Planning ahead can save you a lot of headaches. Planning out a Koi pond design is a big project even before you turn the first shovel of dirt. Save yourself time, effort and bucks by doing the right way.

Think about the shape of your pond. There will be many factors impacting the ultimate shape that you won’t be able to control. Things like landscaping, structures on the property, grade and slope of the land, etc. will have to be planned around. The result will be when you can visualize the actual layout. Use rope or garden hose to lay out several different patterns. Look at them from all angles. Don’t forget to view them from inside your house, form balconies and porches – anywhere you can see the pond.

The depth of your pond is a critical consideration for several reasons. Koi get to be big fish. They can grow 3 to 6 inches a year. They need room to swim not only laterally but up and down as well. You need to have a minimum depth of 4 feet. Ideally, 6 to 8 feet will give your fish all the room they will need. This greater depth also helps to stabilize the water temperature being cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter months.

With a larger pond you have more Koi fish, but there are always limiting factors. Don’t make your pond smaller than 6 ft. by 9 ft. by 4 ft. deep. A pond this size will hold about 1600 gallons of water. Remember in planning the depth of the pond, allow for about 6 inches from the waterline to the top edge.

When planning your Koi pond design – keep it simple. A simple layout, while it may not look that spectacular, will allow for better water movement and filtration. The more complex design may impress your neighbors, but will be much harder to keep clean and maintain. For the health of your fish, you want to be able to easily and consistently maintain the chemical balance in the pond. A simple design will help.

The best simple design shape is a rectangular or oblong pond. The rectangular design more easily allows the placement of multiple drains thus providing better filtration. It will minimize or eliminate dead areas that have poor or no water circulation.

The location of your pond is a very important part of Koi pond design. It should be where you will enjoy it the most. Most people prefer to have it as the central or focal point of a backyard or garden. Being able to view it from a balcony, deck or back porch can be very spectacular.

The perfect location will take into account several points. A pond with no shade will foster rapid algae growth. Don’t let this happen. If it’s located under a tree it will collect plant debris which if not cleared frequently will affect the acidity of the water. This can be harmful to the fish. Tree roots can often crack concrete ponds or pierce pond liners. Don’t let your pond fill with large amounts of rain water runoff. Always make sure the pond is far enough away from any plantings that will require spraying with harmful insecticides.