Making a Koi Pond Soon

[afireinside]

In the spring time, I'm making a Koi Pond in my backyard. I'm building it in the Summer for obvious reasons. I do have a few questions though. Here they are:
What should I do for the Koi if I want to leave them in the pond for the winter?
Can I put Goldfish in there too?
How deep should I make the pond?

I did buy a book, but it did not tell me anything about the previous questions I just asked. So, it would be greatly appreciated if you could answer my questions. THank you.

 

[jarcher1390]

i buy magasizes they have alsort measure ments designs places where you can buy materials a frequently asked questions

i just leave mine but i have a water fall and it stops the freezing right over

iv got goldfish in my pond with my koi they dont bother any thing

there sould be at leat 1m deep so the fish can hibernate in winter

 

[Opcn]

I'd say in minnesota 4-5 feet deep, in one part of the pond, so that the fish have somewere to be whe nthe ice gets thick (well, whats the frostline like in your part of the state, here in southcentral alaska the frost line is about a foot or so down, you should always have two feet below the frost line). You can keep goldfish with koi but they need to be carp bodied gold fihsh, the fancy varieties wont be able to compete for food. the best thing for them in winter is air exchange, an airpump is okay inwarmer areas but I'm afraid the turnover would chill the bottom of your pond too much, there are heaters and styrofoam hole covers that when used in conjunction with each other will help your fish live, goodluck.

 

[Tcian]

You will need more than a foot below the frost line. The first foot below the ice is called the (brain freeze, I just forgot what it is called lol) Anyway, that foot of water is needed to insulate the water that the fish will spend the winter in a state of torpor (slow respiration and heartbeat) from the ice pack above. The water below that first foot of water will remain at a constant temp regardless of how cold it gets. Just find out from the Coast Guard or Army Corp of Engineers how thick the ice gets in your part of the country. To help in gas transference, a bubbler or a pond heater that will keep one area open to the air should be used. Do not feed once the temperature of the water goes below 45 degrees F. The beneficial bacteria become dormant at 43 degrees F.

Hope this helps.
Todd

 

[Tcian]

Did I just read that someone in south central Alaska the frost line is only one foot? Here in south east Michigan it is 30 inches! So much for perceptions lol.