What You Need To Know About Above Ground Koi Ponds
Above ground koi ponds take a lot of time and commitment - but not necessarily money. If you are starting an above ground koi pond from scratch, then you are facing a considerable financial investment. You also need to find out from your local zoning board if you would be allowed to build an above ground koi pond on your property. But chances are you already have a pond or a big hole in the ground that you want to stock with koi.
The Ideal Koi Habitat
Because koi are so big, you can't just plunk them in any old container and expect them to survive. Ideally, an above ground koi pond should contain about 1000 gallons, which is about 48 square feet. If your pond is a lot smaller than this, then you could consider feeder goldfish instead. Remember - a gallon is not that big, so don't panic at the thought of 1000 gallons.
In order to be able to live in the above ground koi pond year round, it needs to be at least three feet deep. Not only will this help them to survive winter, but also in the height of summer. If your pond gets too hot, the koi will die of a fish version of heatstroke. But with a deep pond, they can chill out in cooler water.
Water Filter
All ponds must have a filtration system, not just above ground koi ponds. This keeps the water from turning stagnant and also keeps the chemical composition of your pond water stable. Any massive changes in water chemistry will stress out the koi and they will die. Also, stagnant water encourages algae growth and mosquitoes. You will have to hook the filter to a power source.
Predator Protection
Koi are considered delicacies to a large number of North American wildlife, including domestic cats. Raccoons are experts at fishing and so are birds of prey which swoop down from above. Some sort of scarecrow is recommended near you above ground koi pond, preferably one that can suddenly blast noise. Very thin netting is also an option, but this will make pond maintenance a bit more labor intensive. An electric fence can scare off many predators, including raccoons.
Also, other predators could be other kinds of fish. Be very careful what fish are introduced into your above ground koi pond. And be careful not to overstock the pond; the koi may turn on each other in the competition for resources.
