If you have been thinking about a Koi pond but are afraid it may be too difficult to consider, think again it really is not as difficult as you think. A Koi pond can be a beautiful enhancement to your garden and if you build and maintain it properly you will have a pond to be proud of for many years.

Choose an area where you can build a pond large enough to allow your fish to reproduce ant grow in size. They like elbow room so be sure you have plenty of room for them to swim easily. It is not a good idea to have the fish so crowded that they are bumping into each other at every turn. Of course you will want to be sure that you do not have more room than you need. Filtering the water and adding medication if you need it can be very expensive, especially if you are working with more water than you actually need.

The shape of your Koi pond is more important than most people think. If there are too many twists and turns in the pond shape, you can creative dead areas where the water does not move. This wasted space that may be unhealthy for your Koi and it will be more difficult to clean. You will also need to consider the bottom of the Koi pond. A flat bottom pond may require almost constant vacuuming to keep clean. However, if you choose a contour going from the top to the bottom drains, the pond is almost self-cleaning.

While Koi do fine in either sun or shade; the shade is actually the best for your pond. The shade helps to slow algae growth. It also helps to keep the water from becoming too hot in the summer sun. It is fine to build in the sun; you will just need to add some type of shade for a least a part of the pond. Be sure that you give careful consideration to where you want to put the pond and the shape you choose.

Give careful consideration to the how deep you make the pond. You need a portion of the pond to be at least four feet deep. And be sure if you have a shallow end, it is no less than 2 feet deep. You do not want the fish to be subjected to too much heat or to predators. The best pond design will give a depth of at least six feet and straight sides to deter predator attacks.

Water plants can be very beautiful but they may not be a good choice for your pond. The plants can contain harmful parasites that can be hard to get rid of once you introduce them to your pond. One idea is to surround your pond with flowers and foliage; it is easy to arrange the plants so that they give the most effective look to your pond.

The most effective addition you can make to the look of your pond is lighting. Of course you will want to add them when you install the pond because it is much easier at that time. Avoid the temptation to add a few lights concentrated on the top of the pond. The best effect is to add enough lights to light the entire pond and place them at different angles to ensure you have no shadowed areas.

It really does not matter which shape you choose for your pond or what types of plants you decide on. As long as you concentrate on keeping your Koi pond clean and healthy you will be able to enjoy your Koi pond and the fish for many years.