Hello All!
After many years of keeping fish in the house, I am finally planning to take my hobby outdoors with a dedicated koi pond. Ive spent the past 4-5 months researching but have only came across this forum until about a month ago. I plan on beginning construction in Spring 2021 so still have some time to finish planning.
First a couple specs.
We live in Northern Illinois and have clay soils.
Pond will be approx. 5000-6000 gallons.
Rough dimensions are 18x9 and 5.5-6 deep. First ledge for rockwork will be 12-18 deep, second ledge will be roughly 4 deep, floor sloped down to BD over 6-12.
Rockwork only around the top ledge, liner for the bottom and sides.
There are several large trees in the area, but most are about 50 away, however I am expecting a lot of leaves in the fall. I plan on having an oversized filter and netting in place during the fall for this.
Waterfall will be set back about 6 feet from the pond.
All work is DIY, I am very mechanically inclined and cheap...
Regarding budget, while money is a limitation, I do want whats best (but not necessarily THE best) for the fish.
I have sketched up the pond as I see it in my head but there are still a few questions.
Where do I need check valves?
Do I need knife valve at the settlement tank or anywhere else?
Is one 4 BD enough?
How much pitch do I need between the floor and the BD?
Do I need a concrete ledge for the rockwork, or can I forgo it since I have heavy clay soils?
How important is a bead filter? Can the waterfall adequately house the mech/bio filtration for this size pond?
If I have a bead filter, do I need to inject air into the waterfall or the bead filter?
Last question, are there some resources somewhere regarding comparisons of the various companies that offer pond kits? Its a little overwhelming from my point of view.
Thank you for any advice!
Doug