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Do I need a Bottom Drain ?

   Bottom drains are a must! If you have a Koi Pond you need a bottom drain to get the bad water to the filter as quickly as possible. They say s*&@ floats but it doesn't...the fish waste along with other debris sinks to the bottom where it will stay without a bottom drain to take it away. Even if all you are planning is a small water garden a bottom drain will come in very handy when your trying to clean the pond. Slope the bottom of the pond to the drain. It will be much easier to clean.

How big should my pond be?

   This is a question that is up to you but it has been my experience... think of what you want and make it twice that big. Ha! Ha! Just kidding. The truth is most people think too small ...for fish. Your Koi pond must be deep enough to keep the water temperature below 96 degrees F. Koi suffer brain damage at 96 degrees. Water gardens on the other hand need only be big enough to hold the plants you want. Try to keep in mind, when you buy Lilies they are small they can grow quickly and will need a lot of room. Plants like Lotus, Cat tails, and Thrush can be contained in a pot; Iris although pretty can take over a pond quickly so give your plants some thought.

What kind of plants can I have with my Koi?

     It's not a question of what kind of plant you can have as much as how to care for what plants you want to keep. Koi are bottom feeding fish and will root in plants given the chance. The thing I like to do is to build the pond so that the fish can't get into the plant bed. Koi are very hard on plants, eating the roots and digging the dirt out of the pots making for lots of cleaning for you. If you already have a pond the thing to do is raise the pots up to the surface only leaving about a 1/2 inch of water over the top of the pot; this way the fish can't root in them.   

What size pump do I need ?

   The first thing you need to know is what size pond you are building. The general rule of thumb is the pond water should be re-circulated once every hour for an average stocking level of fish. If your not planning to have fish then you can use whatever pump you want just to keep the water from becoming stagnant.

The fountain in my Koi pond stays clogged what can I do?

   As much as I know everybody wants a fountain in their pond; they are so good looking...right? The fact is fish and fountains don't mix, or maybe I should say they won't work well unless you are willing to clean the fountain continuously. The thing is fish make the waste that feeds the algae that clogs the fountain (no way around it).

How long can Koi Live

    The average life span is around 70 years. The oldest Koi on record was a female Higoi (solid red koi) named Hanako she was born in 1751 and lived in Japan for 226 years.

How does a Bead filter work

    Most bead filters have floating bead about the size of BB's inside. When the water fills the filter all the beads float to the top. The water is pumped in the bottom and out the top thus trapping all the gunk on the bottom of the beads. As the water flows up through the beads the more gunk gets trapped therefore cleaning the water. Beads also have the most surface area per cubic foot than any other media. This makes a bead filter the most efficient pond filter made for the space it requires.

How often should I backwash my Bead Filter

     A bead filer is just like any other filter the should be backwashed every week. This is of course after the filter has cycled. Keep in mind if the filter is new you will need to give it 21 days to cycle. When I install a bead filter I let it run for 30 days before backwashing just to make sure. Backwashing should be done Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter it doesn't mater the filter need to be cleaned.