the low density fish levels and very big margin of safety on water quality, nothing other than topping up required with a hose pipe. Maybe sprinkle the pond on a hot day to oxygenate it toward dawn, using existing timer switch

Fish never ill over ten year period... Modest Copper sulphate doses in Autumn and Spring, to suppress fungus

Cost? Maybe $40 for the liner (traded for with classy aquatic plants) aka zilch...

Shovel? barely used, already in shed

Stone bridge across part of the pond? that is another story...

Regards, andy
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