Thursday, January 1, 2009

Koi Garden Ponds Make Your Property Gorgeous

By G.M. Williams

Koi garden ponds do wonders to spruce up your yard. They are exotic and calming, not to mention beautiful. However, putting one together takes quite a bit of work. You first need to learn how to care for the Japanese Koi fish. These playful, frisky, and vibrant fish add a touch of the Orient to any garden, but maintaining the pond takes quite a bit of effort.

Building a Koi pond in particular requires a lot of time and effort. You need to make sure that you have plenty of time and resources before you even start. It is worth it to have a Koi pond, because it can be so relaxing and visually gorgeous. However, you have to put a lot of work into it.

A Koi garden pond is relatively simple to construct but you have to make sure you do it right. First and foremost, it cannot be built in direct sunlight. Koi fish are extremely sensitive and they need to be treated as such. Many people wall in their ponds, which protects the fish from the sun. Some people also elect to build them beneath trees. However, you should only do this if the tree does not frequently shed its leaves. Otherwise those dry leaves will raise the pH level in the water.

A Koi garden needs to be properly sized. The fish can grow upwards of forty pounds and three feet long. You need to construct a pond which is big enough to accommodate and encourage their growth. You should also bear in mind that sometimes the size of the pond determines how big the fish get.

Insofar as pond maintenance is concerned, you can make your job easier by building the pond with a pond liner or a pre-made pond. Pond liners are generally recommended because then you can increase its size without any real problems.

When building a Koi pond, feel free to include aquatic plants and other features. Underwater plants will provide plenty of controlled nutrients to the fish. They will also keep the fishes safe from the sun. Water lilies, dwarf papyrus, cannas, lily pads, irises, and similar plants and flowers are ideal. However, they must be inaccessible to the fish, which like to nibble on plants. You should also line the bottom with gravel and pebbles. These allow beneficial bacteria to breed.

The water in a Koi pond is important as well. Koi are very sensitive, so the water's pH level should be neutral. Filtration and aeration systems are highly recommended. Look for ones with both biological filters and UV filters. A drain in the bottom of the pond is a good idea as well.

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