# Koi pond newbie questions



## reeferRob (May 29, 2011)

I am just getting out of Saltwater aquarium keeping and want to build a koi pond. I have a couple questions

1. I have a 26" PacFab Meteor sand filter for pools in great shape. Can it be converted into a bead filter or similar Mechanical/Biological filter usable for koi ponds?

2. I have a 500 gal/day RO/DI unit. Is Ro water acceptable water for koi ponds or is it not worth the effort?

Thanks

Rob


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## saltydad (Jun 27, 2008)

Hi Rob- I have never found the need for RO/DI water in my pond. The koi do fine on my household water fed through a garden house. I also just use the equivalent of a Berlin system. The rocks in my 1,000 gallon pond, plus 6 ft. stream and waterfall are the biological filter medium. I do have a foam screen in my surface skimmer, but that's it for filtration. If you wwere thinking about breeding, you may possibly need better water parameters, but after seeing the mud pools the breeders use in the Orient, I doubt it. Good luck. (But keep up your reefkeeping interests. I now have reefs, FW and ponds!)


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Rob, RO/DI water would be a waste of money for you to use in an outdoor pond where there are tons more variables then an indoor glass box.
Id stay clear of the RO water, fill it with the hose, let it cycle for a few days to get the water up to ambient outdoor temp.......as far as the filter goes, YES you can, steam clean it well(coin car washes work great for this, just rinse the soap out of the line very well then steam the filter housings).

I produce 425gpd of RO so I understand in wanting to just use it but in an outdoor pond it would be a waste of effort and time as well as cash for the water bull errr bill.


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## reeferRob (May 29, 2011)

Yeah. that is kind of what i thought about the RO water

As far as the filtration i read on some website that a pool's sand filter can actually be bad for a koi pond, due to some reason to do with the bio bed....... I dunno can't remember now - but it looks like I am not going to use that. I do plan on a waterfall and eventually a stream maybe

I REALLY loved reefing!! I had 2 x 300g systems (1 in the LR and 1 in a spare room for QT and frags. MANY $1000s worth of sps, then I got AEFW and a Harley and that was it, something had to go and wasn't going to be the HAWG! Ride On!


Thanks you guys for the replies!


Rob


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## Koilady (Mar 4, 2011)

The most important thing for any pond or aquarium is water quality. We've been making our own downflow filter for years and it keeps our water clear and fear of hair algae and our fish are healthy and happy. I have a diagram of this filter and I can answer any questions you may have on how to build it and how it converts toxins.

Your's Koily, Lorraine


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## DustyFish (Jul 29, 2013)

Pond/4'x8'x18"/above ground over cement patio,cement block, clr + blk plastic lined/Freshwater in Thailand. Pond is @ rental hse/original clr plstc failed & replaced/new clr+blk plstc./no filter/fish = mosquito eaters 20 +/- (hard to count)/now new Koi were added 12 (4"-5")+2 Catfish species=?

Original 2-3" layer of stinking 'muck' removed @ new set-up. Potted plants 2 (lilies) with new blossoms + floating duck-weed/H20 chem=?/cycled yet=?/potted plants in dirt + cloth over dirt, overlaid with rocks. Brother & wife on 4yr assignment/US $'s are low= Yes, need filter/H2O test kit. 

Prob. = 'MUCK' is back. After new set-up, H2O was clear.

(Q=?) residual from 'pots' ?/ Koi 'kicking-up' as swimming ?/water cloudy (algae bloom ?)/can msqt eaters eat Koi food ? originally not fed , they ate larva, healthy, breeding/all fish swim quickly & 'gobble-up' food. Food pellets, float & sink/msqt eaters 1st on 'site', push pellets around, eat=?/would H2O pump to move H2O around, suck up msqt eaters ?

In Thailand,ALL electricity is 220v, all USA equipment 110v is N/G. 

Thanks.
'DustyFish'


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

Check out the 3000 gallon pond build I just completed with my dad. It has an intermediate area with plants that feed into the overflow. The filter consists of a big pre fab overflow box with a couple of course sponge filters after a leaf catcher net. Big pump pumps from overflow up to waterfall overflow with another big sponge in it. Although it has shubunkins in it it would work for koi. It was a really fun project and was well worth the effort. 
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f49/su...d-build-80338.html?highlight=3000+gallon+pond


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