Koi have to be one of the most popular, if not THE most popular species of fish we keep outdoors. A fact that is pretty unsurprising really when you consider their majestic size, bright colors, and absolute confidence around humans. They make fabulous pets that can live for up to 30 years and really make themselves part of the family.
A koi pond should be at least 3-4 feet deep to protect your fish from freezing through winter. This will also to ensure you have enough water volume to cope with all the waste that Koi produce. A minimum of 1000 Gallons in total is a minimum water volume you’ll need to keep koi carp.
The chances are that if you are considering keeping Koi you’ll need to start from scratch in your preparation for owning them. This includes building them a pond! Few homes, come with a pond already in the garden, and even if there is one, it may not be suitable for Koi. You see, Koi ponds have some specific requirements which the most important of is depth.
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How Deep Should A Pond Be For Koi?
Koi, when fully grown, are an incredibly large species that can reach up to 24 inches (60 cm) in size. This is easily forgotten when you view or purchase the 3 to 4-inch specimens at your local aquatic store. That means that often pond size and depth for this aquatic giant is underestimated. This can lead to future problems (which we’ll cover shortly) with their care.
It is recommended that a Koi pond should be at least 4 feet deep (1.2 meters) with the mantra being ‘the deeper the better’. It should also cover an area of at least 8 by 6 foot and hold 1000 gallons of water minimum.
As a rough guide for this size pond, you could house 4 to 5 fully grown Koi. This is based upon using the 10 gallons of water per inch of Koi fish rule. Don’t forget though please, to calculate the pond size based on fully grown Koi.
Here is a good pond calculator for you to use.
It would be remiss not to mention at some point, like now, that it is entirely feasible to have a Koi pond that is shallower than four feet. However, this is only the case if you purchase Koi at around 3 to 4 inches in size, and are prepared to give them up when they outgrow the space.
Nonetheless, this is a hot topic for debate as many of the ‘given up Koi’ end up spending their lives in aquatic stores never finding a new home. A moral and ethical dilemma which we will leave you to decide upon.
Why Does A Koi Pond Need To Be So Deep?
As already mentioned, briefly, not providing your Koi with a pond that is deep enough will lead to problems in their care and welfare. This is for a number of reasons as follows:
1. Koi are very active
Koi are an active fish that need a lot of space to swim around in. This includes being able to move up and down the water column in order to build up muscle and maintain their streamlined shape. Koi kept in shallow ponds tend to become obese and end up with a rugby ball shaping.
2. Avoid rapid water temperature changes
As cold-water fish whose body temperature
Rapid or sudden change can lead to physical stress. This can result in disease and possibly even death which is certainly something you do not want. By providing depth, and hence more water volume, you can avoid rapid temperature changes. This is because larger water volumes will cool or heat up with far less speed than smaller ones.
3. Deep ponds insulate them from the cold
Sticking with the same theme of temperature, a shallow pond can be incredibly detrimental to your Koi’s health and welfare in winter. This is because although they are a cold-blooded species that can withstand lower temperatures, down to 10 °C (50 °F), they will not fare well below this.
In this regard, a deep pond helps, as Koi spend most of their time during winter at the bottom where the deepwater insulates them from the air temperature.
Plus, whilst Koi can tolerate the lower temperatures of winter, they cannot survive being frozen. So, as 6 inches or more depth in your pond can freeze during this time it is not hard to see that in winter the mantra ‘ the deeper the better’ fits even more!
Are There Any Other Benefits To Having A Deep Koi Pond?
One of the simplest, but most valuable, in many cases, benefits of having a deep pond is that you can achieve the large water capacity Koi require in a relatively small space. Most gardens, after all, will be spacious enough to host a pond with an 8 feet by 6 footprint and a 4 feet depth.
Good water quality is also easier to maintain in a deeper, hence larger water volume, pond. This is due to unwanted chemicals such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate building slower and is easier to control in larger water volumes.
This is especially helpful for those ponds that contain Koi or Goldfish as they are ‘dirty fish’ that produce a lot of waste.
Finally, but certainly not least in importance, regarding pond depth is the prevention of predators feasting on your beloved Koi. Deep water gives them somewhere to escape and retreat to where birds such as Heron won’t be able to reach.
This is particularly relevant in winter when your Koi will be hibernating, sluggish, and easier to catch.
What Are The Best Options For Building And Creating A Deep Koi Pond?
When it comes to building the ideal Koi pond, there are four main possibilities that will achieve your end goal. These range from the ‘easy to install’ to the ‘it’s going to take some work’ and also relatively cheap to expensive.
1. A Prefabricated Mould
Made from plastic or fiberglass, prefabricated molds are potentially the most expensive option when it comes to building a pond. However, they are also comparatively one of the easiest to install too. They simply require a hole digging that matches the shape of your mold and ‘hey presto’ you have a pond.
Prefabricated ponds are also great if you want a pond that has different depths and shelves for plants. Some plants need to be close to the water’s surface.
However, many prefabricated moulds are not suitable for Koi ponds as they do not have the required depth and you may need to shop around to find one. The biggest prefabricated one we could find was only 500 Gallons. Far too small for adult koi.
2. A Pond Liner
One of the most cost-efficient options when it comes to building a pond is the pond liner. A pond liner can be made from butyl or vinyl. They are perfect for the Koi pond enthusiast as they can be moulded to any depth hole you choose.
They will, however, need a little more effort than the moulded option would. However, the reward of any shaped pond, as deep as you want, is certainly worth the extra effort.
3. A Concrete Pond
Absolutely the most expensive of all the options, the concrete pond will definitely require some hard graft to build. However, on the flip side of the coin, they are, for many, the only option too.
They are strong, leakproof, and incredibly long-lasting with added benefits for your Koi that are hard to resist. Carbonate produced in the concrete and grout buffers pH swings in your pond’s water.
Concrete ponds also have the added bonus of being able to be any shape, size, and depth you fancy. If you can dig the hole and concrete it, you can have it as a Koi pond. You will need to take care, however, that you do not create any sharp edges or leave the concrete too rough. Sharp and rough areas can injure your Koi.
4. A Children’s Pool
There is some debate over whether the use of children’s pools as ponds is feasible. Some say that they are a fantastic, inexpensive, and easy to install way of having a Koi pond in your garden. Others state that they are not cost-saving as they are not strong enough and will need replacing after a short while.
Whilst it would be fair to say that both sides of this debate make good points, it would also be apt to add, that the children’s pool has a couple of, possibly, major advantages.
Firstly, you can pack up and move this pond fairly easily should you need to. Secondly, it does not require any digging up of your garden. A children’s pool will sit, without being intrusive, in any level part of your garden.
Do I Need Any Special Equipment For A Koi Pond?
Technically, no as all ponds being outside and open to the elements will get dirty and smelly, especially if not cleaned properly or regularly, and need the same equipment to deal with it. However, because Koi ponds are deeper, they can be more difficult to keep clean making some equipment a necessity.
The first piece of equipment that makes life easier when you have a deep pond is a bottom drain. This will suck up all the muck and grime from the very bottom of your pond and send it through the filter.
A necessity with fish species such as the Koi which are renowned for producing lots of waste. Waste that is not dealt with will cause you many problems. This may also be a good point to mention – you will need an exceptional mechanical and biological filter for your Koi pond for the same exact reason above.
The second piece of equipment you should really consider is a good quality pond vacuum. This will help you to get right to the bottom of the Koi pond and clear any debris or dirt that has settled.
You should be aware, however, that most pond vacuums work best when the vacuum itself is above the water level with the hose on a decline into the pond. This is not a problem for most ponds. It can be an issue with children’s pools or raised ponds as the vacuum may need elevating for the best results.
Finally, you may wish to consider covering your Koi pond with netting. Netting will prevent crafty predators from popping along and making a good old feast out of them.
This is especially the case if you have decided to buy the more fancy and expensive Koi types out there. These, after all, can run into hundreds, even thousands of dollars. I’m sure you’ll agree you certainly won’t want to lose them for the sake of spending a few further dollars on a net!
Conclusion: How Deep Should A Koi Pond Be?
There are many reasons why a koi pond should be at least 4 feet deep. The health of your fish is paramount and providing them with the best possible water and living conditions is a duty of any owner.
Water volume is the number one factor when building a pond followed by the depth. Then you’ll need to consider what filter you’re going to use and how you’re going to oxygenate the pond. That’s another very important part of a koi pond.
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I have been working in the tropical fish industry for over 30 years now and I’m still learning. Everyday is a school day in this hobby. In my spare time I play golf very badly!