We decided to build a Koi pond and planned on doing the construction ourselves. The original idea was to use one or two plastic basins or maybe a liner. When we searched around for a source of supplies we found a place called Earthworks in Jacksonville, Fl. That’s about a half hour drive from where we live so we jumped in the car and went to check it out. When we got there we found four or five of the most beautiful Koi ponds we’d ever seen. Their use of large rocks and natural appearing design were just what I had pictured. I instantly decided we were going to hire these guys to build our pond. We met with Jason, the Earthworks designer and talked about what we had in mind. I’m a Japanese garden enthusiast and wanted a natural look. I collected some photos from the web to help describe what I had in mind and Jason came up with a beautiful design. It uses larges boulders in a low three tier waterfall that splits off in two directions where it enters the pond. This provides an exciting visual statement but also establishes good water circulation throughout the pond. The waterfall drop is probably only 3’ but looks much larger. The pond itself is about 10’ x 5’ x 2.5’ deep. It meets the shallow end of our pool with a narrow divider of garden area. The right side of the pond has three large flat stepping stones that provide access to the backside of the pool and also give a nice spot for feeding the Koi. The pond itself is shelved with two layers and covered with medium sized river rock that matches the color of the Tennessee moss rock used in the waterfall.
We hand picked a nice little Japanese Maple that sits at the highest point and overhangs the hidden source of the waterfall. We added azaleas and some ferns from the woods behind our home. Across the front of the pond are some low level plantings and a bed of Mondo Grass. There are several types of water plants in the pond as well as two nice Water Lillies.
The pond uses a variable speed pump which was nice at first because we could change the flow and sound of the waterfall using a hand held remote. Over the last two years though we’ve found a speed that satisfies us best so if we ever need to replace the pump we’ll just choose a single speed one rated at that flow to save the extra expense. At the far right side of the pond is a skimmer hidden under a large flat plastic rock. Lifting the “rock” exposes a mesh basket filter and the pump. The water is piped up to a biological filter at the top of the waterfall. When the pond was first filled up we added about five Koi to help start the natural chemical process that maintains a healthy pond. Algae forms on the rocks in the water, the fish eat the algae and release waste in the form of ammonia through their gills into the water. The ammonia breaks down into nitrites and these are converted to nitrates by the bio filter. Nitrates are a source of food for algae so the cycle continues.
The Japanese Maple really adds some pizzazz with its Fall color. The ferns are very happy in this location and give a nice variety of texture. When we built the pond and pool we knew we were going to have plants that were sensitive to heat and sunlight so we used “no see-um” screen on the top of the screened enclosure to provide a diffused sunlight. The sides are covered with regular screen to allow for better airflow. The screened enclosure allows us to use the whole back yard 24/7 year round. Without it the Florida sun would fry us during the day and the mosquitoes would eat us at night. Our home backs up on a preserve that has a swamp in the middle and the bugs can be a real problem. This area has other critters too including about 7 different kinds of snakes, armadillos, raccoons, bobcats, black bear and alligators. The screened enclosure and it's low 2' perimeter wall help to keep them all on the outside where they belong. The Koi are protected from flying predators too. The enclosure was definitely a good investment.
